2018 Kia Sportage GT Line S – Sharper, more Athletic Handling and Comfort. 2018 Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi 48V GT-Line S – Drive, Interior and Exterior. Subscribe.
The line-up of petrol engines remains the same in the upgraded Sportage, though with minor modifications to emissions, with buyers able to choose between two powerplants. Both petrol engines are direct-injection (GDi) 1.6-litre units from Kia’s Gamma family are now fitted with new particulate filters to further reduce harmful emissions, ensuring full compliance with the Euro 6d TEMP emissions standard. The naturally-aspirated 130bhp 1.6-litre GDi engine offers a torque output of 161Nm, and CO2 emissions from 162g/km.
In the Sportage, the T-GDi (Turbocharged Gasoline Direct injection) engine develops 174bhp at 5,500rpm, while maximum torque is 265Nm from 1,500rpm to 4,500rpm. The result is instantaneous response to throttle inputs and rapid acceleration without interruption. It was developed entirely in-house by Kia engineers at the Namyang research and development centre in Korea, with input from Kia’s European technical centre in Frankfurt. It accelerates the Sportage from 0-60mph in 8.9 seconds (2WD manual) or an even faster 8.8 seconds with the AWD 7DCT. For the 1.6 T-GDi engine, CO2 emissions are as low as 173g/km, with fuel economy up to 39.2mpg (combined). Sportage models equipped with the T-GDi engine are available with either front- or all-wheel drive, and a seven-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) on all-wheel drive models.
The Kia Sportage rides on fully independent front and rear suspension, carried over unchanged for the updated model. Delivering a comfortable ride and superior damping over poor road surfaces, the chassis is nevertheless tuned to offer intuitive and engaging handling. ‘GT-Line’ models feature their own specially-tuned suspension characteristics, endowing the Sportage with sharper, more athletic handling and a slightly firmer ride – crucially, without compromising the SUV’s fundamental comfort and stability. The suspension characteristics for the Sportage ‘GT-Line’ were tested and fine-tuned on a variety of European roads, with European drivers in mind.
The fourth-generation Sportage is available as standard with Kia’s ‘R-MDPS’ rack-mounted electric motor-driven power steering. The R-MDPS system delivers quick responses and enhanced steering feel, placing the Sportage among the most agile models in the compact SUV class. The Sportage is fitted as standard with a column-mounted power steering system, which delivers linear responses to driver inputs and maximum stability and confidence at the wheel.
The Sportage is equipped with 305 mm ventilated disc brakes at the front and 302 mm solid disc brakes at the rear.
In keeping with every Kia, the Sportage comes with a unique-in-the-UK seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty, subject to certain wear and tear conditions. The warranty is fully transferable should the car be sold before the time or mileage limits have been reached.
The Sportage is available with Kia’s ‘Kia Care’ service plans, which have been developed to provide customers with a wide range of service plan options for any Kia model within the first seven years of the vehicle’s life – matching its industry-leading seven-year warranty.
The service plans include a comprehensive range of options including the original, traditional, first three and five services, but in addition a customer can now purchase services up to and including the seventh service which matches the full length of the warranty. The plans are available for all Kia owners and can be purchased at any point of ownership for cars up to five years old.
