After giving us a glimpse of the fifth generation ‘Sportage’ a month back, Kia has finally revealed its new SUV in its full production-spec form. The next-gen Sportage shares its underpinnings with the recently revealed fourth-generation Hyundai Tucson, while its ‘Opposites United’ design language is based on Kia EV6. The updated SUV comes with revised design tweaks inside out, along with a host of technological updates as well as safety features. The mid-size SUV comes with a choice of multiple powertrains and will be launched in the global markets later this year.
The next-gen Kia Sportage comes in a sportier form factor than ever before. Kia has completely overhauled the exterior of the Sportage and that certainly works in its favour. On the front, the South Korean brand’s signature Tiger-nose grille is evidently visible. It is flanked by the unique and attention-grabbing boomerang-shaped LED DRLs. The headlamp units sit on the outer edge of the daytime running lights and might resemble the Creta’s from some angle.
Coming to the side, the mid-size SUV has retained its crossover stance, which now looks even sleeker and sportier than before, all thanks to the sharp creases and lines splattered all around. The roof slopes down towards the C-pillar with a raked-up rear quarter glass while wing mirrors are now placed on the doors giving it a more aerodynamic appeal. For the first time, Sportage has received a contrasting black roof with a chrome beltline.
The rear end of the SUV features a new rear spoiler, a conclave tailgate, a pair of C-shaped taillights with inverted LED DRLs and a redesigned faux skid plate. The sculpted rear-end design and the flared wheel arches add to the sporty SUV stance of the Sportage. Talking of the wheel, the Sportage now also gets a range of wheel options from the standard 17-inch to range-topping 19-inch wheels, that too with a choice of seven different alloy designs, colours and finishes, depending on the spec and model of the SUV. Dimensions-wise, the SUV has a length of 4,660mm and a wheelbase of 2,755mm.
The cabin of the next-gen Sportage has also gone through a major update. The dash area now flaunts a beautifully sculpted integrated curved display with a slim touchscreen pad and finely detailed air vents. The curved display houses an infotainment system as well as an instrument cluster and sweeps across the front of the interior, giving the cockpit a dramatic width and depth.
The gloss black centre console includes soft-touch switches, operating system configuration, upholders and storage with space for wireless phone charging. Kia claims to have used the highest-quality materials throughout the cabin. There are soft-touch materials on the dash and side door panels. The dual-tone interior theme of black and beige complements the overall premium appeal of the cabin of the SUV.
On the rear seats, Kia is also promising enhanced comfort and space for the passengers in the Sportage and is claiming to have a class-leading leg, knee and head room. Numerically speaking, passengers in the second row gets 1,050 mm of leg room and 1,000 mm of headroom. It also has 637 litres of boot space which can be further extended by folding the rear seats for flat-bed space.
Kia Sportage is fueled by a 1.6-litre TGDI engine that churns out 177hp and 265Nm of torque. There’s even a more powerful unit on offer in the form of an R2.0-liter diesel engine that develops 183 hp and has 416 Nm of torque. While the 1.6-litre TGDI engine is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (7DCT) and a six-speed manual transmission, the R2.0-litre diesel is paired to an extensively re-engineered 8-speed automatic transmission. The Sportage range will also get hybrid and plug-in hybrid models in the future.
Among the other notable highlights include a new Electric Control Suspension (ECS), an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, and an advanced Terrain mode to ensure better performance. The Terrain mode is claimed to automatically adjust the Sportage’s settings so that the vehicle realizes an optimal drive dynamic for any given road condition and environment.
The South Korean automaker is providing the next-gen Sportage with Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology and has an improved torsional rigidity. It gets driver airbags, passenger airbags, side curtain airbags and low-side airbags. In addition to them, the SUV also gets Highway Driving Assist, Remote Smart Parking Assist, Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control, and Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist to ensure the passengers’ safety.
Kia has plans to roll out the Sportage in the global market later this year. However, there’s no word on an India launch. The South Korean automaker is currently enjoying a good sale in the country with its trio – Seltos, Sonet and the Carnival. However, the brand recently announced it will enter an all-new segment in India sometime early next year. If reports are to be believed, it is going to be a 3-row SUV based on the Sonet.
