All-New KIA Sportage Launch @ MoCA Cafe

Fourth-Generation Sportage Compact SUV Boasts Sophisticated Design, Premium Smart Features and Significant Ride Quality

· New design and advanced technologies for fourth-generation compact SUV

· Modern layout and greater refinement for high quality new cabin

· Greater passenger comfort with more space and less noise

· The safest Sportage yet, with a stronger body and new active safety tech

· Smoother, more refined ride and greater handling agility

Singapore, 2 June 2016– Cycle & Carriage Kia, launches the fourth-generation Sportage that wraps stunning contemporary design around a structure that is both stiffer and more spacious than before. Advanced driver assistance technologies, significant suspension and steering improvements vastly improve the Sportage’s driving dynamics while premium materials and world-class craftsmanship create a class-up experience in an otherwise utilitarian segment.

Aggressive and inspiring design

The Sportage boasts an all-new interior, a key improvement over the third-generation car. The focus for the design team behind the new interior was to create a cabin that offered a wide, driver-oriented dashboard, with a simple, modern design. The interior blends metalwork with soft-touch materials and clearly defined horizontal lines, portraying a high level of attention to details and mechanical precision.

The all-new Sportage’s interior sports higher quality materials with greater use of soft-touch materials, leather and fine stitching to create a well-appointed cabin, surrounding all occupants in an ambience of unprecedented luxury. The result is an interior that majors on refinement and modern sophistication, with greater soundproofing measures adopted to reduce significantly the intrusion of exterior noise.

To further distinguish the all-new Sportage from the outgoing model, horizontal lines are used to emphasise interior width more effectively and deliver an impression of spaciousness and sportiness. The confident lateral design of the dashboard divides it into two clear zones – ‘display’ and ‘control’.

The ‘display’ zone is focused purely on delivering information to occupants in the clearest way possible via the driver’s instrument cluster. Separated by a bold line running the length of the dashboard is the ‘control’ zone, with the central console cascading downwards and tilted 10 degrees towards the driver. The new, uncluttered dashboard now comes standard with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity, and offers drivers a highly ergonomic layout that is easy to see and use, even on the move.

Greater space and improved passenger comfort

The fourth-generation model is set to be the most practical Sportage yet thanks to increased exterior and interior dimensions, with the vehicle’s development teams realising greater space and comfort for all passengers.

The most significant change to the Sportage’s dimensions is a 30 mm growth in its wheelbase, to 2,670 mm, translating to larger cabin space, notably in the rear passenger legroom. The whole vehicle is 40 mm longer, at 4,480 mm, with the front overhang expanding to 910 mm (+20 mm) and the rear overhang shrinking slightly to 900 mm (-10 mm). The latest model maintains the same height (1,635 mm) and width (1,855 mm) as the outgoing Sportage.

Passenger space is increased, with headroom rising to 997 mm (+5 mm) in front and 993 mm (+16 mm) in the rear, while maximum legroom has been expanded to 1,129 mm (+ 19 mm) and 970 mm (+7 mm) for front and rear passengers respectively.

With passengers able to enjoy extra space, development teams have delivered on the promise to improve comfort even more. In the front, drivers not only enjoy more legroom, but the seats have been redesigned. Stiffer seat frames, with greater use of high tensile steel, and redesigned springs and pads – in both front and rear – cut the level of vibration in the seats, while reducing seat weight by 2.5 kg, and improving durability.

At the rear, the cabin floor has been lowered by 40 mm while the bench hip point has been raised by 30 mm to create a natural and comfortable seating posture and improved under-thigh support for maximum comfort.

The Sportage’s reclining rear seats now offer 17 steps – from 23 to 37 degrees, with the reclining lever relocated from the upper seat-back to the lower side of the seat to make it easier for rear passengers to get truly comfortable.

For all models, visibility is improved out of the front and rear. Forward visibility is aided by a lowered A-pillar base, while the A-pillar itself has been made thinner. Side mirrors sit slightly lower on the door without impairing the driver’s rear view – this is further aided by the new thinner C-pillars (62 mm thinner compared to the third-generation Sportage) and taller rear glass (+30 mm). Not only do these changes help visibility, they add a greater feeling of air and space to the cabin.

