Kia aura now packed into one cut-price model

By Alastair Sloane

Korean carmaker Kia wants to see more of its four-wheel-drive Sportage models on the road in New Zealand.

So it discontinued its premium Squire range, gave the standard model a facelift and reduced the price by about $3000.

Now it has only one model instead of two. It is called the DLX Sportage, priced at $28,495 for the five-speed manual variant and $29,995 for the four-speed automatic.

The upgrade includes new bumpers, grille, bonnet and headlights, a smarter interior and a greater range of options. The vehicle's length, width, height and wheelbase remain the same.

The previous standard Sportage cost $31,495 for the manual and $32,995 for the automatic.

The better-appointed Squire models came with a flash paint job, air-conditioning and alloys and cost $34,995 and $36,495.

But they fell in a more competitive segment of the off-road market and didn't sell as well as Kia had hoped.

Most of the 500 Sportage sales since July 1996, when the off-roader first appeared, have been standard models.

The reworked 2-litre, four-cylinder engine in the facelifted model produces 94Kw of power at 5300 rpm and 175Nm of torque, or pulling power, at a high 4700 rpm. It comes with an anti-theft immobiliser, too.

But most four-cylinder petrol-powered four-wheel-drives, those, like the Sportage, with high- and low-ratio gearboxes, produce peak pulling power further down the rev range, where the motor doesn't have to rev as hard to deliver grunt.

The 2-litre Suzuki Vitara, for example, delivers the same amount of torque as the Sportage but at a more usable 2900 rpm.

Kia says the Lotus-developed suspension system helps the Sportage overcome the modest down-low power delivery over moderately rough ground.

The most significant improvement has been to the tailgate system, once a clumsy operation.

Owners of the previous model needed to pack a vaccum flask and lunch, so time-consuming was the procedure to open the back door.

The five-step process, which first required the spare tyre to be unhinged and swung out of the way, has now being reduced to one.

"It locks open and is able to be closed just as easily," said Kia marketing chief Andrew Lamb.

Included as standard equipment on the Sportage is power steering, central locking, power windows and mirrors.

Options include alloy wheels, air-conditioning, front nudge bar, CD player and side running boards.