The all-new 2011 Kia Sportage is here, and it will blow you away!
The stylish vehicle was recently introduced in a splashy San Francisco event.   Style, power, fuel efficiency, safety and economy; this is your new perfect car.

The 2011 Sportage lavish introduction is just another step in Kia Motor’s plan for automotive dominance. The company has experienced continuous growth in every quarter and is in the midst of a dramatic, design-led transformation, which has been delivering dynamically styled vehicles in several important segments at exactly the right time.  

The Sportage is the latest entry and there are two new vehicle introductions and several other key initiatives planned for 2010. Kia is destined to maintain its momentum and continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and new technology.  The company prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and evoke the Kia tagline “The Power to Surprise.” 

And the Sportage certainly does. Completely and beautifully redesigned, Sportage offers more urban and fluid silhouettes than its predecessor the Sportage CUV, while retaining the desirable benefits and functional features of the original.  Sportage also offers increased levels of performance and efficiency, comfort and convenience and the latest in-vehicle technologies.

“Adding world-class design and cutting-edge technologies to an already successful value-packed CUV equation, the all-new Sportage offers Kia the opportunity to attract an entirely new and more sophisticated customer,” said Michael Sprague, vice president marketing & communications, Kia Motors America (KMA).  “The 2011 Sportage retains the functionality and versatility of the previous generation model but repackages the CUV into a sleek, modern and bold style with new proportions and a completely new look to help elevate the Kia brand further as a world design leader.”   

A key demographic for the Sportage is men and the Latin market is one of Kia’s biggest and most loyal customers.  Therefore the presence of HOMBRE as the leading Latin publication attending Kia Sportage’s three day preview in San Francisco. 

Driving through the hills of San Francisco and experiencing the open road and slippery curves you really get a sense of Kia Sportage’s magnificent handling.           

Now available, the 2011 Sportage offers you – an image-conscious yet practical consumer – more power (176 hp) and improved fuel economy along with the options of a panoramic sunroof, navigation, push-button start, rear camera display, LED daytime running lights and an air-cooled driver’s seat (a compact CUV segment first).   

The Kia Sportage is available in three trims – Base, LX and EX.
Pricing for the dynamic compact CUV begins at $18,295. for the base trim, offering standard convenience features, including air conditioning, power windows, door locks and mirrors, SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities with three months complimentary service, MP3 connectivity and Bluetooth wireless technology.  Other standard exterior features include 16-inch alloy wheels matched with 215/70R16 low-rolling resistance silica tires, body-color door handles, body-color and electrically adjustable side mirrors and a 6-speed manual transmission.   

The LX starts at $20,295. and comes standard with the above features plus 12-volt power outlets in the front and cargo areas, power side mirrors with integrated LED indicators, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, keyless entry with panic alarm, tinted glass, multi-way adjustable front seats

and 60/40 split-folding rear seats

to effortlessly accommodate cargo needs.    

Moving up, the EX trim level offers a beginning price of $23,295. with standard features such as 18-inch alloy wheels mated with 235/55R18 silica tires, roof rails, a rear spoiler and chrome body trim and door handles. Further increasing the level of refinement, EX models benefit from a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, telescopic steering wheel, illuminated vanity mirrors, automatic folding rear seats, a dual-zone temperature control air-conditioner with ionized filtration, illuminated and cooled glove box, and a power driver’s seat with lumbar support for additional comfort and support.   

Available later in the model year will be the SX trim, featuring Kia’s all-new efficient and powerful 2.0L turbo GDI engine. 

Emotion-Evoking Exterior Design 
Naturally what first draws attention to the new Sportage is the visceral connection drivers make with the vehicle’s striking new design.  

With a high beltline, sweeping angles and more pronounced wheel flares; the team at Kia’s U.S.-based design center in Irvine, Calif. aimed to convey an even more demanding road presence within Sportage’s compact size by emphasizing its hunkered-down position.   

The all-new 2011 Sportage projects a modern and clean look.  The full-sectioned body, defined by a spearing shoulder line throughout the length of the car, helps to visually connect the headlamps and tail lights.  The crispness of this line, together with the lowered body, offers a distinct sense of precision while the pronounced C pillar gives a sense of solidity and balance when viewed from the side.
         

The 2011 Sportage’s front end proudly displays the new face of Kia, the brand’s signature grill, with dramatic swept back headlamps, tabbed grill outline and a distinctive lower fascia treatment.  

The dynamically sculpted hood, framed by a distinctive windshield design, adds to Sportage’s fresh appeal.  The rear view offers a clean and contemporary look with pronounced unique tail lights set solidly within the rear lift gate.  Longer, wider and lower than the previous model, the all-new CUV successfully retains the key features, including a commanding driving position and of security and powerful road presence, which helped make the second-generation Sportage so popular among consumers. 

