Structure, Refinement & Recycling

Four structural rings for maximum strength

Although it is all-new, the Kia Sportage shares a floorpan and several chassis components developed for the Kia Cerato and derived from the Hyundai Elantra. Beneath the skin, the five-door hatchback SUV utilizes the latest computer aided design technology to help Kia engineers create a bodyshell that is optimised for maximum stiffness (for European-style ride and handling) and maximum strength (for durability and excellent occupant protection).

A front subframe, fabricated in high-tensile steel, forms a bridge between the left and right forward chassis pressings, and ties them together to form part of the frontal impact structure. This subframe also provides the lower supports for the suspension, the transversely mounted engine and transmission, and the steering rack, while helping to isolate the passenger cabin from mechanical vibrations and road surface noise and harshness.

A major transverse bulkhead at the front of the passenger cabin gives the structure much of its strength. This dashboard bulkhead is shaped to resist side-impacts and supports the A-Pillar which is the first of four structural rings - at the A, B, C and D pillars - designed to protect the occupant safety zone. Each door is fitted with a high-strength crash bar to further protect against side impacts. Kia anticipates that the Sportage will achieve a 4-Star rating in the Euro NCAP crash safety tests.

Building-in greater refinement, cutting NVH

As customers´ expectations for ever-more refined vehicles increases, Kia´s efforts to decrease levels of NVH have been taken to new extremes. In the new Sportage a number of structural and design elements reduce NVH significantly so that in terms of engine, suspension, road and wind noise, it is quieter than rival vehicles from Honda and Toyota.

The Sportage´s aerodynamic design and rounded exterior offers lower air resistance and reduces wind noise at high speeds, while unique curved shapes pressed into the steel floorpan reduce vibrations and noise from that source.

The five-door steel bodyshell was strengthened at key points at the base of the A-Pillars, B-Pillars, top of the C-Pillars, the floorpan joints to rear wheel arches and the rear apron attachments to the D-Pillar base. As well as making the bodyshell stronger and stiffer to generate less noise and resonant sound, noise pathways have been blocked by specially developed insulation pads.

While every effort was made to reduce NHV at its sources, a variety of measures are applied to the Sportage to ensure that Kia customers travel in quiet comfort.

To block wind noise, the window frames in all four doors are strengthened and a new type of triple-layer sealing strip is fitted above the belt line around each door. To prevent engine noise entering the interior, the dashboard bulkhead has both vertical and horizontal reinforcements and is over-laid with a six-layer noise blocker, moulded to the bulkhead contours. A new, larger radiator cooling fan is common to all Sportage models, regardless of engine. As well as boosting cooling performance, the large fan blades operate with less noise.

Road noise is muted by the application of thick sandwich panels to the inside of the wheelarches and by the use of subframes to mount both the front and rear suspensions, isolating occupants from most road surface induced vibrations.

Kia is confident that the measures taken on the Sportage to reduce NVH have been remarkably successful and that its latest SUV will set new standards for the class.

Environmentally Sound

The Sportage is the latest model in a long line of Kia vehicles that demonstrate the corporation´s commitment to making cars that are as appealing to customers as they are easy on the environment. Wherever possible, recycled and recyclable materials are used in manufacturing the new SUV. All major plastic parts have been selected for ease of disassembly and stamped with material composition code to promote recycling.

The electrically controlled common-rail diesel engine is a particularly clean-running powerplant that produces significantly lower emissions without skimping on performance. A catalytic converter is fitted as standard to ensure that the Sportage´s emissions meet Euro 4 standards in almost all EU countries. The refrigerant gas used in the air conditioning system is the non-CFC R134a, which poses no threat to the Earth´s ozone layer.

In order to raise the recyclable content of its cars still further, Kia continues to research and test new materials and composites, leading the drive at home and abroad to build greener cars for a greener tomorrow.