Cars are becoming more expensive, this time due to emission regulations: Kia will stop selling the basic model of the Sportage with a 2,000 cc engine in Israel in the coming weeks, after the manufacturer halted its European marketing. There is still a small stock in Israel, but once depleted, sales will cease.
Last week, Hyundai announced the launch of the revamped Tucson, which for the first time excludes its non-turbo engine variant. Tucson and Sportage share many mechanical components, both anticipating the next stage of European vehicle emission standards set by Hyundai-Kia.
Since 2023, every manufacturer marketing in Europe must ensure that the average emissions of the models they sell do not exceed 93.6 grams of CO2 per kilometer, due to the role of carbon dioxide in global warming. Those exceeding the average are fined €1,000 per gram of CO2 for each car sold that year. Starting January 2025, the next phase of regulations will tighten further to an average of 49.5 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
The 2-liter Sportage is the most polluting model in Kia's lineup, emitting 189 grams of CO2 per kilometer, compared to 168 grams for the 1.6-liter turbo variant, which will continue to be sold, as well as 130 grams for the hybrid version and 25 grams for the plug-in hybrid.
In Israel, there is no policy of fines for manufacturers, but rather an option for a green tax discount of up to ₪16,000 for low-emission models. However, the 2-liter Sportage is already rated in the highest pollution category, 15, and does not receive any tax benefits.
The same engine will continue to be imported to Israel with Kia's slightly smaller Seltos, which complies with less stringent American standards, thus emitting less air pollution.
As the simpler mechanical version, it is also the cheapest version of the Sportage, starting at ₪177,000 before discounts. This is in contrast to the less-equipped 1.6-liter turbo model, which starts at ₪180,000 with smaller discounts. Simultaneously, the Sportage has also moved to the updated 1.6-liter turbo engine, which has lost 20 horsepower in favor of reduced emissions and now produces 160 horsepower.