It must be the start of auto show season, as manufacturers begin releasing teaser images of new products to come. That includes Kia, which has offered up some renderings of the fourth-generation Sportage SUV it plans to introduce at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.
The new Kia Sportage design includes an interior that the maker has dubbed its “most refined high-quality cabin yet.”
Overall, the new Sportage appears to adopt a more refined and sophisticated take on the “tiger nose” styling theme first penned by Peter Schreyer, now head of design for both Kia and its sibling Korean carmaker Hyundai.
“Entering its fourth-generation, the all-new Sportage features a bold, progressive design, which exudes power and agility from every angle,” declared a Kia statement accompanying the teaser image. “The dynamic compact SUV styling creates visual harmony out of the tension between bold, precise feature lines and dramatically-sculptured bodywork.”
(Kia, Hyundai enhance their APEAL, finds new JD Power study. Click Here for more.)
The new, low-slung grille is a bit more complex than with the current Kia Sportage, and there are new, swept-back LED headlamps. The overall shape is a bit more coupe-like with the B-pillars partially hidden. The new Sportage also boasts new wrap-around LED taillamps.
Inside, the crossover-utility vehicle has an uncluttered but sophisticated appearance, with new vents and what appears to be a large touchscreen display anchoring the center stack. That said, there are two large knobs, likely for volume and tuning. Some automakers have been backing away from the trend to put radio controls onscreen, recognizing that move has frustrated many buyers.
The renderings show that under the guidance of Schreyer Kia is pushing for more visual separation from its partner Hyundai brand. In recent years, it’s often been difficult to tell the two apart with some shared models. But Schreyer says one of his top priorities is to fully abandon badge engineering.
“The all-new Sportage represents the future face of Kia,” suggests the maker’s press release.
How close the renderings are to the final production version we’ll discover in Frankfurt on September 14th. But the three pics indicate Kia is clearly trying to position the gen-four Sportage as a more sophisticated and desirable vehicle than the basic ute of generations past.
(Hyundai Vision-G Concept hints of radical changes to come with next Equus luxury sedan. Click Herefor more.)
That’s in keeping with the overall direction the Korean company has been taking. And it’s proved quite effective, Kia now one of the fastest-growing brands in the U.S. automotive market. That said, company officials also note that the brand still has challenges ahead if it hopes to get on the shopping lists of many loyal Japanese vehicle buyers.
Kia, like Hyundai, is putting an emphasis on “value.” It doesn’t want to be seen as the bargain-price brand anymore. Instead, it is trying to use styling as a key differentiator.
(Click Here for a review of the new Hyundai Tucson crossover.)
My point, exactly. And does anyone think U.S. consumers will be looking for the union or GM labels if this one comes to market…and if GM has nothing to offer in response? Get real, people.