SO many people have been clamouring for the new Kia Sportage that Korean bosses have been persuaded to ship around 850 right-hand drive models to Britain now, two months ahead of the car’s UK launch in November.
The boxy SUV turned stylish crossover has been turning heads since making its debut at the Geneva Show in March, and with so much showroom interest a special one-off First Edition model has been produced to keep British punters happy.
And you can see why there has been so much interest. This Sportage is a far cry from the sports utility which helped establish the brand in the nineties. That was a good value, mild off roader, but with limited appeal. New Sportage takes on the mantle of crossover, the new breed of car that is all things to all people.
It is a stylish head turner with a far more upmarket European look to the cabin. First Edition is all wheel drive with a high spec, knocking out for £20,777 with a six speed manual gearbox and a two grand premium for the automatic.
There are no prices for the range yet but expect around £17k for the entry level two-wheel drive1.6 petrol. At the same time Kia will introduce a new 1.7 litre diesel which will probably carry a £1,000 premium over the petrol.
First impressions of Sportage are very good, much as they were on the sister Hyundai ix35. As a crossover it is a striking vehicle with a fairly high driving position and ample space all round providing good family fare. It might not look it, but the new car is longer and wider than the old model and obviously lower.
A lot of work has gone into the interior to try to improve the layout and, in particular, the quality of materials. It has certainly taken a step up but it is a still a fair way off premium.
Old and new Sportage have changed so much they are no longer recognisable as bedmates, and although body styling is a major factor the single biggest change is in the car's the driving dynamics.
New Sportage drives like a grown-up hatchback with an even feel to the suspension, little body roll considering its height, and much sharper steering.
The two-litre diesel pushes out 134hp and is faster, cleaner and more economical than the old engine with a potential 47mpg average, 7mpg better than before.
Technology features more heavily this time round and as well as standard electronic stability control, Sportage also comes with a downhill speed limiter which maintains the car at 5mph, hill start to prevent slip back and a roll-over sensor which deploys the side and curtain airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioner should the worst happen.
Nearly £21,000 for a Kia this size might sound a bit salty but it comes fully loaded and that means leather upholstery with front and rear seats heated, dual-zone climate control, MP3, USB and iPod fittings, voice recognition Bluetooth, LED daytime running lights and a reversing camera built into the rear view mirror which is a novel idea and can be switched off for those who think it is a distraction.
So the Koreans have put down yet another solid marker, this time with Kia, which is having the year of its life in the UK having sold more cars in the first five months of this year than the whole of 2009.
Not that it will be all plain sailing with Sportage as it will be up against any number of top class rivals. But Kia might just have an ace up its sleeve with that now famous seven year warranty.