With a new bodyshell, new engines and fresh, bold styling that introduces a new kind of dynamic aesthetics, the all-new Kia Sportage is an urban-friendly compact SUV for today’s families – consuming less fuel and emitting less CO2.
Longer, wider and lower than the previous model, the all-new design successfully retains the key SUV features – the commanding driving position, heightened sense of security and powerful road presence – which made the second generation Kia Sportage so popular.
The second-generation Sportage was introduced in 2004 and attracted thousands of customers who had not previously considered buying a Kia. It achieved global sales of more than 860,000 units – including 150,000 units in Western Europe.
Now, under the direction of Kia’s Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer, the Kia design teams have created a third-generation Sportage incorporating Kia’s new design DNA and many features from the 2007 Kia Kue concept car, to be immediately identifiable as a Kia and stand out from potential rivals in an increasingly crowded segment.
“With the new Sportage, we have created an all-new, five-seater compact SUV with maximized customer appeal. It is urban-friendly and fully in tune with changing consumer expectations and demands,” commented Hyoung-Keun Lee, President, Kia Motors Corporation.
“Despite the recent and ongoing global economic difficulties, Kia’s market research indicates that demand for C-segment SUVs in Europe will grow steadily over the next five years as many customers choose to down-size their vehicles and new models from several brands also re-focus attention on the segment.
“We are confident that our latest model will significantly increase Kia’s share of the compact SUV market,” concludes President Lee.
New Sportage is significantly sleeker and lighter than the previous model, with an aerodynamic drag figure of Cd 0.37 (down from 0.40) and significantly lighter (down by 91 kg) compared with the previous model – enhancing fuel economy and refinement.
Choice of engines with enhanced economy and lowered emissions
When the full range of new Sportage models is on sale in Europe later this year, it will be available with four engines (two petrol and two diesel, covering a 115 ps to 163 ps power spread), manual and automatic transmissions and two-wheel or all-wheel drive. The model range presented to customers may vary country-by-country across Europe to suit local requirements and preferences.
Reacting to market trends, Kia has downsized the engine line-up for new Sportage, so the 2-litre diesel and gasoline engines available at launch will be the largest powerunits and will be joined by smaller capacity engines available with fuel-stretching Start/Stop technology and with CO2 emissions below 140 g/km.
Enhancing occupant and pedestrian safety
Fitted as standard in most European countries, new safety features will include ESC with a new Rollover Sensor (that deploys the seatbelt pretensioners and keeps the side and curtain airbags inflated for longer, when required), Hillstart Assist Control (to prevent roll-back when starting on an ascent), Downhill Brake Control (to limit speed during a steep descent) and an ESS system which flashes the brake lights during an emergency.
A new rear-view safety camera, which transmits an image to an LCD colour display integrated into the interior rear-view mirror, will be an available option on all models.
Appealing to existing and new Sportage customers
New Sportage is manufactured at Kia’s factory at Zilina, in Slovakia and buyers will benefit from the brand’s unique 7-Year Kia Warranty in Europe. The all-new Sportage range will begin to appear in almost 2,000 Kia dealer showrooms across Europe during the summer or autumn, depending on individual markets.
