2017 Kia Sportage
2017 Kia Sportage – finally been presented. The all new generation of the Sportage has been released back at the Frankfurt Auto Show and to everyone’s surprise, the car looked much better than it was rumored at first. However, the design is not the only change for this new model. It is now based on an all new chassis which it shares with the new Tucson, it got new engines as well as a newly upgraded running gear.
The interior also looks to be more upmarket with better materials than before as well as more equipment in the base trim levels.
All-new Platform
The new platform makes the new Sportage around 2 inches longer than before which means that there is a lot more room inside the cabin. This is also helped by the 1.6 inches longer wheelbase and by the longer rear overhangs which increase luggage space. In order to keep it a nice to drive car, Kia decided to make its C-pillars a lot thinner than before in order to aid with visibility and on top of that, the car now comes with a lot more features than before such as cross-lane traffic alert, frontal collision warning with an automatic braking feature and even an adaptive cruise control, most of them being offered as standard features.
The Engine & Specs
Engine wise, the 2017 Kia Sportage will hit the market in Europe with four engines, two petrol units and two diesels. The base model will get a 130 horsepower 1.6 liter direct injected inline 4 while higher up the range a turbocharged version of the same engine with around 170 horsepower will be available. The diesel range will start with a 1.7 liter inline 4 with around 130 horsepower and end up with a 2 liter unit with up to 170 horsepower.
The US version of the car has been rumored to get completely different engines. The base model will likely get the 2 liter naturally aspirated Nu inline 4 which offers 174 horsepower and 157 lb-ft of torque while the premium version will likely get a 2 liter turbocharged unit with more than 250 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque.
All of these engines will be available with front wheel drive as standard with the possibility of getting all wheel drive as well. A 6 speed manual will be available in Europe while a 7 speed dual-clutch automatic will be offered as an option. The US model will come with the 7 speed unit on the less powerful car while the top of the range model will get a 6 speed automatic.
More aggressive design
In terms of design a lot has changed with the 2017 Kia Sportage and we are happy to report that it did change for the better. Even though the car looks a lot more European than before, it now comes with very nice lines which make it seem like a grown up car. The front end is expressive and it blends nicely with all the other Kia models while the back is reminiscent of the older car.
Inside view
The interior has also been improved tremendously and it now looks on par with the best offering in its class. The materials are great and the equipment level which offers as standard features such as a 7 inch infotainment system, climate control, leather inserts on the steering and the dashboard as well as very comfortable seats are all above the average of its class.
https://youtu.be/aQ_cngZhf7k
2017 Kia Sportage Release date
The car will go on sale in Europe in the next few months but in the United States it will come as the 2017 Kia Sportage in the second half of 2016. Its price will be similar to that of the ongoing model which means it will start at roughly $23,000 and it will go up from there.
The biggest rivals are 2016 Mazda CX-5 and Nissan Rogue.
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