Kia has revealed the first pictures and details of the brand new fifth generation of its Sportage.
The striking-looking SUV was revealed before sale later this year, but for the first time in the car’s 28-year history, Europe will get its own dedicated version, which we’ll see in September.
Although we get our own specially designed version, Kia says it will be visually closely related to the car pictured, which takes its design inspiration from the recently unveiled EV6. You can decide for yourself whether this is a good thing or not.
Kia Sportage 2021
Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia’s Global Design Center, said, “The reinvention of the Sportage gave our talented design teams a great opportunity to do something new; to be inspired by the latest brand relaunch and the introduction of the EV6 in order to inspire customers with modern and innovative SUV design.
“With the brand new Sportage, we didn’t just want to take a step forward, we wanted to reach another level in the SUV class.”
According to Kia, the new Sportage embodies its Opposites United design ethos and throws a lot of words like “brave”, daring and “dramatic” around it. It’s certainly all of those things, with a huge black grille flanked by boomerang-shaped daytime running lights and topped off with a new chrome-hued take on the signature Kia tiger nose. The rest of the bodywork is a little less dramatic, with a focus on clean, sharp lines on the sides and rear, enhanced by a chrome-plated beltline.
For the first time, the Sportage will be offered with a black contrasting roof and a Sportage X-Line trim strip should be more specific thanks to unique bumpers, side skirts and curved roof bars. interior colors and materials bring a more “self-confident” and “energetic” character.
Kia Sportage 2021
Kia Sportage 2021The interior is more conventional in appearance, but Kia says the “detail-oriented” space will feature the highest quality materials and innovative technology. The entire dashboard is curved, including the integrated touchscreen, while the 3D air vents reproduce the shape of the DRLs. Much of the interior will be given a high gloss finish, including the soft-touch switches located in the large center console, while the interior materials will be given “vibrant” color options to liven up the cabin.
No details have been released about the powertrains, but it’s likely that the Sportage will offer a range of mild, full, and plug-in gasoline-electric hybrids similar to those of the related Hyundai Tucson.
