Kia will return to compete in the 2022 running of the Rebelle Rally. This time, the brand is entering a 2023 Sportage X-Pro, and it has revealed the first rendering of the competition-ready crossover.
The automaker says that it will keep the modification relatively minor, but that doesn’t mean that none will be made. Kia has not yet revealed precisely what it will do to the 2023 Sportage X-Pro it campaigns, but the model comes with all-terrain tires, off-road hardware, and active on-demand all-wheel drive from the factory.
The standard X-Pro’s B.F. Goodrich tires are wrapped around 17-inch matte-black wheels and are joined by LED fog lights and available LED projector headlights, a heated windshield and wiper washer nozzle, multi-terrain drive modes, and a two-tone roof.
Read Also: Kia To Enter A Pair Of Modified Sorento PHEVs In 2021 Rebelle Rally
The livery for the competition Sportage X-Pro, meanwhile, is inspired by Kia‘s new slogan, “Movement that Inspires.” It features the brand’s new gray, white, and black color scheme, and the model seen in this rendering appears to also have aftermarket wheels, extra ride height, and extra gear on its red roof rack.
All of which will be useful for the 1,500-mile (2,414 km) rally, that sees teams of two competing over eight days to navigate across the deserts of Nevada and California. The all women event is set to begin on October 6 and will end on October 15 at the Imperial Sand Dunes, in Southern California.
Kia competed in the event last year with a pair of lightly modified Sorento PHEVs. This year, it will compete against the likes of the Hyundai Santa Cruze, the Nissan Frontier, and more.
Kia says that it will fully unveil its Rebelle-spec Sportage in the coming weeks, ahead of the start of the event.
