It has just been confirmed that the all-new fifth-generation Kia Sportage will be coming to Malaysia. Not only that, the SUV will also be locally assembled (CKD) at the Inokom plant in Kulim, Kedah, according to Bermaz Group CEO Datuk Francis Lee Kok Chuan during an interview with The Edge.
Said to be Bermaz Group’s next volume generator, Datuk Lee said that the Kia Sportage will be made available in Malaysia via its pure petrol variants first, with hybrid options to be introduced at a later date. The company is also planning to sell between 4,000 and 5,000 units of the Sportage yearly. This is important for the company as future models from Mazda, another brand Bermaz Group represents, are predicted to increase in price as its next-generation models reach Malaysian shores in the next two to three years.
Datuk Lee said, “Kia’s Asia-Pacific office is based in KL and they want to make the ASEAN project work because they are already good everywhere, except in ASEAN and China. So, now, they are putting a lot of emphasis on the ASEAN market.”
“The Sportage is selling very well worldwide; in fact, they don’t have CBU (completely built-up) cars for us to bring in,” the CEO added.
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Marketed as a C-segment SUV, the Kia Sportage’s main rivals in Malaysia will consist of the likes of the Proton X70, Honda CR-V, and Chery Tiggo 7 Pro.
First made its global debut in 2021, the fifth-gen Kia Sportage is offered with a number of internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrain options, including a 1.6-litre turbo petrol and a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine. For those concerned about fuel economy or the environment, the Sportage can also be had with a series of hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options.
The Kia Sportage is currently absent in Malaysia, having been discontinued in the country years ago. News of the Sportage’s return to the Malaysian market will spell good news for fans of the Kia brand as well as those shopping for a C-segment SUV. However, no specific date has been confirmed on when its launch will happen just yet.
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