All New Kia Sportage
Published: 9th December 2004
Kia Sportage
Kia’s top-selling 4x4 has been given a totally new lease of life to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
New Sportage, on sale in the UK from January, might have the same name as the pioneering sports utility vehicle launched worldwide in 1993, but everything else is completely different.
Rivals like Land Rover Freelander, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 will struggle to compete with prices for the new Sportage starting at £14,495 and highly competitive class insurance group ratings. Freelander is the best seller in the sector, priced from £15,995 for the 3-door and £17,905 for the 5- door.
New Sportage, like 2004’s Picanto and Cerato models, is testament to Kia Motors’ focus on improvements in quality and design. It is a Sports Utility Vehicle which is sporty and elegant, spacious and adaptable; a vehicle designed to give customers the combined benefits of functionality and practicality.
The striking looks of the Sportage, with a sculptured front implying power and durability and a long sporty roofline, invite admiration. The separate D-pillar window creates a vision of immense strength, the broad tailgate hints at the cavernous interior and sporty twin exhausts feature on the diesel and V6 petrol models.
The Sportage, with its stylish 16-inch alloy wheels, offers a smooth and refined ride coupled with all-wheel grip, great seating versatility and load-carrying ability - a car completely at home in town or country.
Sportage will be offered with a choice of three engines, two transmissions and two equipment levels. For the first time there will be a diesel engine option available coupled with an automatic transmission with manual mode.
Rear seats fold 60/40 and completely flat with a simple one-touch operation and without the need to remove headrests, leaving a large load area. The front passenger seat can also be flattened to make it possible to carry long loads.
Sportage loses its trademark rear door-mounted spare wheel, which has been relocated to under the boot floor allowing easier access to the load area. The glass screen opens independently making loading or unloading of small items much easier in confined spaces.
Interior space is best-in-class with the largest interior capacity, front row legroom and second row leg and headroom.
Kia Sportage
Our Kia Sportage Guide lists the full specification of the current UK Sportage range, including car prices, fuel consumption, dimensions and other vital data.
Price Range: n/a - £19,535
Body Style:
Fuel:
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Models in the range: 18
We have road tested the Kia Sportage, to read our in-depth car reviews:
Kia Sportage Review - Aug 2005
Kia Sportage Review - Nov 2006
Kia Sportage Review - Jan 2008
Our Car Buyer’s Guide covers all of the UK’s major new cars and includes CO2 ratings and car insurance groups. Data updated on the 6th July 2008
