OK, it's time for my 2 cents (perhaps just 1 cent) here....
First, someone said that this forum is slow. Yes, it is slow because our Sportage is not really a performance car. We like it and I bought one, but having driven mostly sports cars in my life with great handling and powerful 8 and 12 cylinder engines, our Sportage is not even close to even a CX-5 in terms of handling and road feel, much less a real performance car. It is not surprising that most people on this board own an SX because the vast majority of people who purchased EX's and LX's could care less about customization. I bought an EX because, in my mind, why get extra HP I don't need in a non-performance car? In a car like this I think that additional mpg is more important than hp. That said, the SX is a fine car and each of us has our own psyche to fulfill. I'm on this board because I happen to like cars and want to know everything I can about them.
Now, in terms of aesthetics, I happen to like the look of the non-AWD EX better than any of the SX's. IMO, the quad fog lights ruin the front end because they lower the visual center of gravity and compete for a front end focal point. The skid plate also seems out of place because this is not a Jeep or Land Rover. And yes, in terms of functionality, I'd rather have the HID's of the SX. Perhaps I'll find out how to do that mod. From a design perspective, I don't really see that much difference between SX's in terms of FWD vs. AWD.
That said, changing out the bumper cover is probably a fairly big job in this car. I've done it on several cars, but this bumper cover goes around the grill and under the wheel well trim. Also, on a front bumper, paint quality is extremely important to prevent chipping and veining. Getting a cheap paint job on a front bumper is a mistake. So in addition to more labor to remove and replace the bumper cover, the cost of such a large cover is probably close to a $2000 and a good paint job will cost you about $600. However, if that floats your boat, then by all means do it. I'm certainly guilty of doing stuff like that as I've already put in alloy pedals and ordered chrome trim for my steering wheel and chrome molding on the bottom of the doors just like an SX. I've looked at de-badging the car on the rear end but removing the badges on the rear actually makes the back end unbalanced but I continue to think about that. There are only two expensive mods I'm considering -- putting in the SX headlights and putting in stiffer struts/shocks to give a better road feel.
I've certainly seen personal opinion discussions like this in other boards become combative and indeed, I've probably participated in it. But for car enthusiasts, our cars are extensions of our personalities and we each see what we have in different ways. When I was young and couldn't afford expensive cars, making significant mods on cars like this sort of satisfied my ego/id. Now that I'm old and decrepit and have owned a number of very expensive cars, modifying cars is just less important. I did a lot of research on our Sportage and believe, dollar for dollar, it is one of the best buys in the market. I enjoy a well engineered and well planned car that serves my needs. I no longer get kicks from driving over 150 mph like in my last sports car. But again, that's just me.
My advice to all of you is to do what you want to your car and not listen to others for aesthetic advice. Doing nonsensical things is part of the fun of life....