Kia introduced a facelift for the second generation of its small-sized SUV in 2008, improving both the look and the powertrain.
In 2008, the world was sinking under the financial crisis. Still, some carmakers had the opportunity to grow, and Kia was one of them. After a big sales hit with its compact-segment hatchback cee’d, the Korean carmaker turned its attention towards the Sportage, which was built on the Hyundai Accent platform, and it was quite appealing for the market.

Starting with January 2009, the Euro 5 emission standard came into force, and all the carmakers had to adjust their products. Some did that quietly, without too much fuss, while others took the opportunity to improve their look. The 2008 Sportage featured new headlights with clear lenses and redesigned bumpers. The design team installed a new grille, which looked simple but bold enough on the oval-shaped background.

Inside, there was a new Sirius satellite radio for selected markets. On the European version, only the iPod and USB connectivities were available. The USB and aux-in 3.5 mm jack were fitted as standard on the entire range. Kia installed a two-position cargo cover and four anchors for tie-down luggage in the trunk for selected trim levels.

Under the hood, all the engines were refreshed, including the 2.0-diesel version. A big surprise for its size category was the 2.7-liter gasoline unit, which was paired as standard to a 4-speed automatic transmission.