KIA Teases Sleek & Chic 5th Generation Sportage
For the last decade or so, every car brand is focusing on their crossovers/ Sorts Utility Vehicles segment with more and more offerings that have saturated the markets and almost killed the sedans. But before all this recent crazy trend, some models were available for a very long time, although not people’s first choice. But now the scenario is different and teaser of 5th Generation Sportage by KIA global is the recent example, which has created a serious excitement among the consumers.
KIA’s Love With Letter “S”
Nowadays, KIA love for the letter “S” for crossovers and SUV’s can be seen in the shape Sorento, Soul, Seltos, Stonic, Sonic, but it all started with Sportage back in 1993, when the first generation of Sportage was introduced. The current 4th generation of Sportage arrived back in 2015 and had a mid-cycle facelift in 2018. The long-running nameplate of Sportage is the best selling crossover model for KIA and an extremely important one, and now it’s time for the next generation. For the last several months, the new / 5th generation of Sportage has been seen heavily camouflaged on public roads. Many rendered images also went viral over the internet for the possible upcoming design.
But now KIA has officially revealed some shadow teaser exterior and interior images for the upcoming Sportage, and it looks stunning. Although teaser images do not tell us everything in detail, one thing is sure that the upcoming model is modern and sophisticated. According to KIA, the new Sportage follows KIA’s new design theme and brand identity, which they call “Opposites United”. KIA defines this as follows ;
We bring you our new design philosophy – OPPOSITES UNITED. We’re taking the idea of opposition and using it to evolve the identity of Kia. We’re using the concepts of disruption and contrast to create characterful designs. OPPOSITES UNITED helps us stand out of the crowd & heralds a new era as Kia adapts to the changing world around us.
Expected Exterior Changes:
The new Sportage with chassis code “NQ5” uses its name in its unique design and seems to be sportier and dynamic. Newly designed C-pillar and Side view mirrors also comes down to door panels with glass at A-pillar for improved visibility. On the side profile, the beltline now slops upwards, going towards the rear, while roofline slops going backwards with an integrated roof spoiler. There are no teasers for the front or back, but we can expect a complete overhaul on the front with next generation of Tiger nose wide and bolder grille, similar / influenced from current newer KIA models like as we see on the new K5 Sedan or the new 4th generation of Sorento. We can expect new headlights with DRLs and taillights.
Expected interior of KIA Sportage 5th Gen:
As for the interior’s teaser image, compared with the current generation of Sportage, which is too bland, boring and old school, the replacement Sportage is defiantly looking innovative and high tech. A broad curved glass instrumental panels are seen, which obviously will be fully digital with an integrated infotainment screen. We can see newly designed vents as well as the steering wheel with the new brand logo of KIA. We can expect the new interior to be more user intuitive with connectivity and convenience features.
The senior vice president and head of Kia’s Global Design Center Mr Karim Habib said ;
With new Sportage, we didn’t simply want to take one step forward, but rather move to a completely different level within the SUV class. Taking inspiration from an ethos we created where nature meets modernity, the new Sportage challenges design norms with an adventurous yet contemporary exterior and a beautifully detailed and pioneering interior.
Expected Power of KIA Sportage 5th Gen:
KIA didn’t reveal any technical/ mechanical details, but as Sportage is a non-identical twin of Hyundai Tucson, we can expect the same engine lineup as seen on the new 4th generation of Tucson. As of conventional petrol, 2L inline 4 MPI with 154HP, 2.5L inline 4 with 187HP, 1.6L Turbo with 177HP while a more potent 2L or a 2.5L Turbo with 250HP +/- is possible. KIA might offer Sportage in Hybrid and plugin Hybrid variants as well. As always, both Front-wheel drive and AWD will be available.
International Release:
KIA will be revealing the next generation of Kia Sportage in all its glory sometime within next few weeks . Sales are expected to start later part of year/fall of 2021 in the US and Korea. It will join other regions from 2022 onwards. The next generation of Sportage obviously will be an attraction for our local market in Pakistan, and everyone would like to know when we will be able to see one locally.
Launch in Pakistan?
Personally, I don’t expect the next generation of Sportage in Pakistan before the end of 2022 / early 2023 so, PKDM Sportage has still a couple of years of life left. Keep in mind, the next generation of Sportage is on an all-new platform and would require major upgrades to the current assembly line. In other words, the new generation is not a plug-n-play into the existing line so, it will for sure take some time for us to experience the new generation locally after the international launch plus the CKD/ complete knockdown kits, which is the basis of our local car industry are also not right-away available. Let us hope we don’t experience a major time gap between a global and local launch of the next generation of Kia Sportage.
Stay Tuned to Pakwheels for updates on this subject in weeks to come. Meanwhile, join Pakwheels exclusive Sportage Owners/ Fan-club discussion Thread
