2017
Kia Sportage
The new generation of
the Kia Sportage has been presented in North American specification. Visually
speaking, the model is identical to its European counterpart, bringing the same
“tiger-nose” grille, repositioned HID headlights, LED fog lamps, LED taillights
and 19-inch wheels. The overall length has increased to 176.4 in (1.6 in more)
while the width remains the same at 73.0-inches. The wheelbase has been
stretched by 1.2 in to 105.1 in and the interior is now more spacious.
Under the hood, the
North American Sportage has a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated engine, on the LX
and EX, with 181 hp and 237 Nm of torque, while the SX adds a
241 hp and 353 Nm of torque 2.0-liter four-pot turbo. The CUV
is offered with both FWD and AWD and power is sent to the wheels through a
standard six-speed Sportmatic transmission.
The engine lineup has
nothing in common to the one used on the European version, which has two petrol
units, a 1.6-liter with 132 hp and a 1.6-liter turbo, rated at 175 hp,
along with three diesel burners, a 1.7-liter CRDi, developing 113 hp and
a 2.0-liter “R” with 134 hp and 181 hp.
On the entry-level LX,
Kia offers the 160-watt sound system, 5.0-inch color touchscreen with
Bluetooth, SiriusXM sat-radio and rear-camera display. The mid-range EX adds
the 7-inch display with the UVO3 infotainment system complete with Android
Auto, Apple CarPlay, access to onscreen apps such as Pandora and Soundhound,
Wi-Fi tethering and 8 GB of music storage, all free of charge, while the
range-topping SX Turbo comes with an 8-inch touchscreen and an onboard
navigation system.
Driver assistance
features found on the crossover include the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB),
the Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), the Blind Spot Detection (BSD) with
Lane Change Assist (LCA), the Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and the Bi-HID
headlights with Dynamic Bending Light (DBL).
Kia Motors America
hasn't released a launch date or pricing details on the new Sportage for the
U.S. market yet.
