Kia Sportage
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| Kia Sportage | |
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| Kia Motors America | |
| Production | 1995-2003, 2005-Present |
| Class | Small Crossover SUV |
| Body Style | Five Door Wagon |
| Length | 171.3 in. |
| Width | 70.9 in. |
| Height | 66.7 in. |
| Wheelbase | 103.5 in. |
| Weight | 3,230 - 3,527 lbs |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual 4-speed automatic |
| Engine | 2.0-Liter Inline 4 2.7-Liter V6 |
| Power | 140-173 horsepower 136-178 lb ft of torque |
| Similar | Ford Escape Hyundai Tucson Honda CR-V Toyota RAV4 Suzuki Grand Vitara |
| Designer | |
The Kia Sportage, pronounced Spor'tij in the United States and Spor'tahj in French-speaking countries (including Canada) is Kia's compact SUV. Originally, it was a mini SUV, but the second generation Sportage is a compact crossover SUV.
See Wikicars' comprehensive Kia Sportage Review.
Recent Changes
- After a two year hiatus from Kia's lineup, the Sportage returned in 2005 on a new platform. Since then, it has undergone few changes, and this remains true for the 2007 model year, in which it receives minimal exterior updates.
- For 2008, the Sportage recieves a minor facelift.
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- The 2009 Sportage is set to receive a major facelift. Debuting at the 2008 London Motor Show, the new Sportage features a new front bumper clip with cleaner, better integrated air scoops and uncluttered appearance and revised headlights. Round back, the SUV has a new rear bumper clip as well as revised taillamps.
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- For 2009, the Sportage receives another minor facelift and the option of a 2.0 litre Diesel engine.[1]
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Styles and Major Options
The 2007 Sportage comes in three trims: the LX, LX V6, and the EX V6. The base LX is powered by a 2.0L 140hp I-4 engine, and the two V6 trims, as their names indicate, are powered by the same 2.7L 173hp V6 engine. Also, while the LX comes standard with a 5-speed manual transmission w/OD, the two V6 trims are equipped with a 4-speed Sportmatic automatic transmission. All trims are available in either automatic full-time four wheel drive or the standard front wheel drive. For a list of safety options, see the Safety section below. Other standout features on the Sportage include:
LX
- 16" silver alloy wheels
- 8-way driver (4-way passenger) front bucket seats
- Cloth seating and door trim
- 6-speaker AM/FM/MP3/CD audio system
- Tilt steering wheel
- Power windows, locks, mirrors
LX V6
Adds to or replaces LX features with:
- Manual front air conditioning
- Cruise control
EX V6
Adds to or replaces LX V6 features with:
- Premium cloth seating and cloth door trim
- Carpeted front/rear floormats
- Leather steering wheel and shift knob
- Express open sunroof
- Roll-up cargo cover
- Cargo net
- Trip computer
- Body-colored side moldings and fender flares
Pricing
Today's actual prices for the Kia Sportage can be found at CarsDirect.
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Sportage Trims |
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LX 2WD |
LX 4WD |
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MSRP |
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$15,900 |
$19,895 |
$21,395 |
$19,395 |
$21,195 |
$22,895 |
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Invoice |
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$15,150 |
$18,820 |
$20,000 |
$18,480 |
$20,010 |
$21,370 |
Gas Mileage
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:
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Trim |
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MPG |
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23/28 |
22/27 |
19/25 |
22/26 |
19/23 |
Reliability
Consumer Reports states that the "reliability of the Sportage is above average of late."
