Enhanced and upgraded model hits the streets

KIA’S third generation Sportage was originally launched to the local motoring media on August 31, 2010 and has proven to be one of Kia Motors South Africa’s most popular models.

To date, the Sportage has received numerous design awards including an IF-design award, a Red Dot design award, as well as an award in the Automotive Brand Contest. On the international front, the Sportage has been awarded numerous Car of the Year titles, while locally it was announced as a finalist for the 2011 Wesbank South African Car of the Year competition. Its most recent accolade was awarded in December 2013, where the Sportage was crowned as the overall winner in the SUV and Cross-over category in the Annual Standard Bank People’s Wheels Awards.

Kia Motors South Africa launched the newly enhanced and upgraded Kia Sportage during mid-February. 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 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. Sportage 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-inch and 18-inch alloy wheels improve vehicle rigidity and contribute to a refined driving experience and enhanced NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) levels.

The door upper trim features soft padding with newly developed IMG (In-Mould Graining) processed textures and offers a higher quality finish. 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 touch screen, which doubles up as a rear-view camera display when reverse mode is activated. The Infinity sound system has a sub woofer, external amplifier and built-in hard drive that has music storing functionality.

The centre console storage binnacle now features a detachable tray which can accommodate small items. The Nu 2.0 CVVT gasoline engine offers a more refined driving experience. The engine generates power of 116kW at 6 200rpm and 192Nm of torque at 4 000rpm. The old five-speed manual gearbox on this model is replaced by a smoother and more refined six-speed transmission, which results in improved fuel consumption.

The diesel 2.0 VGT CRDi engine delivers maximum power of 130kW at 4 000rpm and 382Nm of torque between 1 800rpm to 2 500rpm. Both engines are available in six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. The new Sportage offers a quieter and smoother driving experience thanks to multiple improvements on the core areas of the body structure. The soundproof windshield glass helps to reduce wind noise, while improvements to the core areas of the body structure, such as the bush-mounted sub-frames reduce the penetration noise caused by acceleration.

Compared to the previous model, road noise has been improved by 1.3 dB, while wind noise is improved between 1 and 4 dB.

The upgraded Sportage will be available in eight colours: Clear White, Bright Silver, Mineral Silver, Sand Track, Black Cherry, Vintage Blue, Signal Red and Sage Green.

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