Kia has released official information and images of its new baby SUV: meet the new Sportage
The new car's predecessor has been around for more than a decade and since its launch in 1993 it has been a sales hit for the Korean car manufacturer, selling 568,720 units worldwide.
Kia will launch the all-new Sportage at the
Paris Motor Show in September and the company claims that it will have the same "smooth ride and handling" of a sedan while offering the "functionality of an MPV".
"Adding to our quickly expanding full product line-up, the all new Sportage will reinforce our SUV offering together with the tremendously popular
Sorento, thereby boosting Kia's brand reputation in the SUV category," said Yong-Hwan Kim, senior executive vice-President and COO of Kia Motors.
According to Kia, the new Sportage is bigger in most aspects than rivals such as the
Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V. Furthermore Kia claims that it features class-leading interior space, with more legroom, headroom, and loading space than competitors.
The Sportage comes with two petrol engines: a 2-litre and a 2.7-litre V6, and a 2-litre diesel unit. Both 2-litre models are available with manual and automatic transmissions, while the V6 is only available with the latter. Electronic full-time four-wheel drive is standard across the range.
The Sportage is also equipped with safety features such as ABS and traction control, curtain and side airbags, and an electronic stability program (ESP). This new car should go head-to-head with
Fiat's new SUV in 2006.
The Car Enthusiast hopes to drive the new Sportage later in 2005. Keep an eye on the
Road Tests page for the review.
Wheels24 - 7 Aug 2004