The medium SUV segment, already our most competitive new vehicle segment, will heat up next week with the arrival of the fifth generation Kia Sportage.

Striking visually the new Sportage is expected to be a big step up in many areas sitting on new architecture with the Korean manufacturer claiming it combines a driver centric design with a state-of-the-art premium interior and the latest advancements in connectivity tech.

Sitting on the same platform as sister company Hyundai’s new Tucson, the latest Sportage will come in front and all-wheel-drive with a choice of 2.0-litre naturally aspirated and 1.6-litre turbo petrol engines, the latter linked to a new  7-speed dual clutch automatic, plus a new 2.0-litre turbo diesel driving through a re-engineered 8-speed automatic.

The new Kia Sportage gains an all-new Terrain mode that automatically adjusts to the drive dynamic for the road condition be it mud, sand or snow.

I’m David Berthon.

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