The new body’s larger dimensions mean cargo space in the fourth-generation Sportage has expanded from 465 litres to 503 litres, made more practical by a dual-height luggage floor, allowing taller items to fit into the boot and still remain hidden by the tonneau cover. The Sportage also features a new under-floor tonneau cover storage area – unique in the class.

Although the all-new Sportage is as wide as the outgoing model, the luggage area has been widened by 35 mm, with a lowered load lip reducing the lift-over height by 47 mm to 732 mm, to ensure ease of loading heavy items into the car.

Further enhancing the practicality and driveability of the all-new Sportage is an increased fuel tank capacity from 58 litres to 62 litres. Along with overall improvements to efficiency and fuel economy, the Sportage sees an increased range over the outgoing car and reduces pump visits.

NVH: All-round improvements to refinement

Key to the comfort of occupants in the new Sportage are the efforts made by Kia engineers to cut noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Significant changes over the outgoing model position the Sportage one of the most refined cars in its class, with less cabin noise than many other rivals in the C-SUV segment.

At idle, the new Sportage records just 36 decibels when equipped with a gasoline engine (2 dB lower than the outgoing model). The improvements to engine NVH are a result of extensive extra dashboard insulation, as well as new acoustic shields fitted to engines to ensure greater suppression of NVH.

Road noise is further reduced – from 66 to 63 dB – with the adoption of new bushings in the rear suspension to isolate road noise at source, and more sound-absorbent materials throughout the Sportage’s wheel arches. Wind noise is also reduced as a result of thicker front side glass, a new dual lip seal for the panoramic sunroof and additional soundproofing in the doors.

A range of improvements cuts vibrations throughout the car, making the Sportage’s cabin one of the most refined and relaxing among rivals. This has been achieved with all-round improvements to body stiffness, particularly through the floor of the vehicle, as well as the introduction of larger, more absorbent mounts for the transmission, and improved seat design. Alloy wheels that are 49 per cent stiffer also reduce the level of vibration intruding on the interior.

The safest Sportage yet – stronger body and a wealth of active safety systems

Safety, as always, is a top priority for Kia, and the all-new Kia Sportage builds on the brand’s reputation for offering the highest standards in occupant and pedestrian crash safety. The fourth-generation of Kia’s best-seller has been engineered to meet the toughest and most demanding crash safety tests, thanks to an even stronger bodyshell, a wide array of passive safety equipment and the latest active safety and autonomous hazard avoidance technologies.

The structure of the new Sportage is significantly stronger, thanks in large part to the extensive use of Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) to improve joint stiffness and introduce more effective impact load paths throughout the body. By dramatically strengthening the core structure of the new Sportage, torsional rigidity has been improved by 39 per cent from one generation to the next.

The third-generation Sportage was made up of 18 per cent AHSS, compared to 51 per cent for the body of the new model. The increased use of advanced hot-stamped steel further improves the integrity of the body. The stronger steel has been used in particular to reinforce the A-, B- and C-pillars, side sills, roof structures and wheel arches

The Sportage is fitted as standard with a large number of airbags, further improving passive safety for occupants, with airbags for driver and front passenger, first row side airbags, and first and second row curtain airbags. ISOFIX child-seat tether and anchor points are fitted as standard to the second row of seats, to safely secure younger passengers.

Pedestrian safety is further improved with a lower leading edge on the bonnet and a larger impact absorption area, which has been revised with greater use of highly-absorbent safety foam and synthetic rubber, further helping to protect pedestrians in the event of a collision. The Sportage is also available with a range of active safety systems to mitigate the chances of a pedestrian collision.

The new Sportage performs strongly in the Euro NCAP’s important Safety Assist category, which analyses the latest driver assistance technologies and their effectiveness in avoiding accidents and mitigating injuries.

Kia’s Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system, fitted as standard to the fourth-generation car, helps ensure stability under braking and cornering through careful management of the vehicle’s Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and electric motor-driven power steering. Both systems come into play as soon as the Sportage’s sensors detect a loss of traction, helping the driver to remain safely in control of the vehicle.

