Here’s a first look at the incoming new Kia Sportage.
And with bold new looks and an angular, aggressive face, the mild-mannered Sportage of old could be a thing of the past.
The first thing to note here is that Kia is going to launch a dedicated European version of the Sportage for the first time in the model’s 28-year history.
You shouldn’t expect it to look too dissimilar to these pics of the worldwide model, but you can anticipate slight tweaks to the powertrains and trims available.
So let’s start with those dazzling new looks, which Kia describes as ‘sleek yet muscular’ and which have a certain ‘youthful appearance’.
There’s a black grille graphic stretching across the width of the face, ‘like an intricate web’, says Kia, giving the Sportage a more purposeful glare.
There are distinctive, futuristic-styled boomerang-shaped daytime running lights, striking head lamps and a pronounced front bumper.
A black roof – a different colour paint option to the vehicle’s body – is now available with the new model, while there’s also a chrome beltline that kicks up onto the rear which make it look as if the Sportage has some real sporting pedigree.
Meanwhile the rear is as sharp as the front, thanks to razor-like lights.
Step inside the new Sportage and you’ll find a curved display screen that sweeps across the front of the cabin, as well as eye-catching three-dimensional air vents.
Kia is confident the infotainment system is ‘highly intuitive and soft to touch’, which is welcome news for lease customers.
There are even clothes hangers on the back of the front seats to maximise passenger convenience and practicality.
And if you’re looking for something even more eye-catching, Kia will also be launching an ‘X-Line’ variant of the Sportage that features a unique bumper, side sill and curved roof rack as well as an uprated, quilted interior.
Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Design Center at Kia, said:
“Reinventing the Sportage gave our talented design teams a tremendous opportunity to do something new; to take inspiration from the recent brand relaunch and introduction of EV6 to inspire customers through modern and innovative SUV design.
With the all-new Sportage, we didn’t simply want to take one step forward but instead move on to a different level in the SUV class.
"When you see the all-new Sportage in person, with its sleek but powerfully dynamic stance, and when you sit inside the detailed-orientated cabin with its beautifully detailed interior and first-class materials, you’ll see we have achieved those goals and set new benchmarks.
In the all-new Sportage, we believe you can see the future of our brand and our products.”
So far there’s no word on what powertrains will be available with the Sportage, with those details due to be announced in September this year.
Watch this space…
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