The new Kia Sportage is a mild-hybrid

It’s facelift time for the Kia Sportage, and the big news is the addition of a mild-hybrid to the line-up. Power from a 2.0-litre diesel engine is supplemented by a 48-volt battery and starter-generator which “extends engine-off time”, improves acceleration and reduces CO2 emissions by up to four per cent.

Kia says it will launch 16 more “advanced powertrain vehicles” by 2025 – five hybrids, five PHEVs, five pure-EVs and an FCV.

Elsewhere the 1.7-litre diesel has been replaced by a 1.6 – the “cleanest diesel Kia has ever made” – there are new driver assistance systems, new front and rear bumpers, redesigned headlights and more alloy wheels to choose from. Inside there’s a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a smarter instrument cluster.

Not the most scintillating news to wake up to on a Wednesday morning, we know, but Kia sold a whopping 131,000 of these things in Europe last year. One in three Kias sold in Britain is a Sportage, making it a hugely important car for the brand. So long as it ploughs any money it earns back into stuff like the Stinger, we’re OK with this.