Kia sportage hybrid Honda crv hybrid

[Mazda6]

Hi all! Can we expect these 2 vehicles to be imported to Sri Lanka in the near future?

I’m looking to upgrade from my Mazda 6 and a compact SUV combining good fuel consumption are my requirements and just looking to get some idea of the available options. Thanks

[sathyajithj99]

17 minutes ago, Mazda6 said:

Hi all! Can we expect these 2 vehicles to be imported to Sri Lanka in the near future?

I’m looking to upgrade from my Mazda 6 and a compact SUV combining good fuel consumption are my requirements and just looking to get some idea of the available options. Thanks

Kia Sportage hybrid is already being imported by the agent.

[iRage]

Just for curiosity...wouldn't these two vehicles fall in to completely different price brackets making one more affordable than the other?

As far as I know, the Sportage comes with a 1.6L engine and the CR-V only with a 2L engine for its Hybrid (and plug-in Hybrid) variants.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Kia ends up being closer to the Corolla Cross (which is 1.8L for standard trims and 2L for the GR Sport) in price.

[sathyajithj99]

4 hours ago, iRage said:

Just for curiosity...wouldn't these two vehicles fall in to completely different price brackets making one more affordable than the other?

As far as I know, the Sportage comes with a 1.6L engine and the CR-V only with a 2L engine for its Hybrid (and plug-in Hybrid) variants.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Kia ends up being closer to the Corolla Cross (which is 1.8L for standard trims and 2L for the GR Sport) in price.

Yes. Same as Corolla Cross.But this price is for the Sportage base model which doesn't even have electric tailgate. You can get a fully loaded Corolla Cross for this price.

Edited December 15, 2025 by sathyajithj99

[matroska]

15 hours ago, sathyajithj99 said:

You can get a fully loaded Corolla Cross for this price.

few months back the Corolla Crosses were hitting the 30Mn mark - guess prices have come down a bit. Overall the Corolla Cross is a very nice car. 

[sathyajithj99]

21 hours ago, matroska said:

few months back the Corolla Crosses were hitting the 30Mn mark - guess prices have come down a bit. Overall the Corolla Cross is a very nice car. 

It is. But I prefer Honda ZRV over Corolla Cross. It has more bells and whistles and more appealing to me.

[iRage]

18 hours ago, sathyajithj99 said:

It is. But I prefer Honda ZRV over Corolla Cross. It has more bells and whistles and more appealing to me.

The only ZRV to get is the 2L. The 1.5L one is not the best. The engine is stressed which makes it droney and the car feels sluggish compared to the 2L.

For the model itself...at launch it was extremely popular and was surpassing or nearing Toyota RAV4s and Harriers (Corolla Cross was not released at the time). However about a year in, it stopped being popular in Japan due to some build quality issues and how Honda handled it (Japanese people may seem quiet and demure and kind but they can be very harsh customers). The car had paint peeling issues due to the manufacturing process. Honda fixed the painting process and the issue seems to have been resolved. However, Honda was being sneaky and deceptive , increasing the price of the car, claiming it was a facelift when all it did was fix their manufacturing process (marketed as advanced painting technology) and stick a new grill on. Potential owners on the wait list apparently dropped a whole lot of orders. Some owners claim that the only resolution they were given to their peeling ZRV was to get a new car at a higher price and the trade-in value for their defective ZR-V was lowered because of the defect itself. Some claim that Honda charged for the fixing. Then, even after the "facelift", the infotainment system remains glitchy and there are common complaints about a recurring suspension noise despite being fixed (under warranty). All this is quite a shame because the car does drive and handle quite well (as long as it is the 2L)

[matroska]

On 12/17/2025 at 5:53 AM, sathyajithj99 said:

It is. But I prefer Honda ZRV over Corolla Cross. It has more bells and whistles and more appealing to me.

I had the same impression based on photos, videos and reviews  it looks very refined. I'm yet to physically see a ZRV I did though fiddle around with a Corolla Cross in a car sale - and was impressed by it as well. It has some old-school (read 90's)  toyotaness to it. Based on specifications  I assumed that the ZRV + 1.5 L combo would not be ideal and it seems IRage verifies the same. 

8 hours ago, iRage said:

The only ZRV to get is the 2L. The 1.5L one is not the best. The engine is stressed which makes it droney and the car feels sluggish compared to the 2L.

For the model itself...at launch it was extremely popular and was surpassing or nearing Toyota RAV4s and Harriers (Corolla Cross was not released at the time). However about a year in, it stopped being popular in Japan due to some build quality issues and how Honda handled it (Japanese people may seem quiet and demure and kind but they can be very harsh customers). The car had paint peeling issues due to the manufacturing process. Honda fixed the painting process and the issue seems to have been resolved. However, Honda was being sneaky and deceptive , increasing the price of the car, claiming it was a facelift when all it did was fix their manufacturing process (marketed as advanced painting technology) and stick a new grill on. Potential owners on the wait list apparently dropped a whole lot of orders. Some owners claim that the only resolution they were given to their peeling ZRV was to get a new car at a higher price and the trade-in value for their defective ZR-V was lowered because of the defect itself. Some claim that Honda charged for the fixing. Then, even after the "facelift", the infotainment system remains glitchy and there are common complaints about a recurring suspension noise despite being fixed (under warranty). All this is quite a shame because the car does drive and handle quite well (as long as it is the 2L)

The tax for the 2L will make it pointless in a Sri Lankan context. 

[iRage]

1 hour ago, matroska said:

The tax for the 2L will make it pointless in a Sri Lankan context. 

