Kia is reportedly all set to introduce the 5th generation Sportage into Pakistan. The 5th generation was introduced three years ago in the global market, and Pakistan is left behind with the 4th generation. Hopefully, by next year, Kia Lucky Motors will bring the CKD 5th generation to our local market.
Let’s take a look at the international variant of the upcoming Kia Sportage 5th generation. Note that Lucky Motors might change some specs and features in the final variant.
Kia Sportage 5th Generation Overview
The 5th generation Kia Sportage is a well-equipped car ideal for everyday family use. It has all the high-tech, modern, enticing options that you expect from a 21st-century car. Like its brother Tucson, this new Sportage gets the same curvy designs, but they’re more polished. It also has X-shaped headlight stylings, which seem like they came from the future. Surely, it’ll be a head-turner on Pakistani roads.
Sit inside, and you’ll be confused if you’re sitting in a modern EV. Because it’s 4K IPS, you get a nice twin-screen setup, one for an instrumental cluster and the other for watching Netflix.
Although worldwide, it’s an upper-middle-class family car for mid-size families. However, due to inflation and low buying power, even the current Sportage is considered an elite-class car, and the new Sportage, which is already rumored to be Rs. 90 lacs, will be regarded as an upper-elite segment luxury car.
However, considering our Pakistani market’s new options, at Rs. 90 lacs, this C-segment Kia crossover still makes sense for those on a budget. Below are the detailed specs and features of this car so that you can decide for yourself if the new generation is worth it.
Note: All the features mentioned are for the international variant, which costs approximately 9.6 million PKR for the base variant. The Pakistani variant may undergo some cost-cutting measures to reduce the overall price.
Performance and Power
Here’s the performance and power of all two variants that might come to Pakistan:
| Performance & Power | 2.0L Petrol | 1.6L Hybrid Turbo Petrol |
| Power type | NA | Hybrid + Turbo |
| Engine Type | In-Line 4 cylinder | In-Line 4 cylinder |
| Max Power (kW @ RPM) | 154 HP | 227 HP |
| Max Torque (Nm @ RPM) | 192 Nm | 305 Nm |
| Transmission | 6-Speed Automatic (FWD) | 6-Speed Automatic (FWD) |
| Fuel Consumption (Combined) | 13 Kmpl | NA, 18 Kmpl maybe |
Interior and Exterior Features
Here are 1-1 details for the interior and exterior:
| Interior Features | 2.0L Petrol | 1.6L Hybrid Turbo Petrol |
| Seat Trim | Fabric | Artificial Leather (Quilted) |
| Seat Capacity | 5 Seats | 5 Seats |
| Front Seats | 6-Way Manual Adjustment, with Lumbar Support | 8-Way Power Driver’s Seat with 2-Way Lumbar Support |
| Rear Seats | 60:40 Split-Fold | 60:40 Split-Fold |
| Climate Control | Single Zone Air-Conditioning | Dual-Zone Climate Control with Auto Defog |
| Sunroof | NA | Panoramic Sunroof |
| Steering Wheel | Leather | Leather-Appointed + Paddle Shifters |
| Dashboard | Soft-Touch Dashboard | Soft-Touch Dashboard + Premium Weave Pattern |
| Infotainment | 8″ Touchscreen, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay (Wired) | 12.3″ LCD Touchscreen, Satellite Navigation |
| Sound System | 6-Speaker System | 8-Speaker Harman Kardon® Premium Sound System |
Exterior Features
Here are all the safety features of the Sportage:
| Exterior Features | 2.0L Petrol | 1.6L Hybrid Turbo Petrol |
| Wheel Size | 17″ Machined Alloy | 19″ Machined Alloy |
| Headlights | LED (MFR Type) | LED (Projector Type) |
| Tail Lights | LED Tail Lights (Bulb Indicators) | Full LED Tail Lights |
| Roof Rails | Silver (Slim Type) | Gloss Black (Bridge Type) |
| Rear Spoiler | Integrated Rear Spoiler with LED High-Mounted Stop Lamp | Same |
Safety Features
| Safety Features | 2.0L Petrol | 1.6L Hybrid Turbo Petrol |
| Parking Sensors | Rear Only | Front & Rear |
| Autonomous Emergency Braking | Car, Pedestrian, Cyclist, Junction Assist | Same |
| Blind Spot Collision Warning | Yes | Yes, with Rear Cross Traffic Collision Assist |
| Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) | Line & Road Edge Detection | Same |
| Lane Following Assist (LFA) | Yes | Same |
| Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) | Basic Type | Same |
| Surround View Monitor (SVM) | Not available | 3D Mode with Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist |
| Driver Attention Alert (DAA+) | Yes, with Lead Vehicle Departure Alert | Same |
| Rear View Camera | Dynamic Parking Guidelines | Same |
| High Beam Assist (HBA) | Automatic | Automatic |
Conclusion
Considering the Pakistani market, Sportage can be a success, and it may give tough competition to Haval Jolion and Haval H6 non-hybrid variants. The Sportage has two distinct advantages: firstly, its reputation as a reliable Korean manufacturer, and secondly, the strong resale value of the current 4th generation Sportage, which is already good in the market.
While the base variant of the new Sportage is priced at approximately 9.6 million PKR in the USA, given Pakistan’s market dynamics and inflationary pressures, Kia is likely to take heavy cost-cutting measures to keep the vehicle within a competitive price range, potentially around Rs. 9 million.
Despite possible feature reductions compared to the Jolion and H6, the Sportage remains an attractive option as a brand-new C-segment crossover from a Korean automaker.
