KIA Australia (KAU) has launched the primary teaser photographs of its fifth-generation Sportage forward of its July launch with the brand new mid-sized household hauler set to take a giant step up each when it comes to design and expertise.
On the design entrance, Kia says the brand new Sportage takes inspiration “from nature and modernity” and can flaunt a “refined and muscular physique”, contrasted in opposition to by “crisp, tense and clear character traces”.
Analyzing two of the three teaser photographs, we will see the present mannequin’s considerably frumpy design has been changed by a lot cleaner look with the sloping roofline, swooping windowline and rear finish intently resembling that of the EV6.
On the entrance is what appears to be a radical new tackle the tiger-nose grille with a totally new daytime working mild signature whereas the headlights have been set low-down on the fascia, just like the brand new – and mechanically associated – Tucson at present being launched nationally.
The third and closing picture in the meantime reveals the entire key structure particulars of the inside which might be dominated – on the high-end variants not less than – by a brand new curved show encompassing each the instrument cluster (digital) and infotainment system, once more as seen within the EV6.
With such a big show ruling the roost, it comes as little shock to seek out the dashboard encompasses a distinguished contour down the centre, nearly dividing itself into two distinct sections: driver and passenger.
No particulars have been revealed but as to the brand new Sportage’s drivetrains, nevertheless if the Tucson is something to go by, the present crop of petrol and diesel engines together with their respective transmissions and drive configurations ought to all be carried over largely unchanged.
Talking to native media on the digital media launch of the electrified Niro compact SUV, KAU product planning basic supervisor Roland Rivero revealed that hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains had been additionally beneath research for the brand new Sportage.
Based on Kia world design boss Karim Habib, the model is “absolutely targeted” on taking the new-generation Sportage to a brand new stage.
“Taking inspiration from an ethos we created the place nature meets expertise, the all-new Sportage challenges the norm with an adventurous and up to date exterior and a fastidiously conceived, superbly detailed inside,” he stated.
The present-generation Sportage has been a robust vendor for KAU proper the best way although its lifecycle, and even now in its sixth yr it nonetheless occupies 5.2 per cent of the sub-$60,000 medium SUV market with 2820 gross sales thus far this yr ending April, making it the model’s second-most standard mannequin.
