Design, however, is a process that constantly evolves and is always in need of some fresh input, so it's actually great to see independent stylists applying their personal touch on an automaker's products.
Read more »
In the case of the new UK market Kia Sportage KX-4, however, alongside the more improved level of specification, the South Korean automaker has also added a higher output turbodiesel engine.
Read more »
The milestone model was a white, diesel-engined Cee’d SW that was handed over to a Slovakian children’s charity called the Red Nose Clowndoctors (no connection with Adult Swim's Children's Hospital…).
Read more »
The other three awards were won in the Exterior category by the latest Sportage, the Optima sedan and the new Rio.
Read more »
On the other side of the fence are two models that achieved the poorest results of 2010. These are the Citroen Nemo with three stars and China's Landwind CV9 that received only two stars.
Read more »
There's a right way and a wrong way to drive a vehicle down a steep hill. The folks in this previous generation Kia Sportage chose the wrong way, but fortunately for them, the incident ended without any bloodshed. Watch the video after the break.
Read more »
At launch, the South Korean firm's fully redesigned crossover comes with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 176HP, while returning 22mpg in the city and 31mpg on the highway. A far more potent 2.0-liter turbocharged GDI petrol engine with 270+ horsepower will join the range next year.
Read more »
Featuring one of the nicest exterior designs to come out of the Kia / Hyundai group, the new Sportage shares its platform and mechanical underpinnings with its Hyundai brethren, the Tucson, or as it is known in Europe, the iX35.
The new Sportage will have four engines, two gasoline and two diesel. Specifically, they'll be 2.0 liters and under (1.7-liter diesel and 1.6-liter gasoline arrive later, and both will be available with Intelligent Stop and Go), while ranging in output from 115 to 163 horsepower and keeping emissions at a low 138g/km.
Not only does this new Sportage represent some of the best style and efficiency in the segment, it's also going to be able to be optioned with quite a bit of kit: LED daytime running lights, HID headlamps, panoramic sunroof, roll-over sensors, cooler-glovebox, Hillstart Assist Control, and Downhill Brake Control.
Penned under the guidance of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, the new Sportage carries the new Kia family look as seen on the Soul, Cadenza sedan and Sorento SUV, but it appears to have a more European flavor to it, with extra attention given to details.
The five-door crossover shares its platform with the also new Hyundai Tucson, known as the ix35 in Europe. It is longer and wider than the outgoing Sportage, something that should translate to improved cabin space.
The reason why we're saying this is the use of some specific styling features such as the chrome trim, the tail lamp arrangement, the alloy wheel designs and the styling of the lower part of the front bumper, all of which look suspiciously conceptual (see the spy shots here).
But even so, what you're looking at here is what you'll get more or less when the 2011 Sportage arrives at the Korean automakers dealers either towards the end of the year or early 2011.
Like all Kias penned under the guiding hand of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, the new Sportage is a much more attractive proposition than the outgoing model.
Under the bodywork, the Sorento's smaller sibling shares its hardware with the new Hyundai Tucson (called iX35 in Europe and other markets).
That said, don't expect any surprises under the hood with the North American Sportage being offered with the same 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four cylinder engines coupled to six-speed transmissions as the Tuscon.
Likewise, the European market Sportage will get three diesels including a 115HP 1.7-liter unit, and a 2.0-liter engine with 134HP and 184HP, and two gasoline units with a displacement of 1.6-liter and 2.0-liters producing 140HP and 166HP respectively.
Source: EU Patent Office , Via: RyanoKeefe
Kia is continuing the development of its next generation Sportage that is scheduled to enter the market in the first half of 2010. Our spies captured a camouflaged prototype of the compact SUV in Germany giving us a taste of the Sportage silhouette and interior styling. As you may have already guessed, the 2011 Sportage (or 2010, depending on which side of the Atlantic you're located) is based on the new Hyundai ix35 utilizing the same platform and hardware.
At least in what concerns the European market model, the next Sportage will most likely be offered with the same engine line up as the Hyundai Tucson's replacement.
That said, European buyers should expect three diesels including a new 1.7-liter unit rated at 115hp and 188 lb-ft of torque, and 136HP and 184HP versions of the Korean firm's 2.0-liter 'R' turbo diesel.
The gasoline engine range should consists of the Hyundai- Kia Group's forthcoming 1.6-liter GDI direct-injection four-pot that makes 140 hp and 123 lb-ft. of torque and a more powerful 2.0-liter unit with 166HP and 145 lb-ft.
Sometimes, unless you receive additional information from a reliable inside source, you can't be 100 percent sure of what's hiding under a heavily camouflaged prototype. This seems to be the case with Kia-World's latest spy photos that allegedly show the next generation Kia Sportage compact SUV, said to be officially unveiled in early 2010. By comparing the shape of the side-window line, we've eliminated the possibility of it being a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe or a 2010 Kia Sorento (the most obvious alternatives), but whether or not it's actually the 2010 Kia Sportage, is something that we cannot answer with absolute certainty (talk about playing it safe...). Now that we've filled your mind with doubts, feel free to check the photos after the jump. Source: Kia-World -Thanks for the pics Miha!
Kia has revised its compact-sized Sportage SUV with exterior and interior styling tweaks along with the addition of a new turbo diesel engine. For the 2009 model year, the Sportage gets a reworked front end with a modified bumper, new headlights and a different grille while at the back, the only significant change are the restyled tail-lamps. All of the design changes are inspired from Kia’s latest production and concept cars. 
Though we don’t have any pictures of the interior in our hands yet, Kia says that the 2009 Sportage’s cabin has been improved with the revised instrument panel and the new seat trims. The only change under the hood concerns the new 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine that produces 150Hp. The new Sportage is expected to hit European dealerships in the forthcoming weeks. –Photo gallery after the jump
