Kia Sportage. Safety comes first
In June 2021, the fifth generation of this model was released.
Kia Sportage is a compact J-class 5-door SUV produced by the South Korean automobile maker, Kia Motors, since 1992. The Sportage is one of the most popular Kia models, chosen by people from different countries. It has been named ‘Car of the Year’ many times and has won numerous awards, starting from the Red Dot Design award to the Standard Bank People’s Wheels Award in the SUVs and Crossovers - City & Suburban category. In 2018, a restyled version of the fourth generation Kia Sportage was released. Currently, this version is sold on the Israeli market.
The first generation
The first generation Kia Sportage, released from 1993 to 2006, was built on the Mazda Bongo platform, from which it got its engines and transmission. At first, the SUV was assembled in Germany. Since 1998, production has completely moved to South Korea. The first Kia Sportage was a true frame SUV, equipped with front or all-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer case. However, it was possible to connect four-wheel drive only for a short time and exclusively in difficult road conditions. But on the other hand, the body was durable and corrosion-resistant.
The first Sportage could also boast an attractive design, comfortable interior, compact size and a large list of standard equipment, including central locking and immobilizer, full power accessories, air conditioning, adjustable steering wheel, digital clock and an automatic antenna.
The second generation
Produced from 2004 to 2010 and restyled in 2007, the second generation Kia Sportage kind of lost its off-road character and was positioned as a crossover. The Sportage 2 was built on the same base as the first generation Hyundai Tucson and had the Torque-on-Demand all-wheel drive platform. When driving on a good surface, the 2nd generation Sportage was actually front-wheel drive, and when the front wheels slipped, an electronically controlled clutch transferred a portion of the torque (up to 50%) to the rear wheels. The front suspension was McPherson type, while the rear suspension was double wishbone. After the restyling in 2007, the Kia Sportage 2 got tinted headlight housing, a new grille, new bumpers and new alloy wheels. In 2008, it was equipped with the round fog lights.
The third generation
The third generation Kia Sportage was produced from 2010 to 2016, and it was restyled in 2014. Built on the Hyundai-Kia J4 platform and designed by Peter Schreyer, the main mastermind behind the Cee’d, Rio, Sorento and Optima projects, the third Sportage now had the cat-like headlights, a massive radiator grille, enlarged wheel arches, and a low and sloping roof. And the word “sport” in the name of the crossover finally made absolute sense.
The Kia Sportage was recognized as the ‘Best Choice for Safety’ in the compact SUV category by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the USA and ranked among the top five vehicles in the 2010 EuroNCAP European Safety Test.
Moreover, the 3rd generation Kia Sportage was longer, wider and lower than the previous one. The interior was more spacious. Low side-skirts and wide rear doors made it possible to comfortably seat people of different sizes. The new body geometry and reduced ground clearance made the third Sportage an exclusively ‘asphalt’ crossover. But at the same time, the body became more flowing with the drag coefficient decreased from 0.4 to 0.37 Cd.
The Kia Sportage was recognized as the ‘Best Choice for Safety’ in the compact SUV category by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the USA and ranked among the top five vehicles in the 2010 EuroNCAP European Safety Test.
After the restyling in 2014, the Sportage 3 was equipped with a chrome grille, new fog lights, improved interior materials, redesigned dashboard buttons and several new safety systems: Stability Assist, which aimed to improve the steering response when transporting large loads, and a tire pressure control system, which warned the driver of a dangerous drop in pressure.
The fourth generation
The fourth generation Kia Sportage has been produced from 2015 to the present, with the restyled version released in 2018. This was the very model introduced to the Israeli market in 2020. The fourth Sportage boasts a new exterior and interior design, new petrol and diesel engines, a wide list of modern equipment and, for the first time in history, a sports GT-Line version.
The 2018/2019 Kia Sportage boasts a new modern exterior design and a fairly rich standard equipment. The SUV retains good steering response and maneuverability, while the engines have become more powerful and more efficient.
The new Kia Sportage has become a bit larger. It still has an independent suspension with MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link suspension behind. However, the chassis elements and the subframe mountings are now arranged in a different manner, shock absorbers and elastic elements have new settings, and more new options have appeared, allowing to reduce noise and vibration of the chassis, as well as improve the steering response of the new SUV.
The front or all-wheel drive versions of the compact Kia Sportage 4 SUV are available. The DYNAMAX all-wheel drive system with the WIA Magna Powertrain clutch distributes the torque in an optimal ratio between the front and rear wheels depending on road conditions, steering position, speed and acceleration.
The 2018/2019 Kia Sportage boasts a new modern exterior design and a fairly rich standard equipment. The SUV retains good steering response and maneuverability, while the engines have become more powerful and more efficient.
