Kia Sportage

The Kia Sportage, pronounced Spor'tij in the United States and Spor'tahj in French-speaking countries (including Canada) is Kia's compact SUV. Originally, it was a mini SUV, but the second generation Sportage is a compact crossover SUV.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Kia Sportage Review.

Recent Changes

 * The 2010 Geneva Motor Show will play host to the debut of the Third-generation Peter Schreyer-penned Sportage. Sharing the same platform as the Hyundai Tucson, the new Sportage will have larger overall dimensions than previous iterations. It is also expected to feature the same powertrain options as the Tucson (and its European tag, iX35).

Styles and Major Options
The 2007 Sportage comes in three trims: the LX, LX V6, and the EX V6. The base LX is powered by a 2.0L 140hp I-4 engine, and the two V6 trims, as their names indicate, are powered by the same 2.7L 173hp V6 engine. Also, while the LX comes standard with a 5-speed manual transmission w/OD, the two V6 trims are equipped with a 4-speed Sportmatic automatic transmission. All trims are available in either automatic full-time four wheel drive or the standard front wheel drive. For a list of safety options, see the Safety section below. Other standout features on the Sportage include:

LX
 * 16" silver alloy wheels
 * 8-way driver (4-way passenger) front bucket seats
 * Cloth seating and door trim
 * 6-speaker AM/FM/MP3/CD audio system
 * Tilt steering wheel
 * Power windows, locks, mirrors

LX V6 Adds to or replaces LX features with:
 * Manual front air conditioning
 * Cruise control

EX V6

Adds to or replaces LX V6 features with:
 * Premium cloth seating and cloth door trim
 * Carpeted front/rear floormats
 * Leather steering wheel and shift knob
 * Express open sunroof
 * Roll-up cargo cover
 * Cargo net
 * Trip computer
 * Body-colored side moldings and fender flares

Pricing
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Gas Mileage
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As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Engine and Transmission
Specifications, details, graphs, pictures and other information regarding the powertrain is placed in this section.

Performance
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If using information gathered from Road Test articles from a reputable automotive source, then please make sure to cite the quote.

Reliability
Consumer Reports states that the "reliability of the Sportage is above average of late."

Safety
In safety tests carried out by the NHTSA, the Sportage returned relatively impressive results. Although no tests for rollover were not performed, all front- and side-impact crash tests earned the Sportage 5-Star ratings. Some of the standard safety equipment found on the Sportage includes:
 * ABS and driveline traction control
 * Electronic stability control
 * Front and rear anti-roll bars
 * Four wheel anti-lock brakes
 * Driver/passenger front-impact airbags
 * Driver/passenger seat mounted side-impact airbags
 * 1st/2nd row overhead airbags
 * Side impact bars

Photos
Second Generation

Colors
All colors are available to all trims of the Sportage, and a complete list is viewable at CarsDirect.com. Some of the possible combinations include:

Exterior
 * Black Cherry
 * Champagne Metallic
 * Royal Jade Green
 * Satin Silver
 * Smart Blue
 * Steel Silver
 * White

Interior
 * Beige
 * Black

Main Competitors

 * Honda Element
 * Toyota RAV4
 * Ford Escape
 * Honda CR-V
 * Jeep Liberty
 * Subaru Forester
 * Hyundai Santa Fe

Hybrid Models
There are currently no hybrid models of the Sportage in production.

Unique Attributes
If there are any features of this vehicle that sets it apart from other vehicles in its class, then mention those unique attributes here.

Interior
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Resale Values
According to Kelley Blue Book, "despite one of the industry's best warranties, a Kia will not offer the return on investment in the form of resale value enjoyed by Honda or Toyota owners."

Criticisms

 * "[the Kia Sportage] would likely benefit by offering the more powerful 200-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 option from the Santa Fe if ...[it] wish[es] to be on a par with such competition as the 200-horsepower V-6 offered in the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute." - Car and Driver
 * "Driving up the hilly streets in downtown San Francisco we found the four-cylinder Sportage LX was fine as long as you pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor and didn't mind listening to a high-revved four banger." - New Car Test Drive
 * "If you're an individual who cherishes an established nameplate, Kia lacks the long history of some other brands, despite dramatic sales growth. And though Kia has definitely made strides versus segment leaders from Toyota and Honda, the Sportage might be a shade down from them in product refinement." - Kelley Blue Book

Second Generation: (2005-2010)
After a 2-year hiatus, the 2005 Sportage shares its Elantra-based platform with the 2005 Hyundai Tucson. The Sportage will also have a 2.0 L Diesel engine available in the United States. Pricing is expected to start at just over US$17,000. Critics and fans of the original, pre-Hyundai Sportage complain that it is considerably larger than the original Sportage and has none of the earlier offroad capability, the two keys for its success.

First Generation (1995-2002)
The first generation Sportage was a mini SUV or "toy" sport utility vehicle (SUV), based on the Mazda Bongo platform.

Sportage was sold in either a four-door, two-door hardtop, and a two-door soft-top. The first-generation Sportage was discontinued in 2002, in favor (for the United States market) of the Sorento. The four-door model comes in just a quarter of one inch longer and the same width as the Geo Tracker, but boasts 145 hp (108 kW) and optional four wheel drive.

After the 1997 Hyundai takeover of Kia, the vehicle was produced with major defects including an axle that broke loose at high speeds, rattling exhaust heat shields, weak and often defective alternators and various other annoyances.

Awards
2010 Drive Best SUV Under $40,000''