Upgraded Kia Sportage launched

Now Kia Motors South Africa has launched the newly enhanced and upgraded Kia Sportage. The Sportage receives small but significant upgrades to its modern exterior as well as a refreshed interior design and new materials throughout the cabin.

The upgraded Sportage will be available in two engines: a smooth 2.0 D-CVVT petrol engine and a more powerful 2.0 VGT CRDi diesel engine. The petrol engine is more refined than before and is now paired with a six-speed manual and automatic transmission, resulting in improved fuel consumption.

The steering on the diesel models change from hydraulic assisted steering to motor driven power steering. The enhanced Sportage is more refined than the current model, with a number of changes designed to minimise noise, vibration and harshness.

The vehicle will be available in three packages: the entry level Ignite model, only available in petrol, along with a 2WD package and the top of the range, full house AWD package, both available in petrol and diesel.

Various changes have been made to the exterior: the front grille has been re-moulded resulting in a high-tech and stylish appearance, while changes to the front fog lamps and lower bumper amplify the vehicle’s dynamic proportions.

The newly designed 17 and 18 inch alloy wheels improve vehicle rigidity and contribute to a refined driving experience and enhanced NVH levels. The re-designed rear combination lamps are striking and add a touch of sportiness to the rear.

The newly upgraded Sportage’s driver space features many enhancements. The door upper trim features soft padding with newly developed IMG (In-Mould Graining) processed textures and offers a higher quality finish. Tweeter speakers are repositioned from the door upper trim to the quadrant cover to offer better sound.

The AWD models feature a new supervision cluster, newly designed centre fascia and a state-of-the-art Infinity sound system.

The supervision instrument cluster features a new 4.2-inch TFT LCD screen which provides digitally displayed vehicle information. The dot-matrix centre fascia display on the previous Sportage AWD model is replaced with a 4.3-inch TFT LCD touchscreen, which doubles up as a rear-view camera display when reverse mode is activated.

The Nu 2.0 CVVT petrol engine offers a more refined driving experience. The engine generates power of 116kW at 6 200rpm and 192Nm of torque at 4000rpm.

The old five-speed manual gearbox on this model is replaced by a smoother six-speed transmission.

The diesel 2.0 VGT CRDi engine delivers maximum power of 130kW at 4000rpm and 382Nm of torque between 1800 – 2500rpm and is available in both six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions.

All models come standard with a 5-year/150 000 km warranty (up from 100 000km), a 5-year/100 000 km service plan and a 3-year/unlimited roadside assistance plan.

– Own correspondent.