The 5th-generation Kia Sportage has been quite the success story, both internationally and locally. With numerous accolades under its belt (including a finalist spot in its category in the coveted #CarsAwards), the Sportage has a lot going for it.
The current-shape Sportage arrived in South Africa back in September 2022 and as we approach the end of 2023, Kia South Africa has tweaked the lineup based on customer demand.
As a reminder, there are two engine options for the Kia Sportage which should cover all the bases. Kicking off the range is a 1.6-litre turbocharged diesel 4-cylinder with 100 kW and 320 Nm. This offers fair acceleration (11.4 seconds to 100 kph), but its real strength is economy, with Kia claiming 4.9 L/100 km.
Petrol fans have the option of a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol 4-cylinder with 132 kW and 265 Nm. It’s the more spirited of the two powertrains, capable of hitting 100 kph in a claimed 8.8 seconds while consuming 6.5 L/100 km. All Sportage derivatives are front-wheel driven and feature automatic gearboxes.
The range adjustment sees the diesel engines offered exclusively to the entry-level LX and EX models, while the GT-Line models are all petrol-powered. The adjustment also means that every Sportage now features the comprehensive safety tech that was previously reserved to the top-spec models.
The Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology includes Lane Follow Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA). This is on top of the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), Downhill Brake Control (DBC) and Trailer Stability Assist (TSA). There are six airbags fitted.
The revised Kia Sportage range has been on sale since early November 2023 and as a reminder, the vehicle is sold with an unlimited mileage / 5-year warranty, 6-year/90 000 km service plan and 5 years of roadside assistance.
Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDi LX R637 995
Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDi EX R691 995
Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line R713 995
Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line Plus R741 995
Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDi GT-Line Plus R765 995
Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line S R798 995
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