Push to raise awareness of new model puts entry edition well under Hyundai equivalent.

AGGRESSIVE intent to embed the new Kia Sportage into the consumer mindset ahead of its public availability has rolled out today, with the brand announcing a special offer on an entry model that appears to place it $15,000 below the Hyundai equivalent.

In rekindling a special price strategy that it has previously for new models, Kia New Zealand says the opportunity to buy into the Sportage LX, a 2.0-litre petrol front-drive model, for $34,990 in six-speed auto format is an introductory offer that will run until December 31.  

It is a pre-order process as the new line’s public launch is planned for January. The make has also not indicated what RRP will attach to the LX subsequently. 

The Sportage is Kia’s version of the Tucson, from parent brand Hyundai, and this edition’s closest equivalent in the Tucson range already on sale here would seem to be the Active, which retails for $49,990.

The Tucson Active has the same drivetrain and 115kW/192Nm tune and is likely to be equally trimmed.

The cars are not complete twins, however.

In announcing the strategy, Kia NZ has also given enough detail about the new model to confirm it is taking it in a 160mm longer body style than comes with the Tucson.

That suggests the Sportage will be the ‘international’ car sourced out of South Korea. Tucson arrives from the Czech Republic, because the NZ distributor prefers the Europe spec as it accesses additional engine options with the slightly truncated body form. Both have a 2670mm wheelbase. 

The car measures 4660mm long, 1865mm wide and 1660mm high, so is also 175mm longer overall, 10mm wider, 15mm taller and 85mm longer in wheelbase than the outgoing generation. As point of reference, also, the previous LX here was $5000 cheaper than the new one.

However, as well as upsizing, the incoming car has a stronger specification. 

The trim specific to LX includes 17-inch alloy wheels, rearview monitor with dynamic guidelines, Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop and Go, LED Headlamps, eight inch Touchscreen Infotainment and 4.2-inch TFT LCD cluster, Front Parking Sensors plus heated-and-folding side mirrors.

Standard active safety technology for the entire range is as per Tucson, including autonomous emergency braking with junction support, lane-follow assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert – with automatic models adding adaptive cruise control, an electric parking brake, and the ability for the blind-spot and rear cross-traffic systems to brake for obstacles. 

Also standard is a centre airbag, designed to prevent passengers' heads clashing in a side-impact collision – a step towards a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Kia NZ has yet to announce what other versions of Sportage will arrive, and for what price, though it says it will have four trim levels. That alone suggests the line-up that has recently gone on sale in Australia could provide a good heads-up.

It said today that interest in the model is already keen, with 300 orders already placed, and that it will soon have demonstration units here.

“Sportage has evolved and is an entirely new and sophisticated proposition.It is the dawning of a new age for Kia and our iconic SUV,” says managing director Todd