The fourth-generation Sportage will be unveiled next month at the Frankfurt auto show and will debut in 2016.
Sketches released by Kia show a less boxy Sportage than the current version with lines that give the crossover a coupelike silhouette.
The Sportage also adopts styling cues from the KX3 concept that was unveiled in 2014 at the Guangzhou auto show, including the Kia signature "tiger nose" grille.
A sketch of the interior shows a less cluttered cabin containing a dashboard with fewer buttons and a large infotainment screen.