Contemporary and Comfortable Interior Space

Sportage’s sleek aesthetic design from the exterior flows seamlessly into the interior, establishing an inviting and comfortable ambience and the availability of numerous convenience and technology features.  With the signature three-pot instrument cluster set prominently within the dash, Sportage’s interior exudes contemporary design and an upgraded driving experience.            

Technology

Impressive technology features also come standard throughout, including auxiliary and USB audio input jacks for connecting with MP3 players and Bluetooth wireless technology connectivity with steering wheel-mounted voice activation controls to enable hands-free operation for compatible mobile phones.   

The 2011 Sportage also will be among the first Kia models to offer UVO powered by Microsoft, an advanced hands-free in-car communication and entertainment system (standard on EX models) that enables drivers and passengers to answer and place phone calls, receive and respond to SMS text messages, access music from a variety of media sources and create custom music experiences.  HD Radio also will be made available to enhance listening enjoyment. 

More Powerful, Fuel-Efficient Engine

The all-new Sportage comes standard with a 2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine with Continuously Variable Valve Timing, offering more power (176 hp) and better fuel economy (22/31) than the previous 2.7-liter V6 engine.  A more powerful but extremely fuel efficient 2.0-liter turbo GDI engine delivers V6-type power with a four-cylinder engine that produces 270-plus horsepower also will be available in the 2011 model year.   

Offered with either a front-wheel drive (FWD) or a Dynamax all-wheel drive (AWD) configuration paired to either a six-speed manual transmission (Base) or a six-speed automatic transmission, consumers will have a variety of powertrain combinations to fit their driving needs.  The Sportage’s Dynamax AWD system, co-developed by Kia Motors Corporation, continuously monitors driving conditions and anticipates AWD system requirements, offering drivers the benefits of improved lateral stability while cornering as well as the removal of unintended over and under steering by reducing unwanted traction to the front and rear axles.   

The six-speed automatic transmission, first seen on the 2011 Sorento CUV, is a proprietary design for Kia that was designed, engineered and built specifically for Kia vehicles, making the brand one of only three manufacturers to employ such a transmission.  All automatics feature Sportmatic clutchless shifting.              
 
As our test drive in San Francisco through crowded streets, steep hills, mountains with twists and turns, open coastline and busy highways demonstrated; the Kia Sportage is perfectly suited for any driving condition. The FWD configuration offers an efficient package with responsive acceleration, enhanced fuel economy and impressive ride and handling.  For drivers who typically face more difficult road and weather conditions, the AWD powertrain provides even more possibilities. 

New and Improved Platform


With an overall length of 174.8 inches, overall width of 73 inches, wheelbase of 103.9 inches, Sportage is longer, wider and lower than its predecessor, enhancing handling and aerodynamics.  Built on a unibody frame, Sportage utilizes independent front-and-rear suspension systems.  An all-new, multi-link rear suspension system is used in conjunction with new dampers and coil springs mounted separately to minimize intrusion into the cabin and trunk space and add to Sportage’s handling. 

Both the front and rear suspension systems are mounted on a lightweight hydro-formed subframe, to help isolate the occupants from irregularities in the road surface. The all-new Sportage employs a new bodyshell design with greater use of high tensile strength steel for a quitter more refined experience.  

Impressive Safety Features
Like all Kia vehicles, the 2011 Sportage is equipped with a long list of standard safety equipment. Both trims come outfitted with driver and passenger advanced front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags and front active headrests, four-wheel Antilock Brake System, Electronic Stability Control, Electronic Brake Distribution, Tire Pressure Monitoring System and a Brake Assist System, which recognizes an emergency stop and delivers significant braking power. Hill Start Assist Control and Downhill Brake Control also come standard on all models, the former assisting in preventing the vehicle from rolling backward when trying to pull away from an uphill gradient, while the latter locks the vehicle at a slow speed down steep grades so the driver can focus their attention on steering.   

To assist drivers when the vehicle is in reverse, an available back-up warning sensor helps the driver avoid contact with certain objects in the vehicle’s path by triggering an audible warning when the vehicle approaches an obstruction, while an available rear-view back-up camera enables drivers to view certain items behind the vehicle.  

Competitive Warranty
The 2011 Sportage is covered by Kia’s warranty program, which offers unprecedented consumer protection. Included in this program are a 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty and a five-year/100,000-mile anti-perforation warranty. A five-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance plan also is part of the vehicle coverage.  

With the new Sportage, Kia Motors continues to position itself at the forefront of automotive style, efficiency and innovation.
Next up is the Kia Optima

 and the launch of the all-new 2011 Sorento CUV, the official vehicle of the NBA and the first vehicle to be assembled at Kia’s first U.S.-based manufacturing facilities in West Point, Georgia. 

For more information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up visit http://www.kiamotors.com