2021 will indeed be an exciting and very busy year for the Indian Automobile industry. Many reputed international brands will mark their entry in India this year ( for example – Citroen, Tesla ) while some already established brands will invigorate their brand strategy for India ( Volkswagen, Skoda etc. ). There also have been rumours about Kia introducing its mid-sized SUV Sportage in India. Currently, Kia has only 3 products in its Indian portfolio – Sonet, Seltos and Carnival.
More details about Kia Sportage
Given the popularity of the Korean brand it currently enjoys in our country, it only makes sense for Kia to expand its portfolio in India. And we think that the Sportage will be a worthy addition.
Design of Kia Sportage
Starting off with the most obvious aspect, the design. One look at the front and you would exclaim, wait a minute, that grille is very Kia Sonet-ish and you wouldn’t be wrong. The grille is indeed very reminiscent of the Kia Sonet. The headlamp and the fog lamp setup differentiate it significantly from the Sonet though. When viewed from some angle, the headlamp cluster and the bonnet line sort of provide the Sportage with a very angry looking front fascia.
One very unique design element is the fog lamp setup which is indeed something that we haven’t seen on many cars. On the sides, it gets body claddings which further accentuate the SUV-ish look. The alloys might just might remind you of the Kia Seltos. The rear also looks a bit like the Sonet, with tail strip running right across the boot.
Kia Sportage Interiors
The Kia Sportage interiors, on the other hand, especially the touch screen and the AC vents setup, look quite like its sibling, the Hyundai Venue. You get an all-black interior scheme with a flat dash. The rear seats offer a 60-40 split and the boot is decently sized as well. The cabin looks very practical with a lot of storage spaces. All the buttons and controls are neatly and very ergonomically laid out.
Safety features include ABS, EBD, ESC, hill assist, autonomous emergency braking, lane assist etc. All these and more contribute to a 5-star safety rating for the Sportage in the Euro-NCAP.
Specs of Kia Sportage
Mechanically, Kia Sportage gets a few powertrain options but most likely in India, Kia will start off by bringing in the 2.0L diesel engine which produces 182 BHP of peak power and 392Nm of peak torque. It is reportedly said that the Sportage might be offered with a manual as well as an automatic gearbox. There is no official word regarding the Sportage landing on our shores but we believe that it should. And so should you!