The Kia Sportage is a lineup of

sport utility vehicle A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon defini ...

s manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer

Kia Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...

since 1993. Since 2004, the Sportage has been categorized as a

compact crossover SUV Compact crossover SUV is an automobile classification used mainly in North America to describe a segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, between subcompact crossover SUV and mid-size crossover SUV. By late 2010s, the segment ...

, while previously it occupied the

compact SUV Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in Britis ...

class. It slots between the Seltos or Niro and the three-row Sorento in Kia's SUV lineup, and having been through four generations is now in its fifth incarnation. __TOC__

First generation (NB; 1993)

The first-generation Kia Sportage was developed with a

Mazda Bongo The , also known as Mazda E-Series and the Ford Econovan, is a cabover van and pickup truck manufactured by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Mazda since 1966. The Bongo name was also used for the Bongo Friendee, which is not a cabover de ...

engineering base

platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...

. It shares many mechanical components such as the engine, transmissions (early versions), and differentials with the

Mazda , commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan. In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...

line of vehicles. This was during Kia's alliance with

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

and Mazda, which involved Ford/Mazda providing technology and Kia providing inexpensive manufacturing facilities for Ford. From 1995 to 1998, the Sportage was built by

Karmann Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known as simply Karmann, was a German automobile manufacturer and contract manufacturer based in Osnabrück. Founded by Wilhelm Karmann in 1901, the company specialized in a variety of automotive roles, includi ...

in Germany; European buyers received German-built versions in that period, while the rest of the world received South Korean-built versions. It was launched in Asia in July 1993 and European sales started two years later. The Sportage was sold in either a five-door

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definiti ...

or a three-door soft-top

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

. Kia initially developed the wagon in standard length form, but in circa 1996, the company released an extended length version. This stretched model—mainly sold in Asian markets under the name "Sportage Grand", but also as the "Grand Wagon"—featured a longer body utilizing the same wheelbase, an increase in luggage capacity from , and the relocation of the spare wheel from the tailgate to underneath the floor. Kia offered three Mazda-sourced engines in the Sportage, beginning with the 2.0-liter '' FE DOHC''

inline-four A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the e ...

gasoline unit producing and the 2.0-liter '' RF'' inline-four diesel rated at . Diesel-engined models were mostly restricted to European markets, as was the more basic

single overhead camshaft An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...

(SOHC) version of the 2.0-liter '' FE'' gasoline inline-four. Delivering , this gasoline engine was available from 2000 onwards. In North America, the 2.0-liter ''FE DOHC'' engine produced and had optional

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...

. The 1997 model year Kia Sportage was the world's first production vehicle to be equipped with a knee airbag. This first-generation model (1993–2002) sold in low numbers, even domestically in South Korea, and models after Hyundai's 1998 partial takeover of Kia (1997–2002) were recalled twice for rear wheels dismounting while driving. The first-generation Sportage was discontinued in South Korea in 2002, and in North America after the 2002 model year. By 2003, most international markets had discontinued the Sportage range, although it remained on sale in some developing countries until its second-generation replacement arrived in 2005. The Kia Sportage scored the lowest possible result in the Australian ANCAP crash tests – one star out of five. As well as a failure of the seat belts, the vehicle structure collapsed.

Second generation (JE/KM; 2004)

After a two-year hiatus, the Sportage returned in model-year 2005, sharing a

Hyundai Elantra The Hyundai Elantra, also known as the Hyundai Avante ( ko, 현대 아반떼), is a compact car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 1990. The Elantra was initially marketed as the ''Lantra'' in Australia and some European m ...

-based platform with the first-generation Hyundai Tucson. A 2.0 L straight-4

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

was available in the United Kingdom. Fans of the original pre- Hyundai Sportage and critics complained that it was considerably larger than the original Sportage and had none of its off-road capability, the two keys to its success. However, buyers of the second-generation model were likely to favor the available V6, with 178 lb·ft of torque (241 N·m). Overall fit/finish and quality was noticeably improved over the first-generation model. A facelift model of the second generation was introduced in May 2008. From 2006, it was manufactured at the Žilina Plant in Slovakia. A second facelift was introduced in the UK in early 2009, only a few months after its first facelift. The Sportage was named as one of the most reliable vehicles from the 2009 Consumer Reports reliability survey. The Kia Sportage ranked second in the "20 least expensive 2009 vehicles to insure" list by Insure.com. According to research, the Sportage is one of the least expensive vehicles to insure.

First facelift

File:2008 Kia Sportage XE CRDi 2WD Automatic 2.0 Front.jpg, First facelift (front; UK) File:2008 Kia Sportage XE CRDi 2WD Automatic 2.0 Rear.jpg, First facelift (rear; UK)

Second facelift

File:2009-2010 Kia Sportage (KM2) EX wagon (2011-01-05).jpg, Second facelift (front; Australia) File:Kia Sportage JE Modelljahr 2009 EX 4WD Yorkshiregrün Heck.JPG, Second facelift (rear; Europe)

Safety

The second-generation Sportage earned a top rating of five stars in crash tests by the

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rel ...

. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rated it only “acceptable” for frontal and side impact crash protection and “poor” for roof strength.

Third generation (SL; 2010)

The SL series Sportage was released to Asian and European markets in April 2010, the North and Central American markets in August 2010, and the Australian market in October 2010, for the 2011 model year. Two engines were available, a 2.0-liter Hyundai R diesel engine with , and a 2.0-liter '' Theta T-GDI'' gasoline engine. In China, it was released by Dongfeng Yueda Kia in October 2010 and called the Sportage R, and was to be built and marketed alongside the previous generation rather than as a replacement for it. The Sportage won the 2011 ''

Car of the Year Car of the Year (COTY) is a common abbreviation for numerous automotive awards. The "Car of the Year" phrase is considered to have been introduced by ''Motor Trend'' magazine in 1949 when the new publication named Cadillac as Motor Trend Car of the ...

'' (originally "Auto roku 2011 na Slovensku") in Slovakia and "Truck of the Year" nomination of

International Car of the Year The International Car of the Year (ICOTY) awards are one of several annual "car of the year" awards around the world for new automobile models judged to be the best of their generation. This one is presented by the United States magazine '' Road ...

. It was top of the JD Power Survey for 2012, the only car in the survey to score five stars across all categories, from mechanical reliability to ownership costs and the dealer experience. In South Africa, it took the 2013

Standard Bank Standard Bank Group Limited is a major South African bank and financial services group. It is Africa's biggest lender by assets. The company's corporate headquarters, Standard Bank Centre, is situated in Simmonds Street, Johannesburg. History ...

People's Wheels Award for "SUVs and Crossovers – City & Suburban".

Facelift

The third generation received a facelift for the 2014 model year that included a new grille with a redesigned Kia logo, LED tail lights and redesigned alloy wheels. File:Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi AWD Platinum Edition (III, Facelift) – Frontansicht, 4. Mai 2014, Düsseldorf.jpg, 2014 Kia Sportage (facelift) File:Kia Sportage - Mondial de l'Automobile de Paris 2014 - 004 (2).jpg, Kia Sportage (facelift)

Safety

Euro NCAP

The Sportage in its standard European configuration received 5 stars from

Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in Februa ...

in 2010.

IIHS

The third-generation Sportage received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States. Earning the award became tougher in 2010 when IIHS added the rollover crash test, which measures roof strength and is twice as stringent as the federal requirement. To pass this test, a vehicle's roof must be able to withstand the force of three times the vehicle's weight (acceptable rating). The federal standard requires a roof to hold 1.5 times the vehicle's weight.

Fourth generation (QL; 2015)

Kia unveiled its newly redesigned Sportage at the

Frankfurt Motor Show The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility shows. It cons ...

in September 2015, and brought it to market in 2016 (as a 2017 model in North America). The company said the contrasting sharp edges and smooth surfaces were inspired by modern fighter jets. There are three gasoline engines, as well as one diesel engine in the line-up. The gasoline options are a 1.6-liter, 2.0-liter or 2.4-liter, offering around 97 kW/161 N⋅m, 120 kW/200 N⋅m and 138 kW/241 N⋅m respectively, while the diesel is a 2.0-liter turbo that will produce around 135 kW/400 N⋅m. A 130 kW/265 N⋅m 1.6 T-GDi turbo-gasoline with an optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and a 136 kW/400Nm 2.0 R-Series diesel. Front- (FWD) and

all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one w ...

(AWD) configurations are available. In North America, the new Sportage is offered with three trim levels (LX, EX, and SX). Much like the previous model, it is available with two inline-four engine choices, a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter and a turbocharged 2.0-liter. The 2.4-liter produces and , while the turbocharged engine makes and , with small differences in performance dependent on whether FWD or AWD is configured. Both engines are mated to a six-speed

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving ...

Facelift

File:2019 Kia Sportage 2 CRDi ISG S-A 1.6 Front.jpg, Facelift Kia Sportage File:2019 Kia Sportage 2 CRDi ISG S-A 1.6 Rear.jpg, Facelift Kia Sportage File:2018 Kia Sportage GT-Line ISG 1.6.jpg, Facelift Kia Sportage GT-Line

Safety

The Latin American Sportage has ventilated front disc brakes and solid ones in the rear.

Latin NCAP

The Korean-made Sportage in its most basic Latin American configuration with 2 airbags and no ESC received 0 stars from

Latin NCAP The Latin New Car Assessment Programme (Latin NCAP) is an automobile safety assessment programme for Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 2010, it offers independent information to consumers about the safety levels of new cars in the ...

in 2021 (similar to

2014).

Euro NCAP

The Sportage in its standard European configuration received 5 stars from

in 2015.

