Kia Sportage Headlight Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The 9003 bulb type is the most frequently specified across the Kia Sportage headlight data, covering both high beam and low beam positions across multiple model years from 1998 through 2009, as well as the 2010 model year prior to the April 29 production change. The 9003 is a dual-filament halogen bulb that serves both high and low beam functions within a single unit, operating at 60/55 watts.
• The Kia Sportage (1995-1997) used the 9004 bulb for both high and low beam positions. Like the 9003, the 9004 is a dual-filament halogen bulb, but it uses a different wattage configuration of 65/45 watts and a distinct connector orientation, making it incompatible with 9003 sockets despite both being dual-filament types.
• A mid-production change occurred in the 2010 Kia Sportage, dated specifically from April 29, 2010. Units produced before that date used the 9003 for both beam positions, while those produced from that date onward used H11B for the low beam and 9005 for the high beam, reflecting a shift to a separate-bulb headlamp system.
• The H11B bulb appears as the low beam specification for the Sportage across the 2011-2016 model years under halogen configurations, as well as in post-April 2010 units. The H11B is a single-filament halogen bulb rated at 55 watts. It is physically similar to the H11 but features a locking tab in a different position, which prevents direct interchangeability with standard H11 bulbs.
• The H7 bulb is specified for the high beam position across the 2011-2016 model years. H7 is a single-filament halogen bulb rated at 55 watts with a two-pin base. Its use in the high beam position alongside H11B in the low beam position confirms that the Sportage used a dual-bulb headlamp housing during this generation.
• The D3S bulb appears as an option for both high and low beam positions on Sportage models from 2014-2019 equipped with HID headlamps. The D3S is a discharge arc bulb that operates without an integrated igniter, requiring a separate ballast and igniter in the headlamp assembly. It is not interchangeable with halogen bulb types and is incompatible with standard halogen housings.
• From 2017-2020, the Sportage with halogen capsule headlamps uses the 9005 bulb for the high beam position. The 9005 is a single-filament halogen bulb rated at 65 watts, commonly used in high beam applications. It shares a base type with the 9006 but the two are not interchangeable due to tab placement differences.
• The 2019-2020 Sportage low beam specification under halogen capsule headlamps is listed as 9005, the same bulb type used for the high beam in those years. This indicates that both beam positions in the halogen capsule configuration for those model years draw from the same bulb type, though they remain housed in separate positions within the assembly.
• The 2017 and 2018 low beam halogen specification is listed as 9005 without the explicit "With Halogen Capsule Headlamps" qualifier that appears in the 2019 and 2020 entries, while the HID option for those same years is separately noted as D3S. This reflects that two distinct headlamp system types were available on the Sportage during the 2017-2019 period.
• The H11B fitment note carries a practical implication for the Sportage: because the H11B locking tab is rotated relative to the standard H11, a standard H11 bulb will not seat correctly in an H11B socket. This distinction is relevant to the 2010 (post-April 29) through 2016 low beam positions on the Sportage, where the H11B is the specified fitment.