After 28 years since the Sportage’s first generation, Kia unveiled the fifth sequel of its compact SUV, with a version designed exclusively for the European market.
The Sportage evolved a lot in its almost three decades from a small off-road vehicle fitted with a transfer case and low-range gear to a practical SUV that could cope better with the urban traffic than with tracks and roots.

Thanks to the LED lighting revolution, the headlights didn’t have to be round or squared anymore. Kia chose to make them in a boomerang style, like two arrows pointing towards the car’s center. They were integrated into the broad black grille at the front and joined by a pair of LED daytime running lights on each side. At the bottom, an additional black, unpainted area under the bumper formed a scratch-resistant shield. The car’s edgy styling continued on the sides with the sculptured door panels. Its high window area was curved upwards towards the C-pillar, while at the back, the car sported a raked-forward windscreen for the tailgate and two wide, angular-shaped, LED taillights. A silver shield protected the underbody from scratches on the lower side, flanked by two wide fake exhausts.

Inside, the carmaker installed a wide display for the instrument panel and the infotainment unit. Kia left a few physical buttons for the audio system and the hazard lights on the center stack. Instead of a regular gear stick, the carmaker provided a shift-by-wire transmission dial for the automatic transmission. The customers could choose between sage green and black upholstery and bold quilting and black metal wood trims.

Kia Motors unveiled the new Kia Sportage facelift, Europe’s most popular and global model.
The new model comes with a modern design both inside and outside. The news for 2018 are safety technologies and revised engines in line with future emission standards.
The model is launched with the new advanced generation of the Sportage, EcoDynamic + 48V diesel engine as part of the global engine electrification strategy. Kia has also introduced the new 1.6-litre diesel engine on the 2018 Sportage facelift that replaces the existing 1.7 litre CRDi diesel motor. The new U3 CRDi engine is said to be the cleanest diesel engine made by the automaker and will be offered in two states of tune 113 hp and 134 hp. The crossover will be available with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, along with all-wheel drive. All powertrains are now fully compliant with the Euro 6d TEMP emissions standard.

Kia Motors’ strategy is to launch 16 6 advanced propulsion vehicles, including five new hybrids, five plug-in hybrids, five electric vehicle vehicles and, in 2020, a new powerplant with combustion cells.

The fourth generation Kia Sportage made its first appearance at the 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show, surprising the people with its attractive design and new technological features.
Kia says the exterior design was inspired by modern jet fighters, combining smooth and sharp shapes into one robust and attractive package. The new design also helps reduce the drag coefficient from 0.35 to 0.33.

Inside, the restyled driver-oriented dashboard comes with a clean simple design, while the rest of the interior features more quality materials, soft-touch panels and even metalwork. Passenger space has also increased thanks to a bigger wheelbase. New features include better sound insulating, auto emergency brake, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, high beam assist, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, new infotainment system and even wireless phone charging. Handling was also improved thanks to a more rigid body, enhanced fully-independent suspension and updated braking system.

Revealed in 2013 for the 2014, the new Sportage’s exterior design was heavily enhanced and made it stand out in the crowd.
The tiger nose grille, the sharp headlights and the beautiful lines on the side, together with the sweeping angles and the pronounced flares created a more aggressive look for the 2014 Sportage.

The small crossover offered seating for 5 and was offered in three trim levels: LX, EX and SX.

The standard features for the LX included cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity for phone and audio, a 6-speaker audio system with an Aux jack and USB port, as well as 17-inch alloys, rear privacy glass and air conditioning.

The EX added bigger 18-inch alloys, automatic headlights, a cooled glovebox, upgraded upholstery, heated from seats and an upgraded Infinity audio system.

The SX trim level came with xenon headlights and LED taillights, however, the biggest difference was the turbocharged engine.

A panoramic roof was offered as a standalone option.

The new engine available for 2014 was a 2.4-liter engine that developed 182 hp that came with the LX and the EX trim levels.
The top of the range was equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produced 260 hp.

A 6-speed automatic transmission was standard, as well as a front-wheel-drive system. Optionally, a four-wheel-drive system was available.

The Kia Sportage has gone a long journey from a cheap off-road vehicle to a serious contender in the compact SUV segment.
And the third generation was its big breakthrough.

In 2006, the designer of the Audi TT, Peter Schreyer, took the challenge to lead the design team of the Korean car-manufacturer Kia and the 2010 Sportage was the third model designed by him. Some of its cues were seen before on the Kia Kue concept-car in 2007.

The angled headlights and the grille with a bump on top and bottom were introduced as the “Tiger nose”, the corporate grille introduced by its lead-designer. It didn’t look like a station-wagon on stilts but more like a proper SUV with streamlined bodywork. The angular lines blended into an overall rounded shape was very appreciated by the customers.

Since the platform was designed for such vehicles, it offered enough room for five passengers and a big trunk. The infotainment system knew how to read MP3s files from a USB stick and it also had an AUX-in connection. Those features were not very common for many other cars on the road. Another unusual feature was a small LCD color-display inside the rearview mirror that showed images from the backup camera.

The 2010 Sportage featured a wide range of engines and three types of transmission. It was available as a 2WD or all-wheel-drive model. For base models, the standard gearbox was a 5-speed, while on others was the 6-speed manual or, as an option, a 6-speed automatic.

Kia introduced a facelift for the second generation of its small-sized SUV in 2008, improving both the look and the powertrain.
In 2008, the world was sinking under the financial crisis. Still, some carmakers had the opportunity to grow, and Kia was one of them. After a big sales hit with its compact-segment hatchback cee’d, the Korean carmaker turned its attention towards the Sportage, which was built on the Hyundai Accent platform, and it was quite appealing for the market.

Starting with January 2009, the Euro 5 emission standard came into force, and all the carmakers had to adjust their products. Some did that quietly, without too much fuss, while others took the opportunity to improve their look. The 2008 Sportage featured new headlights with clear lenses and redesigned bumpers. The design team installed a new grille, which looked simple but bold enough on the oval-shaped background.

Inside, there was a new Sirius satellite radio for selected markets. On the European version, only the iPod and USB connectivities were available. The USB and aux-in 3.5 mm jack were fitted as standard on the entire range. Kia installed a two-position cargo cover and four anchors for tie-down luggage in the trunk for selected trim levels.

Under the hood, all the engines were refreshed, including the 2.0-diesel version. A big surprise for its size category was the 2.7-liter gasoline unit, which was paired as standard to a 4-speed automatic transmission.

The crossover SUV first appeared in 1995, a joint venture with Lotus engineering.
In 2005 the second generation came out with a platform that was shared with the Hyundai Tucson. The engine receives an upgrade, moving up to a V6 that puts out 173 hp (ther is also a 2.0 4 cylinder diesel engine, but only in the UK). It also has a larger body than its predecessor and customers complained that some of the off-roading skills of the car have been tamed in order to achieve better performance on city roads. In that respect, Kia has decided to improve the quality of the finishings. A facelifted version of the second generation came out in May 2008.