Kia Sportage

Source: Motor Trader

Unlike many western carmakers, Asian carmakers tend to not to have an individual associated with a model. There are no Chris Bangles or Lee Iacoccas who are closely identified with products and often, even the person who has led the development team of a new model is not mentioned. There are a few exceptions in the Japanese companies where design chiefs like Nissan’s Shiro Nakamura have a high profile and even speak their mind about automobile design. But by and large, while some models may have ‘personality’ in one sense of the word, they also lack a personality.

With the Koreans, it’s even more ‘faceless’ and sometimes when you speak to certain engineers, they admit that they were not with the design team of a new model from the start and cannot answer certain questions about the development. It seems that there’s a lot of shuffling of personnel so no one stays long with a model line.

It’s the same with styling and other than Ken Greenley, the British designer who did the Korando and Musso for SsangYong in the 1990s, it’s hard to find anyone else who is associated with the design of a Korean model. However, Kia seems to be coming out of that ‘facelessness’ as it has no hesitation in allowing its Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, to have a high profile. Since joining the company in 2006, Schreyer (formerly from Audi) has done a commendable job in lifting Kia out of the Korean mould and creating a corporate face that is today the brand’s signature look. He calls this powerful visual identifier the ‘Tiger Nose’. Schreyer, now 58, has brought a significant visual change to the Kia line-up, starting with the Soul and the new Picanto sees the entire Kia range now having the ‘Schreyer Look’.

The new Sportage, launched in KL today, shows just Schreyer’s mastery in turning a middle-of-the-road compact SUV into a stylish model. Rather like a scaled-down Sorento, its looks are a huge change from the second generation it succeeds. The front end is instantly identifiable as a Kia and there’s a distinctiveness which is rare for most Asian products (except those which Schreyer has worked on, of course!). Details around the car catch the eye and show how the designers really spent time crafting this model and not just letting the CAD software do the job.

The new Sportage has a longer wheelbase and looks much bigger but it sits lower, with the thick C-pillar giving a coupe-ish profile. The roof rack is low and made more of a styling feature (presumably it can also be used as a rack) and between it is a panoramic sunroof with two openings, a rare feature in this class.
 

LEDs are used for the lighting units, providing brighter illumination, quicker response (for the brake lights) and a longer service life. Interestingly, the rear brake lights are not integrated in the tail lights and inserted in corners of the rear bumper. Visually neat but they seem a bit low and might be prone to getting cover with dirt very quickly.

Being imported as a completely built-up (CBU) vehicle from Korea, the choice of colours for the Sportage is a bit wider than what it would be if it’s assembled locally. Customers can choose from five colours, ie Clear White, Bright Silver, Techno Orange, Sand Track and Mineral Silver.

Under the bonnet, a 2-litre Theta II petrol engine with continuous variable valve timing on intake as well as exhaust valves provides high efficiency and a broader spread of torque which is 197 Nm at 4600 rpm. Maximum power of 166 ps occurs at 6200 rpm. The Theta II engine has a lightweight design with all-aluminium construction and has features like electronic throttle control and a variable air intake system.

A 6-speed automatic transmission is standard and this transmission is said to have been specifically developed for use with the Theta II engine. Designed for more efficient power delivery and higher torque throughout, the transmission is 12 kgs lighter than the 5-speed automatic transmission used by Kia before. The dimensions are also more compact with the use of an ultra flat torque converter while the 4-pinion differential gear enhances durability and the hydraulic deviation control valve body is said to improve shift quality for smoother shifting. Manual gear selection is also possible.

In the past few years, there’s been a trend towards dispensing with 4WD in SUVs, partly as a cost-saving measure and partly to impr[ ove fuel economy. Most buyers don’t really care that they don’t have 4-wheel drive as they buy SUVs for the looks and the high seating position, not for exploring Taman Negara. For distributors, going 2WD helps moderate prices and many companies have switched to 2WD variants.

Naza Kia doesn’t think that’s the way to go and while there are merits in 2WD, it’s also nice to have 4WD and the system they have in the new Sportage is an advanced type which is really All-Wheel Drive (AWD). The difference from conventional 4WD systems is that the cheaper ones are ‘reactive’ – torque goes to the rear wheels only when the front wheels start to spin. The system in the Sportage constantly varies torque between the front and rear wheels depending on surface conditions. In conditions of maximum grip, like a smooth highway, virtually all the torque goes to the front wheels but when things get slippery, then torque gets distributed rearwards to maintain stability.

There is also a 4WD Lock Mode which is like a differential lock. It split torque equally between the front and rear wheels so even in the most slippery conditions, one or more wheels can pull the vehicle forward. While there is no mention of a maximum speed in this mode, it is likely that it is only for use in extremely slippery conditions as a 50:50 torque split can be very hard on the driveline when going round corners.

The suspension (independent all round) has new side-load coil springs which reduce friction . The dampers are also special as they have sliding valve technology inside. The valve allows variation of damping force so that there’s a comfortable ride on unbroken roads and better control over rough surfaces. The variation is done automatically inside the damper and no intervention is needed by the driver.

Just as the original compact SUV – the Toyota RAV4 – has made big leaps in technological features, so too has this new Sportage (which was Kia’s rival to the RAV4). It comes with electronic stability control that includes traction control, ABS, brake assist and cornering brake control, and it also has Downhill Brake Control and Hill-start Assist Control.

The new Sportage has already been in some other countries for a while so it has been evaluated more thoroughly and has been found to be tops in the safety department. The independent EuroNCAP organization crashed it and the results warranted a 5/5 star rating. Naza Kia can also legitimately boast of this 5-star rating as the version they sell comes with 6 airbags, the same as the European version that was used for the crash test.

 

 

Image from rearview camera is displayed on the surface of the rearview mirror

With a wider and longer body, and more wheelbase, the cabin has a much more spacious atmosphere, enhanced by the panoramic sunroof letting lots of light in (though you would want to keep it closed at noontime). Like the other recently-introduced Kia models, the new Sportage has taken a big leap upwards in the look and feel of its interior. This also applies to the design philosophy which is no longer a case of ‘being different for the sake of being different’; the dashboard in the new model would not look out of place in a European car and the surfaces have a very refined texture.

With the Sportage, Naza Kia doesn’t make you study the pricelist carefully to see what exactly comes with the vehicle because every item listed is standard (no ‘option for this version’ or ‘extra charge for leather’). There is only one spec with 25 items which include leather upholstery, cruise control, automatic air-conditioner, electrochromic rearview mirror with rearview camera display in the mirror, stop/start button and smart key, 6-CD changer and 8-way power adjustment for the driver’s seat.

It’s an unbelievably long list and guess what? Naza Kia is asking for just RM138,888 – and that includes insurance as well, on top of which you get a 5-year warranty. On paper, the new Sportage beats the established compact SUVs and while brand strength is still a factor, today’s consumers are willing to try new brands too. With the way the new Sportage is designed, built and equipped, it would be very hard not to consider it seriously.

The only problem for now is that Naza Kia can’t get enough units. Demand for Kia models is very high, especially from the US market where it is among the hot brands, and the factory in Korea can’t build enough to go round. That’s the same reason why you don’t see many new Sorentos on the road. So if you want one, better find the nearest Kia showroom and put your money down as the waiting list could grow very quickly.