Kia has confirmed a new entry hybrid for the Kia Sportage, the S Hybrid front-wheel drive, at $44,490 drive-away. That is a sharp shot at the two names that own the mid-size SUV class.
Cheaper than the RAV4 and the Tucson
The offer is pegged at $44,490 drive-away, from a list price of $44,450 before on-road costs, and it runs to 30 September 2026 unless Kia extends it. That undercuts the new-generation Toyota RAV4 GX Hybrid front-wheel drive, which opens at $45,990 before on-road costs, and it also sits below the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid on $44,990 drive-away. For the first time the three biggest hybrid SUV names are trading blows on price rather than waiting lists.
Cartell Assessment
This is the RAV4 tax finally under pressure. Hybrids already make up close to a third of Kia sales, so a cheaper Sportage hybrid is not a token gesture, it is where the volume is. A drive-away number that reads under the Toyota before you have haggled is exactly the sort of headline that gets a buyer into a Kia showroom.
AU Outlook
Watch whether Toyota answers with drive-away deals of its own on the new RAV4, and whether Hyundai trims the Tucson Hybrid to hold the middle ground. The winner here is the buyer.
