Kia Motors launches serial production of the all-new 2011 Sportage SUV in Europe…
Kia Motors Slovakia today launched serial large volume production of its brand-new Sportage crossover. The vehicle, which made its official worldwide premiere at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, will be built in Slovakia (Europe) alongside completely redesigned Hyundai ix35 (known also as Hyundai Tucson in some markets) and cee’d hatchback.
According to Kia, the launch of a new model is expected to boost production of Kia cars in Europe back to pre-crisis levels. “We plan to produce more than 35.000 units of new Sportage SUV until the end of this year, while the overall production is expected to soar from 150.020 units produced in 2009, to around 200.000 units by the end of 2010.
“Spacious and practical Kia Sportage is our next step forward. The adjustment of production lines and installation of technologies for its production was realized from the beginning of the year and the trial production went smoothly. On July 28th, we are launching the volume production in which we focus on quality, productivity and efficiency. We believe to fulfill our production plan and new Kia Sportage will become our key product on the European market,” said In-Kyu Bae, President and CEO of Kia Motors Slovakia.
The all-new Kia Sportage is currently available in Europe with a 2.0L R-diesel engine that can develop 136 or 183 horsepower and 2.0L four-cylinder gasoline engine that generates 163 horsepower. The engine line-up will be expanded later in the year, when the automaker plans to introduce an all-new 1.7L diesel and 1.6 gasoline units.
The 2011 Sportage SUV is fitted with a fuel-saving ISG (Idle, Stop & Go) system that helps reducing fuel consumption while the engine is idling. The vehicle also features several body elements that reduce air resistance and ensures that the fuel consumption decreases at higher speeds.
Kia offers its new Sportage SUV with a choice of 10 exterior colors. As we have seen on teaser images earlier this year, there’s also a new attention-drawing exterior paint in the Sportage color pallete. Kia calls it Techno Orange.
For the first time, Kia Sportage will also be equipped with an automatic parking system, which will help the driver to park the vehicle. Kia says the driver only needs to find the suitable parking place and switch the button. The vehicle will then move automatically to a desired parking place. The only thing that driver needs to do is to control the speed of the vehicle. Nice feature, isn’t it!? Hopefully, it will soon appear in other Kia vehicles!
June 29th, 2010 at 2:48 am
If you can’t parallel park a car, you should not be driving..
June 29th, 2010 at 5:28 am
Very true. The parallel parking thing is more of a status symbol than anything else. That’s why Lexus has it.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:08 am
Top Gear have a Cee’d as their reasonably priced car!!!
June 30th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
After all, Lexus is the dream car everyone wants and desires, right? Right. I’d choose Kia and Mitsubishi any and every day a the week o’er a Lexus-sa-schmexx-us. Lexus=Mr.Yukko.
June 30th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
Agree bryan why on earth would I want a Lexus ES that is seen every .5 of a second on the road? And if I wanted a lexus it sure wouldn’t be the same color as everyone elses (black and silver). But we do need people to be apart of the crowd so that cars like my Kia Forte will remain rare on the roads. That’s why I sort of laugh everytime I see a Camry with a 30 day tag on it. Just one less person that is less likly to get the rare and groundbreakiing 2011 Kia Optima. I love Kia’s rareness and at the same time sales are still up. Rare cars age slower.
July 1st, 2010 at 12:04 am
Right on, jtz. That’s what’s cool about either a Kia Forte sedan or a Mitsubishi Lancer GTS or lesser Lancer sedan. Not everyone has one. With Hon-Duh Civic’s or a Thai-o-ta Caa-rolll-aaaahhhh’s, it’s another story. They’re bought because they’re SAFE purchases. Great RESALE VALUES. Right. Hee-hee. What blunder cars they are. So boring they’re popular with Americans. Oh well. My wife and I have picked yet another smaller American city to reside in in which 3 out of every 4 vehicles is an American made pick-em-up truck, though, so why sweat it, huh? =:)
July 1st, 2010 at 7:51 pm
any idea when this will be available in the us?
July 1st, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Bill, as far as I know, the all-new 2011 Kia Sportage will go on sale in the US i nthe middle of July or early August. This is only a rumor, so I might be wrong.
July 1st, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Guess what guess what guess what? Hyundai’s Sonata outsold the Nissan Altima in june!!!! Yes sir Hyundai sold 6,851 more Sonatas than Altimas. You know what that means? it means really really soon, Hyundai will overtake Nissan. Yes sir. Nissan is apart of the big three but how long can it last outselling Hyundai in the USA? I wonder if Nissan is worried about the Altima not outselling the Sonata in the US? Also Toyota had another recall on some Lexes Hybrid. Something about a fuel leak. Isn’t that funny? Toyota is still Toyota!!!
