A Kia Sportage in Seoul and one in Georgia look like the same SUV, and their length, width and wheelbase match. Open the hood, though, and most of the lineup changes.
This guide compares the 2027 Sportage in Korea and the US: which engines each country gets, all-wheel drive, official fuel economy and starting prices.
How we checked
Korean specs, fuel economy and prices come from Kia Korea’s Sportage specification and price pages for The 2027 Sportage. US specs, fuel economy and prices come from Kia America’s press site pages for the 2027 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid and Sportage Plug-in Hybrid.
We didn’t use dealer sites, reviews or forums. Where a figure is our own conversion, we say so.
The short answer
- Gas: Korea gets a 1.6 turbo. The US gets a 2.5.
- Hybrid: both countries sell a 1.6 turbo hybrid. It’s the one powertrain the two lineups share.
- Korea only: a 2.0 LPG version, front-wheel drive only.
- US only: a plug-in hybrid with an EPA-rated 34 miles of electric range.
- Body: length, width and wheelbase match once converted.
- Price in Korea: from ₩29,440,000 for the 1.6 turbo gas. In the US, from $28,990 for the gas LX, before destination.
Korea vs US: what’s under the hood
Here is every powertrain on the two current spec sheets.
| Market | Powertrain | Output | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korea | 1.6 turbo gas | 180 PS (178 hp), 27.0 kgf·m (195 lb-ft) | 8-speed automatic |
| Korea | 2.0 LPG | 146 PS (144 hp), 19.5 kgf·m (141 lb-ft) | 6-speed automatic |
| Korea | 1.6 turbo hybrid | Engine 180 PS (178 hp), 27.0 kgf·m (195 lb-ft); motor 47.7 kW (64 hp), 264 Nm | 6-speed automatic |
| US | 2.5 gas | 187 hp, 178 lb-ft | 8-speed automatic |
| US | 1.6 turbo hybrid | Engine 177 hp, 195 lb-ft; motor 64 hp; 232 hp, 271 lb-ft combined | 6-speed automatic |
| US | 1.6 turbo plug-in hybrid | 268 hp combined, 13.8 kWh battery | — |
Korean outputs are from Kia Korea’s spec page, which gives power in PS and torque in kgf·m. The hp and lb-ft figures in parentheses are our conversions. US figures are from Kia America’s 2027 spec pages.
The hybrid figures match on both sheets. Kia Korea’s 180 PS engine works out to 177.5 hp by our conversion, against Kia America’s 177 hp, and its 47.7 kW motor converts to 64 hp, the figure Kia America gives. The Korean page doesn’t give a combined output, so the 232 hp figure is Kia America’s.
The gas engines are different
This is the biggest difference between the two lineups. Korea’s gas Sportage uses a 1.6 turbo with 27.0 kgf·m (195 lb-ft) of torque from 1,500 rpm. The US car uses a 2.5 with 178 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm.
Peak power is close: 180 PS (178 hp) in Korea against 187 hp in the US. Both use an 8-speed automatic. Kia doesn’t explain on these pages why each country gets its engine, so we won’t guess.
The LPG Sportage (Korea only)
The 2.0 LPG runs on liquefied petroleum gas. It has the lowest output in either lineup and is listed with front-wheel drive only. Kia Korea’s price page offers it in four trims, from Prestige (프레스티지) to Signature X-Line, with a round tank (원형 봄베).
LPG is sold at separate filling stations (충전소), not at every gas station. Our guide to gas stations in Korea shows how to find them. LPG registration rules and taxes are outside this guide’s scope.
The plug-in hybrid (US only)
Kia America sells a Sportage Plug-in Hybrid in two trims, X-Line and X-Line Prestige, both with all-wheel drive. It pairs a 1.6 turbo with a 13.8 kWh battery for 268 hp combined.
Kia America lists 34 miles (about 55 km by our conversion) of all-electric range and 470 miles of total range. Kia Korea’s Sportage pages list no plug-in version.
Same size in both countries
In Korea, the Sportage is 4,685 mm long and 1,865 mm wide on a 2,755 mm wheelbase. Converted, that’s 184.4, 73.4 and 108.5 inches, the figures on Kia America’s 2027 spec sheet.
Height depends on roof rails and trim in both countries, so we haven’t matched those figures. Kia Korea lists 1,660 mm without roof rails.
All-wheel drive
In Korea, electronic four-wheel drive (전자식 4WD) is a ₩2,230,000 option on the 1.6 turbo gas and the hybrid. None of the four LPG trims lists a 4WD option on the price page.
