Kia’s Sportage double hit

Damien O’carroll is not only impressed with the looks of the new Kia Sportage, he’s also very excited about the pricing.

When Kia came to replace its mid-size sedan competitor, the Optima, it came over all cautious and produced a car that didn’t look very different from the previous generation model. When it came time to replace the boldly styled Sportage SUV, however, it has gone in a completely different direction, with even more in-your-face styling that could easily polarise potential buyers, but has also delivered a double hit with some incredibly sharp pricing that has seen the medium SUV surge to the top of the sales charts straight away. While the entry Sportage lands at $35,990 (which is damn sharp pricing in its own right), for a limited time Kia made it available for a staggering $26,990, hence the surge in sales. The new Sportage comes to New Zealand as either a 114kw/192nm 2-litre petrol 2WD, a 135kw/237nm 2.4-litre petrol 4WD, or a 136kw/400nm 2.0-litre diesel 4WD. All engine/drivetrain variants come with a six-speed automatic transmission. In petrol 2WD form it is available in LX, EX and LTD models, in 4WD petrol form it is available as an EX, LTD or the new GT Line, while the 4WD diesel is only available as an EX or GT Line. The LX comes standard with 17- inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and a backing camera, a touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, cruise control, power adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors, locally (well,