The ultimate all-new Kia Sportage awaits you in showrooms
It is edgy, bold, masculine and brimming with technology that will certainly establish it as the transport flagbearer in your household.
“The Sportage has always been a car of ‘firsts’ for the Kia brand,” said Gary Scott, CEO of Kia South Africa. “When it first debuted in the late 1990s, it set the tone for multiple automakers to pursue the design and development of what we know as an SUV today. It went on to become one of the first Kia models to receive multiple global design awards, a feat that was thought impossible for a Korean brand up until the launch of the third-generation model in 2010.”
The first-generation Kia Sportage made its debut in 1993, and during its 10-year lifespan was offered in a variety of body styles, including a short- and long-wheelbase five-door model and a three-door convertible. While it was innovative in several ways – such as being the world’s first production model to be equipped with a knee airbag, back in 1997 – it was not perfect either, scoring poorly in crash tests in several territories.
In 2009, the Sportage was not only named as one of the most reliable vehicles by the USA’s Consumer Reports, but also earned a top rating of five stars in crash tests conducted by the USA’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
It was the third-generation Sportage, unveiled globally in 2010, that revolutionised perceptions of the compact Kia crossover for customers and critics alike.
Critically, it was at the top of the JD Power Survey for 2012, the only car in that year’s survey to score five stars across all categories from mechanical reliability to ownership costs. From a safety perspective, it received a top safety pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States, and a top rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests. More than 1.6 million units of the third-generation model was sold between 2010 and 2015.
The fourth-generation Sportage introduced in South Africa in November 2016 won a Red Dot design as well as a raft of quality and safety awards across multiple territories.
A new design identity based on a bold and daring philosophy
Harnessing every part of Kia’s design philosophy, tense and crisp lines ripple along the body to amplify the dramatic styling tensions. At the same time, clean but muscular surfaces join forces with intricate graphics to give Sportage a dynamic and assertive road presence.
The Sportage maintains its strong road presence at the rear with a muscular, swooping fastback design that flows into the rear lamps, which have been crafted to give the impression that they cut into the body with fine precision. The razor rear lamps are connected by a slim horizontal design, giving the Sportage a stunningly wide impression from the back.
Depending on the model, the Sportage rides on 17″, 18″ or range-topping 19″ wheels, with a choice of 12 different exterior colours. Considering the importance of Kia’s Bold for Nature design pillar in the Sportage design, these colours, new additions such as Experience Green, Orange Fusion and Splash Lemon, complement the well-loved colours such as Casa White, Black Pearl, Blue Frame and Infra Red Metallic.
State-of-the-art interior space
The interior of the Sportage plays with boldness in character.
Throughout the cabin, the highest quality materials that are sumptuous to touch have been used, with driver and front passenger seats crafted to combine innovation and comfort in a sporting slim design. An ergonomic centre console has been optimally positioned for the driver and front passenger, providing storage, operating system configuration, cup-holders and soft-touch switches. Depending on the model, a smartphone charging bay offers high-speed wireless charging.
Optimal drive in all environments
Frugality, power and performance lie at the heart of the Sportage.
At the front, the Sportage benefits from a MacPherson strut-type suspension while the rear gets a four-link-type set-up. Stopping power is provided by ventilated discs at the front (325mm) and solid discs at the rear (300mm).
Aligned with the evolution of the Sportage nameplate as one of Kia’s flagship products, the Sportage is offered, for the first time, only with a 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol engine, and exclusively with an advanced version of Kia’s seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). The turbocharged engine endows the Sportage with a hearty balance of power and performance, while the DCT aids in delivering exceptional fuel consumption.
The 1 598cc turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection engine features continuously variable valve timing (CVVT), which – with its advanced intake valve and longer delayed exhaust – allows for more air to enter the engine at higher revolutions. The engine delivers 132kW and 265Nm. It allows the Sportage to reach the 100km/h mark in 8.8 seconds, with a top speed of 201km/h. CO2 emissions are rated at 149g/km in the combined cycle.
Feature-rich and offering multiple options for every customer
Safety has always been a top priority when developing Kia vehicles, and the Sportage is no exception. Underneath its sleek exterior is a reinforced and lightweight body structure with high torsional rigidity, comprising high quantities of advanced high-strength steel and hot-stamping technology to reinforce safety-critical parts of the passenger compartment, complemented by a raft of active and passive safety features and advanced driver assistance systems.
All Sportage models feature a total of six airbags: a driver’s airbag, front passenger airbag, side airbags, and side curtain airbags. Isofix child seat anchors are also a standard inclusion across the range.
All models are furthermore equipped with an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), as well as Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), Downhill Brake Control (DBC) and Trailer Stability Assist (TSA). All models feature Smart Entry with Push Button Start, as well as an electric parking brake with auto-hold functionality. A variety of Kia’s acclaimed in-house developed Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology is also on offer, depending on the model.
With the all-new model, Kia has deleted the Ignite and Ignite Plus grades from the range, consolidating the best of both previous grades into a new LX grade, while enhancing the mid-tier EX grade models.
Pricing starts at R539 995.
Source: MotorPress