Safety
In safety tests carried out by the NHTSA, the Sportage returned relatively impressive results. Although no tests for rollover were not performed, all front- and side-impact crash tests earned the Sportage 5-Star ratings. Some of the standard safety equipment found on the Sportage includes:
- ABS and driveline traction control
- Electronic stability control
- Front and rear anti-roll bars
- Four wheel anti-lock brakes
- Driver/passenger front-impact airbags
- Driver/passenger seat mounted side-impact airbags
- 1st/2nd row overhead airbags
- Side impact bars
Photos
 1999 Sportage |
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Colors
All colors are available to all trims of the Sportage, and a complete list is viewable at CarsDirect.com. Some of the possible combinations include:
Exterior
- Black Cherry
- Champagne Metallic
- Royal Jade Green
- Satin Silver
- Smart Blue
- Steel Silver
- White
Interior
- Beige
- Black
Main Competitors
Hybrid Models
There are currently no hybrid models of the Sportage in production.
Unique Attributes
Resale Values
According to Kelley Blue Book, "despite one of the industry's best warranties, a Kia will not offer the return on investment in the form of resale value enjoyed by Honda or Toyota owners."
Criticisms
- "[the Kia Sportage] would likely benefit by offering the more powerful 200-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 option from the Santa Fe if ...[it] wish[es] to be on a par with such competition as the 200-horsepower V-6 offered in the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute." - Car and Driver
- "Driving up the hilly streets in downtown San Francisco we found the four-cylinder Sportage LX was fine as long as you pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor and didn't mind listening to a high-revved four banger." - New Car Test Drive
- "If you're an individual who cherishes an established nameplate, Kia lacks the long history of some other brands, despite dramatic sales growth. And though Kia has definitely made strides versus segment leaders from Toyota and Honda, the Sportage might be a shade down from them in product refinement." - Kelley Blue Book
Current Generation: (2005–Present)
After a 2-year hiatus, the 2005 Sportage shares its Elantra-based platform with the 2005 Hyundai Tucson. The Sportage will also have a 2.0 L Diesel engine available in the United States. Pricing is expected to start at just over US$17,000. Critics and fans of the original, pre-Hyundai Sportage complain that it is considerably larger than the original Sportage and has none of the earlier offroad capability, the two keys for its success.
First Generation (1995-2002)
The first generation Sportage was a mini SUV or "toy" sport utility vehicle (SUV), based on the Mazda Bongo platform.
Sportage was sold in either a four-door, two-door hardtop, and a two-door soft-top. The first-generation Sportage was discontinued in 2002, in favor (for the United States market) of the Sorento. The four-door model comes in just a quarter of one inch longer and the same width as the Geo Tracker, but boasts 145 hp (108 kW) and optional four wheel drive.
After the 1997 Hyundai takeover of Kia, the vehicle was produced with major defects including an axle that broke loose at high speeds, rattling exhaust heat shields, weak and often defective alternators and various other annoyances.
Worldwide
Design quirks and oddities
Awards
See also
| image (between 170-190 pixels) | ||
| KIA | ||
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Current: Sedona · Sorento · Sportage · Rondo · Amanti · Optima · Rio · Borrego · Forte · Forte Koup · Soul · VG Current (Europe): Picanto · Cee'd · Pro cee'd · Cerato · Venga Concept: KCV-III · KCD-I Slice · Sport · KCV4 Mojave · Soul Concept · Multi-S Crossover · KCD-II · Kue · Cee'd · Pro cee'd · Kia Rondo SX · Ex cee'd Cabrio · KND-4 4x4 · Kee Sports Coupe Concept · Eco cee'd Concept · SOUL Concepts · SOUL Burner Concept · SOUL Diva Concept · SOUL Searcher Concept · Koup Concept · Soul Hybrid Concept · Borrego Limited Concept · SOULster Concept · MPV Concept · №3 Concept · KND-5 Concept Racing: Forte Koup Grand-Am Koni Challenge Kia Motors Europe · Doongpung Ywieda Kia · Kia Motors America · Asia Motors, Ltd · Dongfeng Yueda Kia Automobile Company | ||
| name of founder/s | Corporate website | A subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Company |
External Links
- Kia Sportage Research
- First Pictures of Kia Sportage Facelifted Facelift Surface
- 2009 Kia Sportage SUV Gets Mild Facelift and New 2.0L Diesel
This page uses content from Wikipedia; see Kia Sportage, which includes these contributors.