Sadly thanks to the tax framework most of the cars that come to SL are actually the pointless versions, starting from the Yaris (1.5L petrol even comes with a manual) to the Corolla (1.5L petrol became the defacto cheap model for fleets as the Axio got retired) to the ZRV...and in the past even the CRV (won't be surprised if the new CRV that makes it to SL are the 1.5L variants).

[iRage]

1 hour ago, matroska said:

Corolla Cross in a car sale - and was impressed by it as well. It has some old-school (read 90's)  toyotaness to it

The new Corolla is very reminiscent of the old E100 Corolla. So they really did go back to its roots. Really afraid to see what the next gen will become after seeing the Corolla Concept at JMS. That is not a Corolla. Does not have the soul or essense of it. As for the Corolla Cross itself...thankfully most that come to SL seem to be the high-end Z grade or very well spec'd mid grades. The entry grade ones (popular as rental fleets in JPN) simply are very strange looking.

[sathyajithj99]

5 hours ago, iRage said:

 As for the Corolla Cross itself...thankfully most that come to SL seem to be the high-end Z grade or very well spec'd mid grades. The entry grade ones (popular as rental fleets in JPN) simply are very strange looking.

You mean like this 🤭

[iRage]

14 hours ago, sathyajithj99 said:

You mean like this 🤭

Yes..looks very...uhh...strange and cheap. I think it is the smaller wheels...the 17x6.6Js look disproportionate compared to the 18x7.5Js and makes it sit a bit strangely low as well.

Brand new in JPN this costs about 2.7mil starting (2WD)...which is about the starting price of the highest spec Corolla Touring.

[sathyajithj99]

On 12/16/2025 at 7:59 AM, matroska said:

few months back the Corolla Crosses were hitting the 30Mn mark - guess prices have come down a bit. Overall the Corolla Cross is a very nice car. 

Yes. Now they're between 25-26 million.

[sathyajithj99]

2 hours ago, iRage said:

Yes..looks very...uhh...strange and cheap. I think it is the smaller wheels...the 17x6.6Js look disproportionate compared to the 18x7.5Js and makes it sit a bit strangely low as well.

Brand new in JPN this costs about 2.7mil starting (2WD)...which is about the starting price of the highest spec Corolla Touring.

Strangely Corolla Cross is supposed to replace the CHR in Japanese Market?

[Dee Jay]

On 12/19/2025 at 10:56 AM, sathyajithj99 said:

Strangely Corolla Cross is supposed to replace the CHR in Japanese Market?

Not sure what Toyota were thinking but the highest spec model which is the Corolla Cross GR AWD is listed at a price lesser than the Vezel RS AWD.. So, yeah could it be replacing the CHR in Japan price wise maybe? The Corolla Cross has been getting regular face-lifts and improvements in Japan making it a more value for money product proposition for the buyer. Sadly, with our foolish tax system most of the good vehicles are priced at luxury levels.

[iRage]

On 12/19/2025 at 2:26 PM, sathyajithj99 said:

Strangely Corolla Cross is supposed to replace the CHR in Japanese Market?

No and Yes. Not a direct replacement as in the CC takes its place. Just that the CH-R leaves the market and not getting replaced. Just below it you have the Yaris Cross and just above it you have the Corolla Cross. So the CH-R is really not needed as the market is serviced by either the YC or the CC. 
At launch they tried to place the Yaris Cross as the more mature option and the CH-R more youthful option within the same segment. Then there was talk about the CC being the more mature/conservative option sitting next to the CH-R for the more youthful. But the CH-R is so old nothing could bring its sales back up. There are rumors that the CH-R will come back as an EV. Also, the way the models have evolved you really can't do the old school segmentation/equalization (e.g. Sunny = Corolla = Lancer type of thing).
 

On 12/20/2025 at 3:57 PM, Dee Jay said:

Not sure what Toyota were thinking but the highest spec model which is the Corolla Cross GR AWD is listed at a price lesser than the Vezel RS AWD.. So, yeah could it be replacing the CHR in Japan price wise maybe? The Corolla Cross has been getting regular face-lifts and improvements in Japan making it a more value for money product proposition for the buyer. Sadly, with our foolish tax system most of the good vehicles are priced at luxury levels.

The Corolla Cross is larger in terms of engine and physical size.  The Vezel still remains closer to the CHR. It is just that Toyota's portfolio changed such that they introduced something larger than the CH-R and smaller than the CH-R making the Vezel fit somewhere in between (same thing with the Camry, Accord, Civic and Corolla sedans; Harrier, RAV4, ZR-V, CR-V crossovers).
But yes..price wise, on one end of the CH-R price spectrum you find the YC and on the other the CC. 
As for the pricing itself: Honda offers a lot more features, accessories and specifications for free than Toyota. So if you spec the two cars out equally the CC becomes pricier. E.g. The hands-free power liftgate is standard on the Vezel but a 77,000yen option in the CC. The list goes on. The only standard colors on the CC are the blacks and grays. Everything else is a 55 to 77 yen option. The Vezel on the other, every color is free except for the red.

Also, when used in Japan the Vezel gets more tax breaks/discounts than the Corolla Cross with the 2L engine.

Edited December 22, 2025 by iRage

[sathyajithj99]

The CHR + EV is already in other markets. Maybe it will be introduced in Japanese domestic market as well.

[Noobdriver]

If you're going to pay 25Mn for a Sportage, and can stretch a little more, why not the new Sorento? It looks like a cullinan from the back! (Maybe not exactly a cullinan but idk why it reminds me of one).