Kia Sportage will make its debut at Geneva motor show

By Matt Brogan | February 06th, 2010

Kia’s all-new Sportage will make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show March the second.

The new Sportage has Kia’s new corporate grill and styling similar to the larger Sorento. With the bonus of a high driving position and raised ground clearance the Sportage has good proportions for urban use.

With a longer and wider body compared to the previous model, the Sportage has more interior space and the ride quality has also improved due to the longer wheelbase.

Scheduled for release in Australia in the middle of this year the Sportage will be powered with either a diesel or petrol engine. Prices and specifications will be available at the time of the launch.

Snatch

Another winning design. Looks great.
Baddass

Yes it does look excellent, especially the swept up headlights and large grille. But what does worry me is the apparent lack of rearward vision, with extremely thick C-pillars, high waistline and small rear window. I hope a rear vision camera is standard or at least an option. Kia’s on a roll…
http://GaryC garyc

If it drives anywhere near as good as it looks Kia will have a massive winner here. The rise and rise of Kia perhaps?
Robin Graves

Like I said before, this looks like an ix-35 with a schreyer grill and a Kia badge. I really think Hyundai need to look at some delineation between Hyundai and Kia brands. Maybe they need to move Hyundai towards a luxury upmarket image and Kia to sporty and ‘out there’. I dont know if that will work but pumping out cars that have no difference in appeal between different buyers seems to be throwing away a valuable advantage. Not only that its not economical to support two dealer networks, two spare parts divisions, two service networks etc only to be selling the same car with a different badge and grill? I seen a new Santa Fe and a new Sorrento side by side in traffic the other day and they are near on identical except for a few cosmetic changes. If they had the Hyundai version as a luxo model they could have it orientated towards that end even in the suspension settings. Then the Kia version could be raised, have higher profile tyres, surf rails etc etc.

HyundaiSmoke

That is exactly what the company is doing Robin.

Let Me explain:

ix-35/Tucson in the US is $18,995 to start. KIA Sorrento, which is the size of Santa Fe is $19,995. If Current gen Santa Fe Costs $21,695 to start, then Next gen will be about $22,995 to start. Sportage now costs only $16,695. Since KIA only raised the pice of Last gen Sorrento by $300 fromthe last gen Model, I expect the same from the Sportage. The Hyundai Variant is usually $2-3k more expensive here. The smallest Hyundai is always close to the price of the next Segment KIA up, like Tucson’s price being so close to Sorrento.

Its like that in the small cars too. Base trim C-segment KIA Forte/Cerrato Sedan is the $50 more as the smaller base trim B-Segment Accent Sedan=$13,695

Yeah so Hyundai and KIA will refine that Upmarketness and sportiness over the Years.
o

Robin the ix35 and new sportage share zero sheetmetal. The platform is the same. I see no issue. VW has most of its range on the golf platform. Hey even Audis are VWs

Robin Graves

The part numbers of the panel might be different, but they are too close to have any difference to the consumer. You are correct the floorpan of many VW’s are shared – but the brands have quite a different accent on each model. I dont see this much difference between Hyundai and Kia. Side by side if you squint they will look identical.

Snatch

They look nothing alike. You must be blind. Stand them next to eachother and they are very unique. If you squint into the mirror you’ll see someone who hates Korean cars Robyn.

Robin Graves

Not once have I said anything negative about the cars themselves, just that they are too alike and not individual to their respective brands. Hyundai and Kia have some fantasic vehicles for the price, so no I dont hate Korean vehicles – unless its anything currently from Daewoo. I think you need to take your paranoia pills, and get your glasses checked.
Snatch

I ain’t the one that thinks they look the same -oo- .They look nothing alike.

HyundaiSmoke

US Accent $13,645 to start and US Cerato/Forte $13,695 to start.
Mazdafan

It looks like Hyundai and Kia are really working hard to change their image from “price, price, price” to making cars that are exciting. Hats off as they seemed to be better made than they were ten years ago. It does look quite VW Tiguan-ish from the back but regardless its a very good looking car.

bob

yep. That’s definitely the case. My only concern is that they might (not saying they will) start hiking their prices into the Tiguan league as their popularity increses. Only because I want one, but would never pay +$40k for one.

john

I like the look of it. Im looking around for a new car and i dont want to pay a fortune for one so hyundai and kia are starting to look really good. I would have a kia koup but you cant put a towbar on it. Shame about that.

Robin Graves

The Hyundai ix-35 is due for release into Australia any day now…..

HyundaiSmoke

Why do yall guys pay so much for cars? The Sportage Down Under is $39,995 AUD which is about $34,440 in USD. For that price you could almost get a Lexus RX here. You could get a Genesis Sedan for tha kind of Money.

I understand you have a 25% duty on 4x4s an a 20% duty on all cas imported in Australia, so what other taxes are involved?

Robin Graves

We get ripped off for just about everything here. Try buying a house, we are up their with the most unaffordable places on the planet to live. It was weird when I visited America how deadbeats with crap jobs can have so many material possessions. Too much credit is not good.

HyundaiSmoke

Robin, all of that credit propped everyting up in this country. It put 30 million impoverished people to work, and was responsible for the lowest crime rates in American history.

If we allow this credit fairy to go away, then we will go back to the deteriorating poverty basket we were in the 70s and 80s.
HyundaiSmoke

Robin, all of that credit propped everyting up in this country. It put 30 million impoverished people to work, and was responsible for the lowest crime rates in American history.

If we allow this credit fairy to go away, then we will go back to the deteriorating poverty basket we were in the 70s and 80s.

The Oracle

HS, I don’t know where you get your import duty figures from. Since the 1st of January the import duty on ALL vehicles is 5%. Previously 4X4s where 5% and passenger vehicles where 10%. Apart from that there is a 10% GST, (included in the list price) and on road statutory costs. (Dealer delivery, registration and 3rd party insurance, but these are usually quoted as extra, if at all, unless it’s a drive away price)
There are no state levied sales taxes or GST down here, though the statutory charges vary a lot from state to state.