The new Sportage is equipped with the most up-to-date active hazard-avoidance technologies to ensure occupants’ safety at all times, including Parking Assist System (PAS) – Ultrasonic sensors on the front and rear bumpers detects objects or pedestrians and let you know their distance from your vehicle.

Smoother, more refined ride and greater handling agility

Throughout the development programme for the all-new Sportage, engineers have aimed to build upon the ride comfort, stability and handling responses offered to drivers by the outgoing car. The new model achieves improvements in all of these areas, and is the best-handling Sportage yet.

The fully-independent front suspension carries over the format of the outgoing model, but features a range of modifications to make the best use of the new bodyshell. The new setup achieves a leap forward in ride quality, while also delivering sharper handling. Modifications include revised bushing mount positions for greater stability and more natural responses to changing road surfaces, as well as stiffer wheel bearings and bushings resulting in more direct handling and greater stability in all conditions. The steering gearbox is also mounted further forward on the axle for smoother steering inputs.

For the rear suspension – also fully-independent, including the adoption of dual lower-arm multi-link suspension for two-wheel drive models – the new Sportage receives a stiffer cross member to cut road noise and vibrations from intruding into the cabin. Specially-tuned dampers have a longer rebound stroke to eliminate smaller vibrations from poor road surfaces, while the rear subframe is now mounted on isolated bushings to further improve the NVH performance of the suspension. Finally, slight changes to the suspension geometry, as well as stiffer wheel bearings and lateral bushings, quell understeer and allow for more direct handling.

These suspension upgrades, combined with the 40 mm growth in the Sportage’s wheelbase over the outgoing model, provide the all-new model with far superior damping over poor road surfaces, while offering drivers more driving fun through improved handling responses and reduced understeer.

The all-new Sportage boasts greater braking performance compared to the third-generation model, with redesigned calipers and new brake pad return springs reducing braking drag. Combined with larger brake discs, the Sportage offers better stopping power than ever before.

As before, the Sportage continues to be offered with a choice of front- and all-wheel drive¹, with the revisions to suspension and steering, and the latest electronic driver aids, providing stable handling and high levels of grip in all conditions.

Refined and spirited performance

When developing the new Sportage, a major focus for engineers was realising efficiency and driving performance from the new vehicle’s various power units. Every engine in the range is compliant with the latest Euro 5 emission standard, resulting in cleaner exhaust emissions. This has been achieved, not only without compromising on-road performance, but enhancing it.

The fourth-generation model features the “Nu” 2.0L MPi engine with Dual Continuous Variable Valve Timing (DCVVT), delivering 155 PS and 192 Nm of torque. Power is sent to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Steering is another area of improvement, engineers mounted the steering box farther forward on the axle for better weight distribution. With 25 percent less friction than the previous unit, the all-new Sportage offers smoother and more precise steering inputs and better feel.

Comfort and convenience

The all-new Sportage debuts an advanced 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Sportage also features up to two USB charging points, one in the front and an optional one in the rear, to allow occupants to charge their mobile devices on the move.

Other new available features include a rear-view parking camera with dynamic parking lines and a Smart Welcome function, which turns on interior and door handle lamps and unfolds the door mirrors once the smart key fob is located within 1.3-1.7 metres of the door handle.

Second generation Kia X-Car

As part of the ongoing collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox and the X-Men movie franchise, Kia created a distinctive second generation X-Car ahead of the X-Men: Apocalypse’s global release. Inspired by the iconic character, Mystic, this exclusive variant of the Kia Sportage mimics the appearance and powers of the bold shape-shifter.

To find out more about the unique second generation Kia X-Car, visit www.allaboutsportage.com.

#allnewSportage

¹all-wheel drive system is available on indent basis only.

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At the Launch of the All-New KIA Sportage @ MoCA Cafe

Nice violinist and cellist played along as we entered the cafe..

Love how they hyped up the place with their music!

MoCA actually stands for Museum of Contemporary Arts and its located at Dempsey!

Very nice place to chill and relax, and to hold this exclusive event as well!

And we had our dinner at this glassy feel of the cafe!

Mr Eric Chan, Managing Director of Cycle & Carriage delivering his speech at the launch.. before they unveil the All-New KIA Sportages that would drive-in from both sides of the stage.