Kia Corporation has today revealed the official images of the all-new Sportage, an SUV that has been carefully crafted to inspire customers with its interior and exterior design. You’ve got to hand it to Kia, their current design style is pretty darn stunning.
The exterior design moves the Sportage identity into the next generation, while paying homage to its heritage. Hyundai suggest that its “clean but muscular surfaces join forces with intricate graphics to give the SUV a dynamic and assertive road presence”.
“Reinventing the Sportage gave our talented design teams a tremendous opportunity to do something new; to take inspiration from the recent brand relaunch and introduction of EV6 to inspire customers through modern and innovative SUV design. With the all-new Sportage, we didn’t simply want to take one step forward but instead move on to a different level in the SUV class,” commented Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Design Center.
“When you see the all-new Sportage in person, with its sleek but powerfully dynamic stance, and when you sit inside the detailed-oriented cabin with its beautifully detailed interior and first-class materials, you’ll see we have achieved those goals and set new benchmarks. In the all-new Sportage, we believe you can see the future of our brand and our products.”
Kia’s new design philosophy – Opposites United – is at the core of the all-new Sportage, influencing every aspect of its appearance and character, they say. The principles of Opposites United will influence all future Kia designs, giving them the same basic DNA. The philosophy strengthens the connection between design and Kia’s new brand direction, ‘Movement that inspires’.
Opposites United is formed of five pillars: Joy for Reason, Power to Progress, Technology for Life, Tension for Serenity and Bold for Nature. The last pillar – Bold for Nature – has profoundly influenced the design creation of the all-new Sportage, embodying the natural world and creating a design identity that takes a daring, emotional, modern but organic form.
The all-new Sportage is the result of a collaborative effort between Kia’s main global design network in Korea, Germany, the US, and China.
Design of the 2021 Kia Sportage
The front of the all-new Sportage features a detailed-orientated black grille graphic stretching across the width of the face. Like an intricate web, the technical graphic pulls together the main frontal features of the all-new Sportage, crafting an imposing front volume, according to Hyundai. The elongated grille links Kia’s modern signature Tiger Nose grille – that acts as the visual focal point of the car – to the distinctive futuristic-styled boomerang-shaped DRLs (daytime running lamps), which in turn create solid boundary lines for the lamps.
The side profile of the all-new Sportage stays true to its sports utility DNA, with taut lines cutting across pure, clean but refined body surfaces that seamlessly blends the contrasting volumes together. Representing a first for the Sportage range, a black roof – a different colour paint option to the vehicle’s body – is now available with the new model, helping to accentuate the sporting profile and highlight the architecturally dynamic C-pillar that encompasses a deconstructed look. The addition of a chrome beltline kicks up onto the rear of the all-new Sportage and into the D-pillar.
At the rear, the all-new Sportage maintains its road presence with its broad shoulders, allowing the SUV to personify strength and stability. The swooping fastback flows into the rear lamps, which have been crafted to give the impression that they cut into the body with fine precision, forming the outline of the rear lamp graphic and the main section of the tailgate. The razor rear lamps are connected by a slim horizontal design, giving the all-new Sportage a wide impression from the back.
Completing the design journey, a large lower graphic bumper casing at the rear uses the same philosophy as the frontal technical black grille, connecting the all-new Sportage’s rear design elements and resulting in lightness in both appearance and touch.
State-of-the-art interior
A sculpted integrated curved display with a slim crush touchscreen pad and finely detailed air vents forms the nucleus of the all-new Sportage’s spectacular cabin. The arresting curved display sweeps across the front of the Sportage. Like the air passing through it, the three-dimensional air vents flow within the integrated curved display, reinforcing the Sportage’s contemporary and exquisitely slim cockpit feel.
The high-tech touchscreen pad along with the advanced integrated controller act as the nerve center for driver and passenger connectivity, functionality and usability needs. Both systems have been created to be easy-to-use, highly intuitive and soft to touch.
Optimally positioned for the driver and front passenger is an ergonomic centre console that combines convenience with luxury. Finished with a high-end gloss, the console provides storage, operating system configuration, cupholders and soft-touch switches, the latter sitting on a raised profile alongside the shift-by-wire transmission dial.
Hyundai says that the materials are sumptuous to touch, dynamic and vibrant colour options and additional energising finishing techniques that includes chrome and pad print ensure that the interior of the all-new Sportage is a special place to spend time while on the move. The driver and front passenger seats combine high-tech with high comfort in sporting slim shell design.
For the first time in the Sportage’s history, a bolder model has been specifically designed to convey a more confident, vigorous and versatile character. The all-new Sportage X-Line features a unique bumper, side sill and curved roof rack. On the inside, customers can choose between a signature sage green or black seating, as well as bold quilting and black metal wood to further bring to life the model’s confident persona.
Due for global market launch later this year, more information on the all-new Sportage will be made available in due course, says Hyundai.
