Kia Sportage: from Mazda-based off-roader to Kia’s bestseller

The Kia Sportage is a compact SUV that Kia has built since 1993 in five generations. The first was a Mazda-based off-roader; the second, in 2004, moved to a car platform, and since 2016 the Sportage has been Kia’s best-selling model worldwide.

Kia Sportage at a glance

History of the Kia Sportage

The first Sportage was developed on a Mazda Bongo engineering base, sharing engines, early transmissions and differentials with Mazda models during the period when Kia worked with Ford and Mazda, with Ford and Mazda supplying technology and Kia providing inexpensive manufacturing. It was launched in Asia in July 1993, with European sales starting two years later, and from 1995 to 1998 the car was built for Europe by Karmann in Germany while the rest of the world received Korean-built cars.

First generation (1993–2002)

The range included a five-door SUV and a three-door soft-top convertible. Around 1996 Kia added an extended-length version, sold mainly in Asia as the Sportage Grand and also as the Grand Wagon: the body was 305 mm longer on the same wheelbase, luggage space rose from 1,570 to 2,220 litres and the spare wheel moved from the tailgate to under the floor. Three Mazda-sourced engines were offered: a 2.0-litre FE DOHC petrol with 128 hp, a 2.0-litre RF diesel with 82 hp, mostly for Europe, and from 2000 a single-cam 2.0 petrol of 117 hp; North American cars had 130 hp and optional four-wheel drive. The 1997 Sportage was the first production vehicle in the world with a knee airbag. Sales were low even in Korea, and cars built after Hyundai’s 1998 partial takeover were recalled twice because the rear wheels could come loose while driving. Production ended in Korea in 2002 and in North America after that model year, and the Sportage scored one star in Australian ANCAP crash tests.

Second generation (2004)

After a two-year gap the Sportage returned for the 2005 model year on a platform derived from the Hyundai Elantra and shared with the first Hyundai Tucson. A 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel was sold in Britain, and a 2.7-litre V6 of 173 PS with 241 Nm was available; fit and finish were noticeably better than before. Fans of the original complained that the new car was much larger and had lost its off-road ability. A facelift came in May 2008, production moved to Zilina in Slovakia from 2006, and a second British facelift followed in early 2009. The car was named among the most reliable vehicles in the 2009 Consumer Reports survey and ranked second in a list of the least expensive 2009 cars to insure. NHTSA gave it five stars, though the IIHS rated it only acceptable for front and side impact and poor for roof strength.

Third generation and after

The SL generation reached Asia and Europe in April 2010, the Americas in August and Australia in October for the 2011 model year, with a 2.0-litre Hyundai R diesel of 184 hp and a 2.0-litre Theta T-GDi petrol. In China it was built by Dongfeng Yueda Kia from October 2010 as the Sportage R, sold alongside the previous model. It won Car of the Year in Slovakia for 2011 and topped the 2012 J.D. Power survey, the only car to score five stars in every category. The Sportage overtook the Rio in 2016 to become Kia’s best-selling model worldwide, passed five million units in 2018, and by 2023 sat between the Seltos or Niro and the Sorento in Kia’s SUV range.

Design and features

• Mazda roots: the first Sportage used Mazda Bongo engineering.
• Two layouts: a truck frame until 2002, a car platform afterwards.
• Grand version: an extended first-generation body with 2,220 litres of luggage space.
• Global bestseller: Kia’s most popular model since 2016.

Kia Sportage versions

• Sportage NB (1993–2002): five-door and three-door soft-top, later the Grand.
• Sportage JE/KM (2004–2010): unibody, Elantra-based, with a 2.7 V6 option.
• Sportage SL (2010–): Tiger Nose era, 2.0 diesel and T-GDi petrol.
• Sportage R: the Chinese version built alongside the previous model.

The Sportage sits between the Rio-based models and the larger Sorento, and its early relative was the Retona mini SUV. More Kia models are in the Kia collection.

Sources

• Kia Sportage, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, production sites, awards, sales