Skip to main content

Designed largely in Europe, the new Kia Sportage gets a head-turning look

Kia’s European division has published the first official images of the new fourth-generation Sportage. The crossover is scheduled to greet the public for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show that will open its doors in a little over two weeks.

Up front, the Sportage gets a striking new design that breaks nearly all ties with Kia’s current design language. It features a low and wide rendition of the company’s Tiger Nose grille, tall, elongated headlights, and a sculpted hood. The bumper is accented by a set of four square-shaped LED daytime running lights on each end, a styling cue that brings the Sportage in line with the Euro-market Cee’d but that is also reminiscent of recent additions to the Porsche lineup.

The overall silhouette doesn’t change significantly, though it looks a little sportier thanks to a roof-mounted spoiler. Out back, Kia’s next crossover benefits from sharp LED tail lamps connected by an elegant strip of chrome trim and a creased hatch.

Interior pictures aren’t available, so we’ll have to wait until the beginning of the Frankfurt show to see what the new cockpit looks like.

Similarly, Kia has opted not to publish technical information, but it’s safe to assume that European buyers will be asked to choose from a few gasoline- and diesel-burning four-cylinder engines borrowed from the company’s parts bin. The oil-burner won’t make its way across the pond, and neither will the Euro-spec model’s six-speed manual transmission.

It’s important to note the Sportage that will be displayed on the Kia stand in Frankfurt will be a Euro-spec model. Set to arrive in time for the 2017 model year, the U.S.-spec Sportage will most likely be unveiled in November at the Los Angeles Motor Show. The two models will look nearly identical, but the version we’ll get on our shores will boast a few market-specific components inside, outside, and under the hood.

Editors' Recommendations

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
The iconic Windows 10 Start Menu is finally getting a fresh new look
microsoft surface go pro book laptop deals amazon best buy pre memorial day sale 3

Microsoft is beta testing an improved Start Menu in Windows 10, which features a more streamlined design that better fits with the rest of the operating system.

Available in the latest beta release from the Windows Insider Dev channel, Microsoft is experimenting with changing the way that apps and Live Tiles look in the Start Menu. The company says the new Start Menu should "create a beautiful stage for your apps."

Read more
2020 Subaru Impreza gets new look and more tech without the inflated price tag
2020 subaru impreza announced with eyesight starlink new look bdrb 6067

Previous

Next

Read more
Does Twitter’s new design make you grumpy? Use this extension to turn back time
twitter desktop redesign mobile inspired light mode home 1500x1500 eng jv png img fullhd medium copy

Twitter for desktop now looks a bit more like the Twitter app -- but not everyone is in love with the new design. For the change-wary users already referring to Twitter’s “good old days,” there’s a new browser extension that will make Twitter.com look like, well, Twitter again.

The new Mozilla Firefox add-on GoodTwitter forces the web browser to return back to Twitter’s previous design. As an OpenSource extension, the free download adjusts browser requests so that, on Firefox, Twitter looks like the more familiar social network. 

Read more