Kia Sportage

A compact crossover wagon, the Kia Sportage has been constructed by the Korean car maker since July 1993 and remains a popular model to this day. The first generation of the car was made until 2004 when it was given a redesign. This first version of the model shares the same basic design as some Mazda cars of the same era. This is because, at the time, Kia was in an alliance with both Mazda and Ford. From 1995 until1998, the Sportage was constructed at the German plant in Karmman. This is where all the European versions of the car were made. However, the remainder of the global market was catered for by South Korean factories where many Sportages were built.

In 2005, Kia relaunched the Sportage, this time with a platform that was shared with a Hyundai model. Since then, the vehicle has been voted as one of the most reliable cars on the market by several consumer surveys. It also a model that regularly attracts the attention of insurance-conscious consumers because it is often deemed to be a cheap car to get cover for, with premiums being less expensive than other vheicles in its class.

In 2010, the Sportage saw another new release in the Asian and European markets in what was called the 2011 version. This was soon followed by similar relaunches in the United States and the Central American markets in August of that year. There have been four petrol engines fitted to the Sportage over the years and there are two turbo diesel variants available, too.