The Korean company's medium segment challenger boasted brave and stylish concept-car looks that (particularly in a wild colour and on big alloy wheels) gave a strong Hot Wheels vibe, won multiple international design awards and, most importantly, was embraced by the buying public.
So what do you do when it comes time to replace a great-looking, award-winning, popular vehicle? Most manufacturers play it safe and carry on with a similar vibe, much as Kia itself did when it came time to replace the Optima sedan. Which looks almost exactly the same as the old car.
But, oddly, bravely and admirably, Kia didn't do that with the Sportage. For the fourth-gen model it's gone even more wild.
With the bold Porsche Cayenne-style move of dropping the grille beneath the headlights, Kia has created one of the most distinctive and recognisable medium SUVs on the market. Arguably one of the more distinctive vehicles on the road as well.
While the rest of the exterior could largely be seen as an evolution of the previous Sportage, that front end will be the strongest factor in most people's initial assessment of the new car. Personally, I think it looks great in the metal, not so great in photos.
On the inside, Kia carries on with its tradition of coming over all conservative after a bold exterior and giving us a dark and unadventurous interior. However, it does represent another leap in quality for the Korean brand, with excellent materials and fantastic build.
The new Sportage comes to New Zealand as either a 114kW/192Nm 2.0-litre petrol 2WD, a 135kW/237Nm 2.4-litre petrol AWD or a 136kW/400Nm 2.0-litre diesel 4WD. All engine/drivetrain variants come with a six-speed automatic transmission.
In petrol 2WD form it's available in LX, EX and LTD models, in 4WD petrol form it is available as an EX, LTD or the new GT-Line, while the 4WD diesel is only available as an EX or GT-Line.
The LX comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and a backing camera, a touch screen infotainment system, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, cruise control, power adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors, locally (well, Australian) tuned suspension, halogen projector headlights, foglights and an electrochromic rear mirror.
The EX adds 18-inch alloy wheels, chromed door handles, front parking sensors, LED tail lights, dual-zone climate control, rain sensing wipers, leather upholstery, privacy glass, gloss black exterior trim, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring, LED running lights, and blind spot detection.
The LTD gains 19-inch alloy wheels, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, a cooled glove box, keyless entry and start, a power tailgate, autonomous emergency braking, an electric park brake, lane change assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and high beam assist.
The newly added GT-Line brings HID projector headlights, a different design of 19-inch alloy wheel, satin chrome mouldings, front and rear skidplates and other exterior GT Line additions, ventilated front seats, wireless phone charging, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, satellite navigation, quad LED foglights, a panoramic sunroof, dual rear exhausts, LED interior lighting, two-tone leather trim and a GT Line leather steering wheel.
On the road the new Sportage is much like its platform-mate, the Hyundai Tucson, which is a very good thing indeed and a huge improvement over the previous car. Not that there was anything particularly wrong with it, but the new car has a noticeably better ride.
Handling is still very much in the 'friendly, predictable medium SUV' vein. The Sportage is an extremely comfortable, assured vehicle to travel in.
While the Sportage packs a remarkable amount of standard skit into every trim level for the money asked, there are a few glaring omissions. Namely the thoroughly excellent new 1.7-litre turbo petrol engine the Hyundai Tucson gets (Hyundai won't let subsidiary Kia have that yet) and, strangely, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
While access to the 1.7-litre engine is out of Kia's hands, the omission of that connectivity is a surprising one, particularly given that Kia is targeting younger private buyers with the new Sportage.
Still, despite these omissions, the Sportage still offers a remarkably good value for money proposition. While the petrol engines (the diesel engine wasn't available at the launch, although we know it is excellent from the Tucson) can sound a bit old and thrashy at times, they still do a more-than-acceptable job of hauling the Sportage. Both also offer good economy.
The new Sportage is a bravely stylish and high quality replacement for a car that was already pretty good to begin with. The interior, while dull, is appealing, while that exterior - well, we love it, and we reckon buyers will appreciate that bravery too.
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