The all-new Kia Sportage has been launched a week ago, and it’s now here at the 2016 Manila International Auto Show, making its first public appearance since its launch.
Shown here in GT trim, the Kia Sportage is a careful evolution of its predecessor’s already striking design language. The Kia Sportage GT is a handsome compact crossover with its strikingly designed front end with Kia’s “tiger nose” grille now bolder than ever. LED foglamps add character to the car’s presence at night. Daytime running lights are grace the car’s front end, and is equipped as standard on all variants. For the GT variant, the daytime running lights are finished in LEDs, giving it a striking appearance in the day light. At the side, the Kia Sportage’s looks are almost carried over from the previous generation, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing because the design is already a looker in the first place. Out the back, the changer are also subtle, with the changes almost limited to the new rear light clusters, which are finished in LED.
Inside, the Kia Sportage’s interior feels really nice to the eyes and fingertips. This isn’t a luxury car, but the level of quality and premium feel is great, thanks to plenty of soft touch materials, and the faux metal surrounds that actually feel genuine. At the back, there’s plenty of space for 3 passengers, with plenty of leg and headroom. There’s also added versatility thanks to the folding split rear seats, which fold flat, meaning putting long items into the vehicle is easier. The GT variant, meanwhile, gets a D-shaped steering wheel, powered driver and passenger seats, aluminum pedals, and a panoramic sunroof.
The Kia Sportage is powered by a 2.0 liter CRDI diesel engine, producing 185 hp and 402 Nm of torque. The engine is Euro IV compliant, and is mated exclusively to a 6-Speed Automatic.
In terms of safety, the new Kia Sportage is well equipped. All variants are equipped with two airbags, ABS + EBD, while the GT variant adds Stability Control, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and a rear parking assist system.
There are three variants all in all. The Sportage EX (which is available in 2WD and 4WD), and the GT variant. Now that the ASEAN-Korean Free Trade Agreement is in full swing, rather than pushing the price of the Sportage down, they added more features to the car instead. Normally, the EX is Kia’s most expensive variant, but the EX now is the least expensive variant, while the new GT variant is the highest trim for the Sportage.
EX 2WD: P1,445,000
EX AWD: P1,595,000
GT AWD: P1,795,000
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