Well, that was quick: less than a day after Kia released the teaser sketches with the all-new Sportage, the crossover was filmed and photographed in the metal in South Korea.
As expected, the real thing looks nowhere near as dramatic as in the design sketches – rather it reminds a lot of the smaller KX3, especially at the front.
The Sportage features Kia’s trademark “tiger nose” in a bigger than ever size, as well as new headlights LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, aluminum underbody protection front and rear as well as a familiar profile.
There are no shots of the interior, but that’s no longer a secret as previous spy shots revealed a dashboard very similar to that used in the latest Sorento including an 8-inch Infinity infotainment system on the center console and an array of buttons and knobs underneath it. Kia promises the Sportage will have the “highest-quality cabin to date.”
As the upcoming Kia Sportage will share its platform with sister company Hyundai’s new Tucson, the engine lineup should be identical. This means the Sportage should be offered with a similar engine lineup in North America, including a 164hp 2.0-liter and a 175hp 1.6-liter turbo. As for Europe, the Sportage will likely get two petrol units, a 132PS 1.6-liter and a 175PS 1.6-liter turbo, plus three diesels, the 115PS 1.7-liter, 136PS 2.0-liter and 186PS 2.0-liter.
Expect more details in the month left before the car’s official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Story references: Bobaedream via Worldcarfans