Kia Sportage: Fourth-generation SUV will move upmarket when it goes on sale in February 2016

Underneath it all, Kia says it has gone to great efforts to improve the Sportage’s dynamics and refinement

Ready to greet a waiting world at the Frankfurt show later this month is the new Kia Sportage. This is the fourth vehicle to bear the name – and Kia says it will be the most upmarket yet.

This will be evident in an all-new cabin trimmed in better-quality materials and offering an ever-increasing list of entertainment, navigation and connectivity features as you move up the range. Top models will soothe your ears with Harman Kardon stereo systems, in addition to the usual menu of toys to be expected when you pay top dollar.

On the outside, the Sportage takes some cues from the Provo concept Kia presented a couple of years ago. It’s most markedly different to the old Sportage when viewed from the front, where it’s now more in keeping with Kia’s current family face, and the side profile features bigger wheelarches and a more defined styling line than before.

Underneath it all, Kia says it has gone to great efforts to improve the Sportage’s dynamics and refinement. ‘We recognise that for a more demanding audience, issues such as interior quality, refinement and ride and handling are essential,’ says Paul Philpott, MD of Kia UK. ‘All of those aspects have been addressed. We have done this because of what our customers have told us.’

Engines for the new Sportage are yet to be revealed, but expect further news on this (which will include a new turbocharged four-pot petrol unit) at launch in Frankfurt.

Looking further ahead, Philpott says UK prices for the new Sportage will be announced closer to its on-sale date in February next year. It will continue to lead on value – but with so much new technology, a price hike over the third-gen model is inevitable.