OREANDA-NEWS. Russian dealers of KIA from April 1st, 2016 will start sales of a new generation of crossover KIA Sportage. The most popular model in the SUV-line of KIA has received a completely new exterior and interior design, as well as a number of innovative security and comfort.

As the press-service of KIA Motors Rus informed, a new generation of KIA Sportage will be offered in Russia with a petrol engine with fuel injection 2.0 MPI with a capacity of 150 hp combined with 6MT or 6AT, the new turbocharged petrol engine with direct fuel injection 1.6 T-GDI with a capacity of 177 hp in combination with a completely new 7-speed robotized transmission with two clutches 7DCT and diesel turbocharged engine with a capacity of 2.0 liter, 185 hp in combination with a 6-step "automatic" transmission.

For the first time in the history of the model it was appeared sports version Sportage GT-Line. The new engine 1.6 T-GDI, aggregated with transmission 7DCT, will be presented only on vehicles of this modification. In addition, the modification of the sports GT-Line Sportage will be available to Russian buyers with a diesel engine.

The car received new optics, changed design of the radiator closure, a new spoiler and the different from the third-generation model decision of the front and rear of the vehicle. The overall width of the crossover, as before, is 1855 mm. Recognizable patterns characteristic of model is preserved, but the length is increased by 40 mm (to 4,480 mm) and wheelbase - by 30 mm (to 2670 mm). The new design provided KIA Sportage with the best aerodynamic performance in the history of the model - the drag coefficient Cx is now 0.33.

New KIA Sportage – is the safest car in the history of the model. The rigidity of the body has increased by 39% against the background of third-generation model; the share of the use of ultra-high steel in the body structure was almost tripled up to 51%.

In January of 2016 KIA Sportage occupied the second place by popularity among all models of KIA in Russia, by demonstrating the record growth by sales at the level of 55.6% compared with January of the last year. During the 2015 in Russia it was sold 20751 crossovers Sportage, by occupying 12% of C-SUV segment and it became the second in terms of sales model in this segment.