Kia Motors launched five versions of the all-new Kia Sportage, with four engine sizes and five trim lines – the Kia Sportage 1, 2, 3, 4 and GT – in the local market.
The Sportage boasts an engine with 1600 hp while the GT model has a turbocharger and all-wheel-drive.
The first category of the new Sportage was fitted with a driver airbag in the steering wheel, a front passenger airbag in the dashboard, anti-lock brakes, 16-inch wheel frames, a CD player with USB and AUX ports, in addition to control buttons for the entertainment system on the steering wheel.
The second category was fitted with HID headlights, LED fog lamps, and a rear-view mirror. The third category is equipped with an engine start/stop button, and a five-inch touch screen display with a rear camera. It also has JBL Bluetooth headphones entertainment system, 17-inch wheel frame, automatic air conditioning and a USB outlet in the rear cabin.
The fourth category comes with electrically-controlled leather seats, vehicle stability management (VSM) and a panorama sunroof.
Kia now offers the Sportage with a sporty GT-line trim level. The model has a high-gloss black ‘blade mesh’ radiator grille, satin chrome belt-line mouldings and tailgate insert, unique 19-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured exterior door handles with satin chrome inserts, black side sill and wheel-arch body mouldings with satin chrome inserts, ice cube-style LED front fog lights, dual exhaust tailpipes and silver-painted front and rear skid plates.
This sporty theme is maintained inside the cabin with black leather upholstery with grey leather inserts, silver stitching on the steering wheel, a front centre armrest and centre dashboard, black headlining, stainless steel pedals, a chrome boot sill guard, and a D-shaped sports leather steering wheel.
The Sportage is available at a price ranging between EGP 245,000 and 350,000. The Kia Sportage 1 is sold for EGP 245,000, while the Sportage 2 is sold for EGP 255,000, the Sportage 3 for EGP 280,000, the Sportage 4 for EGP 305,000, and the Sportage GT for EGP 350,000.
Ahmed El Khadem, the chairman of the Kia department at Egyptian International Motors (EIM), the sole distributor of KIA Motors in Egypt, said that the Sportage was not the most successful Kia model in Egypt during the past years. However, the company’s launch of a new generation has attracted customers and vaulted it among the best-selling Korean SUV cars in Egypt.
The first generation Kia Sportage sold more than 500,000 cars in Egypt when it was launched in1993.
The second-generation, launched in 2004, registered a growth in sales of more than 30% with 842,000 vehicles sold. The third-generation, launched in 2010, recorded sales of 1.66m vehicles.
The fourth-generation, which was presented for the first time at the 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show, confirmed the maturity of the car, which offers new specifications for the first time in Egypt.
