The car was photographed on Stolychne Shose by a correspondent of the auto24.tv.ua website. The publication itself is confident that this is the new Sportage, and the same opinion is shared by colleagues from topgir.com.ua and autoua.net. The Autoportal editorial team also tends to this point of view.
The fact that we are looking at a Kia Sportage is indicated by a number of facts. First, the prototype captured in Ukraine is very similar to the test cars that foreign spy photographers spotted in South Korea and Europe and identified as the new generation of the Korean best-selling crossover (the same rear lights, side glazing, and front fenders). Second, the car has German license plates, specifically from the federal state of Hesse, where the headquarters of the European division of Hyundai-Kia is located.
Finally, third, since Sportage has been the most popular new car in Ukraine for many years, Kia is directly interested in testing this car on our roads. Testing pre-production cars on public roads is a common practice for automakers. In this way, they check the cars in real operating conditions and, if necessary, make changes to the design and settings. Often such tests are carried out in the countries where the car will be produced, in key sales markets, and in harsh climatic and road conditions.
It should be noted that the debut of the Kia Sportage 2022 will take place in June. As before, for Ukraine (and other European countries), the crossover will be produced at the Kia plant in Slovakia.
