The pre-facelift Kia Sportage, which was first introduced at the IAA 2015 and made its Indian debut at the Auto Expo 2018, has been brought to the ongoing Autocar Performance Show 2018. In January 2018, speculations arose that the Sportage is being evaluated for India. Hyundai's sister brand intends to commence its Indian innings with the production version of the Kia SP Concept. The current Sportage, which is past the halfway mark in its lifecycle, isn't India-bound.
The Kia Sportage measures 4,480 mm in length, 1,855 mm in width, and 1,645 mm in height (1,655 mm with roof rails). It has a wheelbase of 2,670 mm. Presently in its fourth generation, the Sportage received a mid-cycle facelift in May 2018.
The Kia Sportage is based on the same platform as the third-gen Hyundai Tucson that is currently on sale in India. Globally, the latest iteration of the small SUV is available with a range of engine options. The list of petrol motors on offer includes - 132 PS 1.6L GDI, 177 1.6L T-GDI, 155 PS/157 PS 2.0L MPI and 184 PS 2.4L GDI powertrains. The oil-burner on offer displaces 1.6-litre and is available in 115 PS and 136 PS outputs. It features a mild-hybrid system. Transmission options are 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. Select variants are available with the AWD hardware.
The pre-facelift Kia Sportage that has been put on display at the Autocar Performance Show 2018 is in the GT-Line trim. It looks more aggressive than other versions owing to a high-gloss radiator grille, ’ice-cube’ LED fog lamps, aluminium-effect skid plates, window surround moulding, side sill garnish, 19-inch alloy wheels, dual-tip exhaust tailpipes and tailgate garnish. On the inside, the GT-Line grade brings in an all-black setup with high-gloss black-coloured switch pads and centre fascia, D-cut leather steering wheel with GT-Line logo and sports pedals.
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The production Kia SP will reportedly go on sale in the second half of 2019. It will cost between INR 10-16 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
