Kia has presented a thoroughly renewed Sportage in China. Indeed, ‘a’ Kia Sportage. This thoroughly renewed SUV from Kia has nothing to do with the European Sportage, besides its name.
Kia has pulled the curtain on what it calls ‘the new Sportage’ in China. Do not be alarmed, this new Sportage is less new than you think and is not coming to the Netherlands. That of course requires some explanation. Kia sells its models in China through the Dongfeng-Yueda-Kia partnership. On the Chinese price list you will find the KX5, in fact ‘our’ Sportage, but with a completely own muzzle (photos 3 and 4). Then there is the SUV that Kia does call Sportage in China, but is actually not a Sportage. It’s that SUV that has now been thoroughly facelifted.
Kia KX5 (‘our’ Sportage in China)
The SUV that Kia sells in China as Sportage was launched on the Chinese market in early 2018 (photos 5 and 6). In fact, it’s not a Kia at all. This Hyundai ix35 is hidden under the bumpy SUV body (photos 7 and 8). The dimensions of the Chinese Sportage are also comparable to those of the model with that name known here. The Chinese Sportage has now been on the market for several years, and Dongfeng-Yueda-Kia is now carrying out a radical facelift on the model. After his at-point session, the 4.53-meter long SUV is now known as Kia Sportage Ace. The 200 hp strong blown 1.5 petrol engine is not tampered with. The Sportage Ace can now find its way on the highway partly autonomously (level 2).
Kia Sportage in China (2018-2020)
The renewed Chinese Kia Sportage has a completely new muzzle in which strikingly designed headlights and a gigantic fence determine the image. A piece of body-colored plastic takes a bite out of the viewers, while part of the headlights optically blends into the grille itself. It is striking that the grille is Kia’s tiger nose-design did take over this time. The Sportage gets a new front bumper and the back is also going to be quite a shovel. Just like the nose of the Sportage, its new buttocks also show similarities with that of big brother Sorento. Among other things, the vertical taillights with foothills on the corners are reminiscent of that of that larger SUV. We have another fun fact about the Sorento. The current model does not exist in China at all. The brand does sell an optically modified version of the previous Sorento as KX7 (photos 9 and 10).
Kia Sportage for Europe
Behind the scenes, Kia is working hard on a new Sportage for the European market. That car has now surfaced in wrapped trim on the famous Nürburgring-Nordschleife. The new Sportage shares most of its technology with the new Hyundai Tucson and, as that sister model, promises to be a very extravagant appearance.