{"id":28156,"date":"2021-10-28T17:03:01","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T21:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=28156"},"modified":"2021-10-28T17:03:01","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T21:03:01","slug":"head-turning-kia-sportage-gets-bigger-more-high-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/10\/head-turning-kia-sportage-gets-bigger-more-high-tech","title":{"rendered":"Head-turning Kia Sportage gets bigger, more high-tech"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Kia Sportage is getting new plumage.<\/p>\n

The Korean brand\u2019s made-in-Georgia compact SUV gains a radical remake for its fifth-generation model with a stylish exterior and interior screens that rival\u00a0luxury automakers. Previously one of the smallest utes in class, the 2023 Sportage leapfrogs the competition\u00a0to boast the biggest backseat in class.<\/p>\n

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Based on the same platform as cousin\u00a0Hyundai Tucson \u2014 which has also turned heads \u2014\u00a0the Sportage\u2019s headliner is a curved, hoodless, 25-inch instrument display that stretches across the dash like one in a Mercedes. Following in the footsteps of Kia\u2019s sexy Stinger sport sedan and the wildly popular Telluride\u00a0three-row SUV, the Sportage continues the automakers\u2019 assault on the U.S. market with some of the most talked-about mainstream vehicles of the last few years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tremendous success formula of our current stable of SUVs has been infused into every ounce of the new Sportage, transforming it into a leader of the pack with its cutting-edge design, adventurous capability\u00a0and desirable in-car technology,\u201d said Kia North America CEO Sean Yoon.<\/p>\n

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With 84,343 in\u00a0sales, Sportage was the brand\u2019s second-best\u00a0selling vehicle in 2020 after the Forte compact sedan. As\u00a0consumers have gobbled up SUVS, so has Kia shifted its lineup\u2019s focus to the Telluride, Sorento\u00a0\u2014 and now Sportage\u00a0\u2014 SUVs, imbuing\u00a0them\u00a0with off-road flavor made popular by Jeep models.<\/p>\n

Likely starting around $26,000 with\u00a0familiar trims like EX, SX\u00a0and SX, the Sportage will offer more adventure-oriented X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige models. The latter, for example, offers all-terrain tires to complement its increased-by-1.5 inches ride height (8.3 inches total) for when the asphalt ends.<\/p>\n

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The Sportage ups its game for a class that has seen overland entries in recent years like the Ford Bronco Sport and Toyota RAV4 TRD. As governments force electrification, Kia said that the Sportage will soon offer a hybrid model.<\/p>\n

Kia\u2019s Telluride is one of the most distinctive SUVs on the road and the Sportage aims to get tongues wagging with its own knockout face. The brand\u2019s \u201ctiger nose\u201d design occupies nearly the entire fascia \u2014 bracketed by huge, \u201cboomerang\u201d LED running lights that push the headlights to the front corners.<\/p>\n

The boomerang\u00a0lights run across the hood line setting up muscular shoulders that run to distinctive\u00a0\u201cnotch-shaped\u201d taillights \u2014\u00a0integrated by a thin, Audi-like black graphic across the tailgate.<\/p>\n

The luxury-inspired forms reach their summit inside with the Sportage\u2019s dramatic, panoramic\u00a0screen that connects the 12.3-inch instrument and 12.3-inch infotainment displays. The screen is standard on upper SX (likely starting in the mid-$30k range) and X-Pro\u00a0trims. The form, pioneered by Mercedes and Cadillac Escalade, has been adopted most recently by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric car.<\/p>\n

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A second touchscreen above the console is designated for climate controls similar to Audi\u2019s design. More console innovation includes cup holders that can come apart if the space is needed to hold something larger like a phone or tablet.<\/p>\n

Taking a page from big brother Telluride,\u00a0the front seatbacks house USB ports and an integrated hook for shopping bags. Best-in-class, 41.3 inches of legroom follows behind\u00a0the\u00a0front seats as Sportage grows by 7.1 inches with a 3.4-inch longer wheelbase. That stretch enables\u00a0best-in-class, 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space under the hatchback.<\/p>\n

In keeping with competitors, the Kia offers standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay phone connectivity\u00a0on all trims, a phone app (compatible\u00a0with smart wrist\u00a0watches) for remote monitoring of the car, WiFi connectivity for up to five devices and available wireless charging.<\/p>\n

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Electrics are the new, new thing, but the Sportage insulates\u00a0the engine compartment from the cabin for a quiet drive experience. Power is provide by a 2.5-liter, 187-horse four-banger common to Hyundai products.<\/p>\n

The rugged X-Line and X-Pro trims come standard with all-wheel-drive for Michigan\u2019s unruly winters. Blacked-out mirrors, roof rack and window surrounds distinguish the X-line trim along with 19-inch wheels. The X-Pro goes\u00a0further with B.F. Goodrich all-terrain tires, matte-black\u00a0wheels, heated windshield, two-tone roof\u00a0and multiple drive modes.<\/p>\n

Behind the high-tech interior screens is a chest-full of safety tech, including standard driver attention monitoring, auto\u00a0high beams, and lane-keep assist. Optional safety systems include blindspot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and exit safety assist which, for example, will warn of a biker aproaching as you open the door on a crowded street.<\/p>\n

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Buyers can also option Kia’s remote smart-parking assist shared with sister Hyundai which popularized\u00a0the feature in its “Smaht Pahk” 2020 Super Bowl ad.<\/p>\n

Assembled in West Point, Georgia, the Sportage will be on sale in the first quarter of 2022.<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Kia Sportage is getting new plumage. The Korean brand\u2019s made-in-Georgia compact SUV gains a radical remake for its fifth-generation model with a stylish exterior and interior screens that rival\u00a0luxury automakers. Previously one of the smallest utes in class, the 2023 Sportage leapfrogs the competition\u00a0to boast the biggest backseat in class. Based on the same […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28156"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28156"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28157,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28156\/revisions\/28157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}