Supply is freeing up for the flagship Kia Sportage GT-Line, and the company has now reopened orders.
They had been paused for around three months to clear a backlog that was the result of component shortages.
A Kia Australia spokesperson confirmed the company’s focus is to fulfil existing Sportage GT-Line backorders. They also said they expect overall Sportage supply will improve over the coming months.
If you were order a new Kia Sportage GT-Line right now, you would be waiting roughly seven months for the turbo-diesel variant and longer for the turbo-petrol variant.
Average anticipated wait times for the rest of the Sportage line-up on the other hand is around four months.
As recently reported, Kia Australia is gearing up to introduce the Sportage Hybrid to the line-up early next year.
Kia Australia product planning general manager Roland Rivero confirmed production of the Australian-specification Sportage Hybrid is expected to begin during the fourth quarter of 2023 in South Korea, ahead of an early 2024 arrival.
Kia Australia is also looking to offer more than one variant. CarExpert understand a top-spec GT-Line will be offered, as well as a low- or mid-spec grade in line with the existing S or SX specifications.
Mr Rivero added there will be “better supply [for the Sportage Hybrid] than what you’ve seen of Sorento [Hybrid and PHEV]”, confirming Kia Australia is aiming for around 200 examples per month.
It’s expected Kia Australia will charge a similar premium over non-electrified Sportage models for the new hybrid.
Currently, the Sorento HEV FWD and AWD demand a $4700 premium over non-electrified Sorento models for the new hybrid.
We’re anticipating a premium of around $4000-$4500 for the Sportage Hybrid. Kia has previously acknowledged this aspect is critical, particularly given the more price-sensitive nature of this segment.
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