The longest-running nameplate in the Kia lineup—the Sportage crossover—is now also the latest to go through the automaker’s comprehensive redesign program. Slated for a July release, the 2011 Sportage offers more of everything compared to its predecessor, including more value.
The new Sportage shows off a striking exterior design, with a distinctively aggressive grille and front fascia, a high beltline, streamlined flanks, and athletic wheel arches. That flowing sheet metal wraps around an inviting, cockpit-style cabin that offers an optimum mix of comfort, style and versatility—along with a serious dose of advanced technologies. Notably, they will include Kia’s Microsoft-powered UVO in-vehicle connectivity system. Standard on EX models, UVO will allow Sportage drivers and passengers alike to make and take phone calls, send and receive SMS text messages, and play music from a wide variety of digital sources, all with hands-free functionality.
Under the hood, the 2011 Sportage hosts a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that leverages technology like continuously variable valve timing to deliver 176 hp and an expected EPA line of 22 mpg city/31 mpg highway. That’s more power than provided by the 2010 model’s V6 and significantly higher fuel efficiency than last year’s I4. Later in the 2011 model year, the Sportage also will offer a high-performance, high-efficiency turbocharged I4 that makes over 270 horses. Available transmissions will include a six-speed manual on the base model or Kia’s own advanced six-speed automatic, designed specifically for use in Kia products, with the automaker’s Sportmatic clutchless shifting.
According to Charlotte Kia Dealers, the all-new Sportage will make the most out of those powertrains by offering both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations. The latter will rely on Kia’s advanced Dyanmax system. In normal situations, the system sends all power to the Sportage’s front wheels for maximum fuel efficiency. But Dynamax also continuously monitors driving conditions and proactively anticipates when drivers will need the benefits of all-wheel drive—most other setups only react to conditions after they occur. And when the going gets particularly slippery, drivers can “lock in” the system to ensure torque is delivered to all four wheels equally at speeds of up to 25 mph.
As explained by Michael Sprague, vice president of Marketing & Communications, for Kia Motors America, “The 2011 Sportage retains the functionality and versatility of the previous generation model but repackages the CUV into a sleek, modern and bold style with new proportions and a completely new look to help elevate the Kia brand further as a world design leader.”
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