Styling & Design

Introducing a new kind of dynamic aesthetics

The new Sportage marks a dramatic shift in design direction for Kia’s compact SUV.  Longer, lower and wider than the previous generation model (by 90 mm, 15 mm and 60 mm, respectively), the new Sportage is immediately identifiable by Peter Schreyer’s striking signature grille design that links all new Kia models.

“The new Sportage is fresh and bold and could not be mistaken for anything other than a Kia,” says Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer.  “It embodies Kia’s new-found visual dynamic stance by successfully taking the key features of an off-road vehicle – the raised ground clearance, the commanding driving position and heightened sense of security – and enveloping them in a sleek and urban-friendly design with global appeal.  With its athletic and muscular design the Sportage fits its name perfectly.”

“The clamshell bonnet gives a sense of strength and solidity to the front end,” says Schreyer.  “Together with the grille, these shoulders create a strong three-dimensional feel to the face of the new Sportage, and they also help the driver accurately place the car on the road.”

The new Sportage’s athleticism is reinforced by its rakish windscreen angle, which sweeps seamlessly into the low roofline.  And the top of the windscreen itself reflects the grille profile.  “The profile line of the top of the windscreen mirrors that of the grille,” explains Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer, Kia Europe.

“We first featured this element on the Kee concept car, at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show.  This is followed through to the rear, which has the same distinctive outline at the base of the rear windscreen.  These two features instantly heighten the Sportage’s on-the-road visibility – as do its sculpted flanks, which, flanked by boldly flared wheelarches, feature a striking concave motif in the door panels.”

The key design element of new Sportage’s purposeful stance is the relationship between its high shoulders and narrow glasshouse, explains Schreyer.  “We’ve created a car with a sportscar-like ratio between sheet metal and glass.  The side-windows are very narrow which gives you an almost rally-car feeling.”  Follow the shoulder and roof lines and they meet at the striking reverse-angled C-pillar.  “The size, the shape and the proportion of the C-pillar on any car is absolutely crucial to its appearance,” says Schreyer.  “And as you can see on our new Sportage, it determines the entire look and feel of the car.”

Using a tape-measure against the new Sportage confirms it is slightly lower than the previous generation, but the design of the new Sportage makes it look significantly lower, and both sleeker and more assertive.

Mirroring the large headlamps up front, the rear of the new Sportage features prominent taillights that flow across the tailgate and into the car’s broad rear shoulders.  Raising the rear spoiler-topped hatch reveals a large, deep and regular-shaped cargo bay.

A raft of details – the ribbed roof, the chunky door handles, the roof-rails, the raised ride height and the large wing mirrors – serve to further reinforce the Kia’s go-anywhere credentials.

The new Sportage’s spacious cabin looks as dynamic and sporting as its exterior.  It’s dominated by the sweeping dashboard, which broadens from the edges and then narrows dramatically in the middle to create an eye-catching centre console.  This emphasises the width of the car, making those on board feel protected, safe and secure.

“The horizontal layers break up the dashboard,” explains Guillaume, “so you are not facing a vast cliff of plastic, while the high centre tunnel bisects the front cabin.  It’s anything but the typical T-shaped dashboard/console layout you will find in most vehicles.

 “The exterior design is very sporty for a car of this type, and although you sit high in the cabin there’s still something very sporting about it because the windscreen has a very fast angle and the shoulder line is very high,” says Guillaume.  “This gives you a sort of cocooned and safe feeling, and yet from a practical point of view there is still plenty of rear headroom.”


Exterior Dimensions Comparison (mm)