2011 Kia Sportage
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Cousin of the new Hyundai Tucson, it will use the same 2.4 Liter engine.
It seems much better looking, and original, than its larger brother, the new Sorento.
With the Tucson and Sportage, Hyundai/Kia seems to become really competitive in the compact SUV segment.
But it also seems they will be competing with each other.
I gotta say. Around Christmastime, Audi was making a big deal and advertising about their led lights in the headlight area. And then here's little ol' KIA putting led lights in their headlight areas. I don't know about anybody else but I think that's pretty funny.
Kia did a really good job on the styling. The one thing I would have changed is to have a third window on the side. It feels like a hatchback rather than a small SUV, and the visibility for changing lanes must be terrible.
REMOVE THESE PHOTOS AT ONCE
You done this before and have been given prior warnings insofar as violating copyright laws.
My attorney
Ben Vollopechillo will be contacting you.
Very clean design. But I still put it second to the ones from GMC & Mazda. And ahead of Chevy, Dodge, Jeep, Ford & Rave 4. Still in far off distant last place in this segment is the fugly CRV. I've said it before & I'll say it again; Honda, wake up! Hyndai is eating your lunch!!!!
looks better than the concept drawings, but check out that blind-spot in the back due to the big C-pillar.
Here is a smart company that decided to hire a designer from Audi. Is anyone wondering why KIA's new models look attractive?
Okay.
A Kia?
So, I don't use this kind of language in my everyday comings and goings, but…Damn, that bitch is fine!
i love this SUV!
once it comes out – im gonna buy it… i believe KIA is strong in market these days especially with their new cool designs coming up!! 🙂 go Kia go! 🙂
The rear looks identical to the Chevy Traverse…
I dig the substantial C-Pillar -looks solid. I drive a Tucson with a similar roofline and never notice the blind spot since I use my side mirrors set in the NTSHB recommended position.
the exterior is clean and beautiful…I will definitely have a look at this when I'm shopping for a new car next year. I hope some interior pictures are released soons
I agree with everyone else that this is a beautiful vehicle, but if I was spending my own money, which I am, I would still purchase a Honda CR-V. There is no dispute, the Kia is a MUCH better looking vehicle, but when people purchase vehicles, there are many other factors to take into consideration. One important factor? Resale value. This Kia, regardless of how good it looks or how reliable it might turn out to be, simply will not hold its value well over the long term. Kia is still a relatively unproven brand in North America. I applaud those that are willing to take the risk and potentially throw away thousands when it comes time to trade in, but financially speaking, it simply does not make sense to me.
The back looks like a VW.
I like it though, I'd take a Kia over Hyundai now.
The Forte, Sorento, and now Sportage all look better than the Elantra, Santa Fe, and Tuscon.
I love it, even though it suffers from C-Pillar Blind Spot Syndrome. I think this and the Tuscon look different enough (One is "elegant" one is "Sporty") to not compete too much with one another. Better than anything GM, Chrysler, or Ford has done (just take the Edge and MKX for example….they are identical from the side).
And:
"Karen Myers PR Division said…
REMOVE THESE PHOTOS AT ONCE
You done this before and have been given prior warnings insofar as violating copyright laws.
My attorney
Ben Vollopechillo will be contacting you."
Way to defend…. a Kia photo…or any car photo for that matter. It'snot like we didn't know what this looked like already and it's not like we were ever not going to know. I the only reason to be protective is because of designs that can be stolen from other companies (And as good as Hyundais and Kias look these days….really? Steal their designs?…they are ALMOST to the point of being original…ALMOST there!)
Nice design. Looks better than the everyday .05 of second seeing CRV and Rav-4.
Kia does have a bad resale value on most of their vehicles right now, but their newer products are more on par with the rest of the auto industry. Given the fact that many of the top automakers are slipping on quality, it wouldn't surprise me if Kia's reliability came close to that of its sister company Hyundai. I'm really curious to see how the interior turns out though…I haven't been blown away by any of their designs and materials lately
I think resale value is a non-issue if you think about it. As for Honda and Toyota, you pay more, you sell for more. Kia/Hyundai, you pay less new, sell for less used.
I believe Hyundai's resale value has been improving with their success and will continue to do so over the years. The japanese have gotten lazy with innovations and styling lately and the Koreans are cashing in on this.
Vice so what if they well compete with each other, the Equinox and it's clone from GMC is doing it too. You didn't say that? Like Buick and Caddilac.
junk is junk…it's a kia, I want a nissan
Looks like the larger Sorento, gives buyers an alternative to the Tucson. Both use the engine found in the outgoing 2010 Sonata, so Hyundai will get to utilize that tooling for years to come.
"I applaud those that are willing to take the risk and potentially throw away thousands when it comes time to trade in" – Anonymous
Who said everyone trades in a car? Most the people I know, including myself, hold on to cars as long as they can. If you keep a car for 5 years or more why would trade in value be an issue?
The idea of spending an extra $3000 or so now just to have a car be worth a certain amount later isn't nearly as cost effective as driving a car long after the payments are done. I don't see how people can waste thousands of dollars by trading in a fine running car.