[Taboleo] Front, Side, and Rear Views... The 'All New Sportage' Returns as a Muscular Man

Kia 'The All-New Sportage Hybrid' Test Drive
Kia's Best-Selling Single Model Ever, the Latest Sportage
SUV and Hybrid Combined for Power and Fuel Efficiency

The All-New Sportage

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] What is the best-selling car in Kia's history? It is the Sportage. The Sportage, a sports utility vehicle (SUV), has sold 6.13 million units worldwide since its launch in 1993 up until last year.

The Sportage is the only Kia single model to have sold over 6 million units. Especially overseas, it has sold 5.38 million units (as of the end of 2020), capturing the tastes of global customers. Its excellent performance, price competitiveness, and dynamic design are cited as factors that attracted many buyers.

The Sportage is also the only model that threatens Hyundai's Tucson, the dominant player in the domestic compact SUV market. This year, Tucson's domestic sales are more than twice those of the Sportage, showing strong preference among Korean customers. Not to be outdone, Kia officially launched the completely redesigned 'The All-New Sportage' last month after six years, challenging the Tucson.

The All-New Sportage set a record with 16,078 pre-orders on the first day of pre-sales last month. This is the second-highest record for a domestic SUV after the Sorento and the highest in the compact SUV segment. It also surpassed Tucson's first-day pre-order record of 10,842 units.

Kia also expanded its eco-friendly vehicle lineup by launching the Sportage hybrid model for the first time. I drove the newly released Sportage 1.6 Turbo Hybrid model on a round trip of 128.4 km from Gyeonggi Hanam Urban Corporation to Yeoju Hwanghaksan Arboretum.

The All-New Sportage

-What was your first impression?

△The new Sportage looked distinctly different from the previous model. Overall, it has a more rugged and tough impression with a bumpy texture. The front tiger nose radiator grille became larger and featured a high-tech pattern, catching the eye. The sides gained more volume compared to the previous model, adding a modern sensibility. The rear has a simple and stable image with sleek rear lamps on both sides.

'The All New Sportage'

-How did it feel sitting in the driver's seat?

△The first feeling sitting in the driver's seat was 'spacious.' In fact, the new Sportage boasts an interior size that surpasses its class despite being a compact SUV.

This is because the vehicle's dimensions have increased compared to the previous model. The new Sportage's length is 4660 mm, width 1865 mm, height 1660?1680 mm, and wheelbase 2755 mm. Compared to the previous model, length increased by 175 mm, width by 10 mm, height by 15 mm, and wheelbase by 85 mm. As the car grew larger, the rear seats also improved. Unlike the previous model, the second-row seats now have a reclining function. Headroom and legroom have increased, allowing passengers to travel more comfortably.

Car camping, which is popular these days, also seemed possible. The second-row seats could be easily folded with the push of a button, and when folded, there was enough space for an adult male to lie down.

'The All-New Sportage'

-What was your impression after driving it?

△Once I started driving, the strengths of the hybrid car were immediately felt. The biggest advantage of a hybrid car is its high fuel efficiency. Since hybrid cars run on an electric motor at low speeds, fuel efficiency can be maximized.

The combined fuel efficiency of the Sportage hybrid is 16.7 km/l, but during actual driving, I achieved over 17 km/l in steady driving. This could somewhat ease the worry about rising fuel prices. There was no noticeable discomfort when power switched from electric to engine.

On highways, the SUV's characteristic power was evident. Switching the driving mode from Eco to Sport and pressing the accelerator resulted in acceleration comparable to a high-performance sedan.

The Sportage hybrid combines a Smartstream turbo hybrid engine with a maximum output of 180 horsepower (ps) and maximum torque of 27.0 kgf·m with a drive motor, delivering a system maximum output of 230 ps and system maximum torque of 35.7 kgf·m.

There was no significant shaking during high-speed driving. The windshield features double laminated soundproof glass, which kept interior noise low up to a certain speed.

'The All-New Sportage' trunk allows for car camping when the second row is folded down.

-How do you evaluate the interior design?

△I would say the interior design is clean and intuitive. The panoramic curved display, which smoothly connects the instrument cluster and infotainment system screen, was applied for the first time in a domestic compact SUV, adding a touch of luxury.

The panoramic curved display reduces screen distortion depending on the viewing angle, making information easier to recognize and minimizing driver distraction. The 12.3-inch display size was also satisfying.

The dial-type electronic shift-by-wire (SBW) and the raised console position to enhance usability were also notable. The center fascia interface, which includes control buttons for air conditioning and media, became easier to operate, completing an overall neat design.

'The All-New Sportage' second row

-Did the advanced features work well?

△The new Sportage is equipped with various advanced driver assistance systems and infotainment systems for passenger safety and convenience.

Representative advanced driver assistance systems included Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control (NSCC), Highway Driving Assist (HDA), Surround View Monitor (SVM), Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), and Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA).

While driving, I used key driver assistance systems such as Smart Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, and Surround View Monitor, and they worked as well as those in luxury cars.

The hybrid model also added unique features called E-Ride and E-Handling.

E-Ride, applied for the first time by a domestic brand, controls the motor to generate inertial force in the opposite direction of the vehicle's movement when passing over bumps like speed bumps, reducing body sway. It reportedly causes less discomfort compared to other cars when passing speed bumps. E-Handling adjusts the load on the front and rear wheels through motor acceleration and deceleration, improving driving agility at the start of steering and driving stability when steering is restored.

The new Sportage also offers excellent cost-effectiveness. Despite performance comparable to SUVs priced in the 40 million KRW range, its price ranges from 31.09 million KRW to 35.93 million KRW.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.