Hi, I've had 2 new GT-Line Sportage's (one 2017 model & one 2020 model) and they both had/have touchscreen sat-nav with European mapping & traffic messaging channel installed as standard. I believe Kia uses TomTom software/mapping/traffic.
I have family living in France now, so do make use of the European maps and will do so again in my 2023 Sportage GT-Line S HEV after it arrives from the dealership the day before you get yours.
Do remember that for new Kias sold from May 2021, owners can get 2 updates of the sat-nav's maps etc. free of charge, using the “over-the-air/OTA” method. However, once you've used the two free OTA updates, you can then only get further updates by either going online at update.kia.com/EU/E1/Main or at a Kia main dealership.
When you think about it, many of the car's modern safety systems rely on the navigation system data "behind the scenes" - whether you are actually using the nav system or not - so it's essential that Kia installs both UK & Continental maps for safety reasons. That's why updating the maps from time to time is helpful & could prove important e.g. when a road's posted speed limits get changed etc. etc.
Re the dual LED adaptive headlamps fitted on your car when driving on the continent, like many manufacturers Kia's UK user manuals really could be better written/clearer about driving on the right (see attached extract from the Sportage HEV & PHEV user manual). Please do your own further research on this point and do not just rely on the following, which is my own personal interpretation of the attached (and from me reading other bits & pieces elsewhere & also talking to one of the staff at my local Kia main dealership's parts dept. yesterday...) and should not be relied upon!
My belief is that:
- The headlamps do not automatically adjust their aim/beam pattern just because you drive off of the ferry/out of the tunnel at Calais or wherever i.e. I don't think the headlamps are linked to the navigation system in any way. So if you're on a French road with no other traffic ahead of you or approaching you, then all of the LEDs in your main low beam (and in your main high beam if you have high beam on) will be illuminated and the beam(s) will point towards/be biased towards the left, exactly as they would if you were driving in UK.
- However, for models fitted with the dual LED adaptive headlamps, they are linked to the car's camera system (near the rear view mirror). The camera system should pick-up the headlights of approaching vehicles and the rear lights of vehicles you are following and should then automatically switch off one or more of the LEDs inside the main low beam headlamps (and one or more LEDs inside the high beam headlamps if they are in use - hence the "dual adaptive" description), to avoid dazzling other drivers.
- On well-lit Continental roads, it might also be courteous to move the main low beam height down one notch, using the headlamp level adjustment switch located near the parking brake switch. However, at night on poorly lit/unlit roads or or in reduced visibility conditions this could be dangerous of course, especially at higher speeds so each driver must judge whether to do this in the individual prevailing circumstances/conditions.
- I'm not sure whether the lighting system will switch off individual LEDs to avoid dazzling pedestrians etc. at night, so again on low speed well-lit urban roads if/when safe to do so, moving the main low beam one notch lower if safety considerations allow might be the courteous thing to do.
Hope that points you in the right direction at least.
Enjoy your new car and and its inbuilt nav system!