In the US, the gas Sportage comes with front- or all-wheel drive depending on trim, and the X-Line and X-Pro come with AWD. The hybrid LX is front-wheel drive, and for the 2027 model year Kia America added front-wheel-drive versions of the hybrid S and EX trims.
Official fuel economy
Korean fuel economy is government-reported (정부 신고 연비) in km/L, for each version and wheel size. Here are the combined figures for the smallest and largest wheels listed, from the 2027 spec page, without the built-in dashcam where Kia lists both.
| Korean version | Wheels listed | Combined, km/L | In US mpg (our conversion) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 turbo gas, 2WD | 17 to 19 in | 12.3 to 11.5 | 28.9 to 27.0 |
| 1.6 turbo gas, 4WD | 17 to 19 in | 11.1 to 10.5 | 26.1 to 24.7 |
| 2.0 LPG, 2WD | 17 to 19 in | 9.2 to 8.6, per liter of LPG | Not comparable |
| 1.6 turbo hybrid, 2WD | 17 to 19 in | 16.3 to 15.6 | 38.3 to 36.7 |
| 1.6 turbo hybrid, 4WD | 17 to 19 in | 14.7 to 14.3 | 34.6 to 33.6 |
Some versions are listed with and without the built-in dashcam (빌트인 캠), which lowers the figure slightly. Kia notes that these come from a standard test mode and that real-world economy varies with road conditions, driving style, load, maintenance and outside temperature.
For the US gas Sportage, Kia America lists EPA estimates of 28 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 26 with AWD. For the plug-in, it lists 36 mpg combined and 83 MPGe. The 2027 hybrid spec page we checked didn’t list fuel economy, so we haven’t given a US hybrid figure.
The Korean figures are government-reported and the US ones are EPA estimates, so don’t read the two sets as a direct match. If you want other units, our Kia K8 guide has a km/L converter.
What the Sportage costs
These are starting prices from Kia Korea’s price page (as of October 1, 2026) and Kia America’s 2027 pricing releases.
| Market | Version and trim | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Korea | 1.6 turbo gas, Prestige (프레스티지) | ₩29,440,000 |
| Korea | 2.0 LPG, Prestige | ₩30,090,000 |
| Korea | 1.6 turbo hybrid, Prestige | ₩35,360,000 before tax benefit, ₩34,360,000 after |
| US | Gas, LX FWD | $28,990 |
| US | Hybrid, LX FWD | $30,590 |
| US | Plug-in hybrid, X-Line AWD | $40,590 |
Korea’s 1.6 turbo gas also comes as Noblesse (노블레스), Signature (시그니처), Signature X-Line and Black Edition (블랙 에디션), up to ₩36,220,000 before options. The hybrid is listed at two prices, before and after a tax benefit (세제혜택 전/후). We didn’t find an end date for the benefit on the price page, so check the current list before you budget.
US prices are MSRP and exclude a $1,495 destination charge. Kia America notes that taxes are extra and that retailers set actual prices. We haven’t converted between won and dollars, since exchange rates move and US MSRP excludes taxes.
One Korean detail: from the Noblesse trim up, the Sportage has a built-in Hi-Pass unit for paying highway tolls. Kia notes it doesn’t apply toll discounts on its own; those need separate registration. Our guide to Korean highway tolls and Hi-Pass explains how the system works.
Searching for a Sportage in Korea
On Korean sites, search 스포티지 (Sportage). To narrow it down, add a fuel type: 가솔린 (gas), LPG or 하이브리드 (hybrid).
If you’re buying in Korea, our guide to buying a used car in Korea as a foreigner covers the paperwork, and our car tax guide covers what you’ll pay each year. For Hyundai’s compact SUV, our Tucson guide covers the new model Korea got first.
Where to check
- Korean specs and prices: Kia Korea Sportage specifications and Kia Korea Sportage prices (in Korean)
- US gas Sportage: 2027 Sportage overview and pricing and 2027 Sportage specifications on Kia America’s press site
- US hybrid and plug-in: 2027 Sportage Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid pricing, hybrid specifications and plug-in hybrid specifications
Last checked: October 31, 2026. Sources: Kia Korea specification and price pages for The 2027 Sportage (prices as of October 1, 2026); Kia America press site pages for the 2027 Sportage (overview of August 26, 2026, specifications), the 2027 Sportage HEV (overview of July 20, 2026, specifications) and the 2027 Sportage PHEV (specifications). hp, lb-ft, inch, km and mpg figures are our own conversions.