IIHS

=2017

= The 2017 Sportage received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

=2022

= The 2022 Sportage was tested by the

IIHS The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a U.S. nonprofit organization funded by auto insurance companies, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle traffic collisio ...

and its top trim received a ''Top Safety Pick'' award:

Awards

The Sportage won the 2016

Red Dot The Red Dot Design Award is a German international design prize awarded by Red Dot GmbH & Co. KG. There are prize categories for product design, brands and communication design, and design concept. Since 1955, designers and producers can appl ...

Award for Car Design.

Kia KX5 (Chinese version)

In China, the fourth generation Sportage was sold as the Kia KX5, the third generation model was sold alongside as the Sportage R, while the Kia Sportage name was used on a separate model developed from the second generation Hyundai ix35 chassis and also sold alongside. The Kia KX5 received a facelift in 2019 conducted by Dongfeng Yueda Kia that would exclusively be sold in China only. Available from March 2019, the front fascia was completely restyled with headlamps integrated with the grille and the rear end of the KX5 was also slightly redesigned for the Chinese market. Despite the exclusively restyled exterior, the wheels of the Chinese version are the same as the ones on the international Kia Sportage facelift. Kia KX5 facelift (front).jpg, Facelift Kia KX5 Kia KX5 facelift (rear).jpg, Facelift Kia KX5

Fifth generation (NQ5; 2021)

Kia Sportage Gravity NQ5 Snow White Pearl (2) (cropped)

The fifth-generation Sportage was unveiled on 8 June 2021, with specifications revealed in July 2021. Based on the brand’s latest N3 platform, Kia developed two versions of the Sportage with different body length and wheelbase depending on the market. The model is equipped with a Terrain Mode that automatically adjusts various settings depending on conditions, including snow, mud, and sand. It also features electric control suspension (ECS) that provides continuous damping control in real-time. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models will also feature an E-Handling system. lt is also equipped with a more compact shift-by-wire transmission dial for the automatic model. The vehicle has also been equipped with updated safety systems such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), navigation-augmented adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist and advanced blind-spot collision-avoidance assistance system. For the long-wheelbase model, Kia claims the fifth-generation Sportage received an increased of legroom and of headroom, with overall dimensions at and respectively.

Markets

Europe

The short-wheelbase, European-spec fifth-generation Sportage was announced in September 2021. It is shorter in length by , and shorter in wheelbase by compared to the international model. Other differences include the deletion of a window on the rear quarter panel, and a modified front fascia. For the European market, Kia offers several range of drivetrains that includes plug-in hybrid, hybrid, mild hybrid, and diesel engine. The PHEV version features a 1.6-liter four-cylinder T-GDi engine and a 66.9 kW permanent magnet traction electric motor with a 13.8 kWh

lithium-ion A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...

battery. The whole system produces . The hybrid model with same T-GDi engine and a 44.2 kW electric motor paired with a 1.49 kWh battery and produces . The mild-hybrid model also uses the 1.6-liter T-GDI engine, which produces either or . The 1.6-liter four-cylinder diesel engine is available with an option of or of power output. A 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is available for the 1.6-liter while a 6-speed manual transmission is standard for all variants. All European models are equipped with Stop-and-Go technology. File:Kia Sportage (NQ5) 1X7A0319.jpg, 2022 Kia Sportage (Europe, SWB) File:Kia Sportage Plug-in-Hybrid (NQ5) IAA 2021 1X7A0114.jpg, Interior

North America

The long-wheelbase, fifth-generation Sportage for United States and Canada was revealed in October 2021 as a 2023 model year. It is locally produced in

West Point, Georgia West Point is a city in Troup and Harris counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located approximately halfway between Montgomery, Alabama and Atlanta along Interstate 85. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 3,474, and in 2015 t ...

instead of imported from

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

. The hybrid version is equipped with the T-GDi engine and a 44.2 kW

electric motor An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate for ...

combined with a 1.49 kWh battery that also delivers . It has an estimated range of and can be optioned with

front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitu ...

with central differential lock.

Australia

The Australian market fifth-generation Sportage was released in November 2021. Imported from South Korea, it is available as a long-wheelbase model. Four variants are offered from launch, which are S, SX, SX+ and GT-Line. Available powertrain choices included a 2.0-litre petrol producing , 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol rated at and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel rated at . The base 2.0-litre petrol is front-wheel drive only with a choice of 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmissions, while both the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engines are all-wheel drive models with 7-speed dual-clutch and 8-speed automatic transmissions for the petrol and diesel respectively.

Powertrain

Safety

Euro NCAP

The Sportage in its standard European configuration received 5 stars from

in 2022.

IIHS

The 2023 Sportage was tested by the

and its top trim received a ''Top Safety Pick'' award:

Sales

The Sportage was Kia's best selling model worldwide in 2016, overtaking the Rio.

References

External links

* (International) {{Kia North America 2000s cars 2010s cars All-wheel-drive vehicles Cars introduced in 1993 Compact sport utility vehicles Crossover sport utility vehicles Front-wheel-drive vehicles Sportage Rear-wheel-drive vehicles ANCAP small off-road Euro NCAP small off-road Latin NCAP small off-road