July 2nd, 2010 at 2:29 am
Also jtz, as a group, H-K outsold Nissan NA for the first time in the US. Can’t wait to see Canada’s numbers. And it was a fuel leak in a crash test; today they said they’d probably have to recall a lot of 4.6L V8 and 3.5L V6 cars for faulty valve springs that could cause stalling. Will be only Lexus models in US, but also Toyota Crown in JDM.
July 2nd, 2010 at 3:34 am
got word from Kia Buzz that the Rondo will be discontinued in the US but not in Canada. The 2011 Carens has just been introduced in Korea.
July 2nd, 2010 at 4:56 am
Yeah, I haven’t seen the 2011 Rondo yet, but I hear they gave it a tiger nose and are going to sell it in Korea, Canada, and Europe – not the United States.
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Right Derrick G and Kia’s Sorento outsold Infinti’s entire line up. Only around eight thousand infinti’s? So it appears, Hyundai/Kia is over taking 1 of 3 main japense manufacters… Nissan. A fuel leak in a Lexus and engine problems? No way I thought Toyota was still Toyota? Lol.
July 3rd, 2010 at 12:23 am
Ya know, I like the Kia Rondo. I can totally understand it if Rondo supporters that own them now are irritated at this decision by Kia. The people that like Rondo’s are pretty enthusiastic about them, I’ve noticed. So it’s not a knock on Kia, especially when you can choose a hot new Sorento or ‘11 Sportage, eh?
July 15th, 2010 at 2:46 am
The “Techno Orange” is very hot!
July 19th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Does anyone know if the Kia K7 is going to get that new Dynamax 4WD that is being introduced to the Sportage? That would be slick if it did. The K7 needs it since its little bro the K5 is less modern yet more stylish than it is. Besides, the K5 is almost as souped up as the K7. Why is it that Hyundai is more luxurious brand but Kia’s K7 and K5 have Kia logos on the hood? The Sonata doesn’t? What is the real differance between the two now?
July 19th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Guess what? I just saw the Sportage with the Dynamax AWD and it was being tested off road. It looks cool the little animations and stuff. If that Dynamax comes to the states, which do you guys think will be the best selling Kia the Sportage or the Optima? I know that some Kia is going to break the 10,000 unit mark in sales this year I just know it. It would really help the K7 sales in the US with that Dynamax AWD too. Or is that Dynamax only for CUVs? Do you guys think it is only for Kia or will Hyundai get this? I wonder if this is going to make the Sporgae very close to $30,000? The Sportage will once again be top ten best selling Kias globally.
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:21 am
I don’t know, jtz, the midsize range is so very competitive. I think the ‘11 Kia Sportage will outsell the Optima because it’s such a groundbreaking new look. It easily looks more advanced in bodystyle than the 2005-2006 new Sportage style. Plus, the new Sportage offers bluetooth and USB hookup and all kinds of up to date options. Of course the K5 does, too, I just think that even the ‘11 Hyundai Sonata will outsell it. And the ‘11 Sportage. The new Optima is very nice and for me I would take a long look at the ‘11 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS and the ‘11 Kia Optima and test drive and study them intently and then pick between those two. There’s something weird about the ‘11 Hyundai Sonata design that I don’t really like and it doesn’t even remotely appeal to me.
July 22nd, 2010 at 6:27 am
Believe it or not, I get that feeling about the Kizashi. I’m not sure what it is. The features list is good, the powertrain seems solid, and the price is good. Maybe It’s the front end? Just not sure. I personally think the Optima will sell better.
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:24 pm
I have not seen any Kizashis on the road. I have not seen it advertised neither if I were Suzuki, I would sell that before K5 sales in the states. Suzuki needs all the help they can get. They better sell the Swift ASAP before the Veloster and the three door Rio arrives for 2012. What are they waiting for? As for the Sportage sales, I think it will be the top seller in the U.S. for two reasons: The sportage has the longest nameplate and everyone knows the Sportage, and two, Sportage always outsold the Optima. On YouTube I saw the K5 2.4l vs. the Camry. On the commets some thought it was unfair because the Optima was new. However when the new Ford Taurus was racing a V8 Audi and versing the Lexus ES no one made a commet thinking that was unfair since the Ford was all new. But hey if people still want a car you see every .5 of a second on the road and isn’t the best car that’s their problem. Camrys, Accords, Corollas and Civics on my. Speaking of Civic, no Huh-da fan is going to say this but I rented a civic and let me tell you that driver seat is so uncomfortable and it had no center arm rest. It was a base civic and I guess that arm rest does not come standard. Honda fans must have lied on their surveys because I cannot see this being one of the best cars in the segment.
August 1st, 2010 at 1:24 am
Sportage is now onsale in USA. Very fresh looking and eye catching.