Kia has been in the process of updating its exterior design language for a few models now, and the results continue to impress with 2011 Kia Sportage, which debuted at the recent Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.
The Sportage bears a close family resemblance to the new Kia Sorento and Kia Forte/Kia Forte Koupe, with an aggressive front fascia, sporting stance, and sculpted hood and bodywork. It’s a vast improvement over the South Korean automaker’s previous-generation Sportage, which looked more like it was designed in North Korea.
Kia hasn’t provided a full spec sheet for the vehicle yet, but the company says it will be “longer, lower and wider” than the current model, with more interior room and a longer wheelbase. One can look for the Sportage to offer the same 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that drives its platform-mate, the new Hyundai Tucson, along with similar EPA ratings of 23 mpg city/31 mpg highway.
The new Sportage comes along at a great time for Kia, as it will be one of the newest, most efficient vehicles in one of the industry’s most important and competitive segments. And although the Toyota RAV4 also debuted with macho new sheet metal in Geneva, its parent company’s quality woes put it at a distinct disadvantage to the Kia. This leaves the Sportage to take on one of the more formidable compact crossovers, the Rogue, which continues to be a stellar success among Nissan Rogue Seattle WA dealers for its style, peppy powertrain, and competitive fuel economy.
In addition, the automaker has seen its sales plateau in recent months, notching a February increase of only 8.97 percent; for comparison’s sake, that puts Kia smack between Chrysler and Dodge—two brands not exactly known to be brimming with momentum—on last month’s sales chart. On the other hand, and not uncoincidentally, the redesigned Sorento and Forte models were up big time.
With the same impressive design language, expect the 2011 Kia Sportage to turn up the same impressive results when it reaches dealerships later this year. Countless dealers like Kia Puyallup are already gearing up for what they believe will be a huge hit for the growing Korean brand. While the Sportange has always been a fairly popular option for those seeking Boston used SUVs, it has never been as stylish and as luxurious as the latest generation.
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