For the year 2019, Kia facelifted its Sportage to increase its appeal not only among the Kia lovers but also for those who are looking for a car with a sporty spirit combining the comfort of a luxury car. For this the changes it has received for 2019 is mainly beneath its skin. The changes are all targeted to revise the ride quality and handling. For this, the Kia Sportage is given a new gearbox to mate the fuel-efficient diesel engine that would be able to cover undulated, winding, gravel roads, drive with ease through poorly paved country roads, and simply glide through the shining urban roads.
The Styling
The experts of the Kia dealer Oceanside revealed that Kia wanted to make the 2019 version of Sportage sportier in every sense of the term. For this it had to revise the exterior styling in more modern lines. That’s why you see a lower bumper to make it look more masculine at the front-end while the new grille with new pairs of headlamps integrated with full LED functionality makes its presence more prominent. At the rear end, changes are seen to be comparatively minor with some design changes for the skid plate and the tail lights.
Inside Comfort
The interior cabin of the 2019 Kia Sportage exhibits superb finish with the best possible material that can be afforded for that price range. The dashboard with faux stitching brings about it a premium feel, while the combination of durable plastic and soft-touch material especially applied on contact points like on the arm rests and door rests provides as much comfort as expected. What we liked the most is the visibility through the windows that don’t allow to build up any claustrophobic feeling regardless of the seating positions.
Motivating Powertrain
For the 2019 Sportage Kia offers a powertrain that is consistent of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder front-wheel drive petrol engine that is naturally-aspirated, a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol all-wheel drive engine and an all-wheel drive 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine. Both the petrol engines come in combination with a six-speed automatic transmission, and the diesel engine pairs exclusively with a new, eight-speed automatic transmission built in-house.
Improved Ride Quality
Kia has taken some special interest in adjusting the ride quality and handling tune for the 2019 model of Sportage that has been successful in its target scoring good rates from the customers when they asked them to provide a feedback. The geometry of the suspension continues to be the same, but Kia has changed the steering rack ratio along with the subframe in order to improve the throttle and steering response as well as the control on the front wheel.
The newly appointed gearbox went really well with the diesel engine and that got proved through the in-gear throttle response that was consistently at par throughout the engine rev.
If you search for the best Kia dealer near me, the 2019 Kia Sportage is sure to top the search results and as you book a test drive at your nearby dealership, the Sportage with all its powertrain teams is sure to make you feel peppy with the sporty spirit it has that never fails to deliver a punchy response and a refined driving experience.