2023 Kia Sportage GT-Line orders temporarily paused due to chip shortage

The flagship 2023 Kia Sportage GT-Line is temporarily off-sale in Australia.

Kia’s local division has confirmed orders are paused due to the semiconductor chip shortage that continues to affect the wider automotive industry.

“Due to component shortages impacting supply of Sportage GT-Line variants, orders have been temporarily paused until production increases,” said a spokesperson for Kia Australia.

“The situation is being reviewed regularly and we are working hard to fulfil backorders.”

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Wheels understands the shortage affects several components – not the panoramic sunroof, which has constricted production for the related Hyundai Tucson Highlander flagship.

Hyundai has offered current order holders a unique Tucson Highlander without a panoramic sunroof to reduce delivery times.

Kia Australia said it is “difficult to assign a wait time” for existing Sportage GT-Line orders, with limited deliveries expected in the coming months.

A wait time of approximately four to six months is quoted for the Sportage S, SX and SX+.

The temporary removal of new GT-Line orders will affect Sportage sales until orders resume, with the flagship grade accounting for 42 per cent of the mix in 2022.

VFACTS new-car sales data reveals 3348 examples have been registered in Australia year-to-date – down 14.9 per cent compared to this time last year.

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Above the mid-spec SX+, the Sportage GT-Line has several tech inclusions, including:

A hybrid version of the Kia Sportage is closer to Australia, with Kia’s local product planning boss confirming it is expected later this year.

The Kia Sportage competes in the medium SUV segment in Australia, with rivals including the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan.