On the other side of the fence are two models that achieved the poorest results of 2010. These are the Citroen Nemo with three stars and China's Landwind CV9 that received only two stars.
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There's a right way and a wrong way to drive a vehicle down a steep hill. The folks in this previous generation Kia Sportage chose the wrong way, but fortunately for them, the incident ended without any bloodshed. Watch the video after the break.
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Featuring one of the nicest exterior designs to come out of the Kia / Hyundai group, the new Sportage shares its platform and mechanical underpinnings with its Hyundai brethren, the Tucson, or as it is known in Europe, the iX35.
The new Sportage will have four engines, two gasoline and two diesel. Specifically, they'll be 2.0 liters and under (1.7-liter diesel and 1.6-liter gasoline arrive later, and both will be available with Intelligent Stop and Go), while ranging in output from 115 to 163 horsepower and keeping emissions at a low 138g/km.
Not only does this new Sportage represent some of the best style and efficiency in the segment, it's also going to be able to be optioned with quite a bit of kit: LED daytime running lights, HID headlamps, panoramic sunroof, roll-over sensors, cooler-glovebox, Hillstart Assist Control, and Downhill Brake Control.
Penned under the guidance of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, the new Sportage carries the new Kia family look as seen on the Soul, Cadenza sedan and Sorento SUV, but it appears to have a more European flavor to it, with extra attention given to details.
The five-door crossover shares its platform with the also new Hyundai Tucson, known as the ix35 in Europe. It is longer and wider than the outgoing Sportage, something that should translate to improved cabin space.
The reason why we're saying this is the use of some specific styling features such as the chrome trim, the tail lamp arrangement, the alloy wheel designs and the styling of the lower part of the front bumper, all of which look suspiciously conceptual (see the spy shots here).
But even so, what you're looking at here is what you'll get more or less when the 2011 Sportage arrives at the Korean automakers dealers either towards the end of the year or early 2011.
Like all Kias penned under the guiding hand of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, the new Sportage is a much more attractive proposition than the outgoing model.
Under the bodywork, the Sorento's smaller sibling shares its hardware with the new Hyundai Tucson (called iX35 in Europe and other markets).
That said, don't expect any surprises under the hood with the North American Sportage being offered with the same 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four cylinder engines coupled to six-speed transmissions as the Tuscon.
Likewise, the European market Sportage will get three diesels including a 115HP 1.7-liter unit, and a 2.0-liter engine with 134HP and 184HP, and two gasoline units with a displacement of 1.6-liter and 2.0-liters producing 140HP and 166HP respectively.
Source: EU Patent Office , Via: RyanoKeefe
Kia has revised its compact-sized Sportage SUV with exterior and interior styling tweaks along with the addition of a new turbo diesel engine. For the 2009 model year, the Sportage gets a reworked front end with a modified bumper, new headlights and a different grille while at the back, the only significant change are the restyled tail-lamps. All of the design changes are inspired from Kia’s latest production and concept cars. 
Though we don’t have any pictures of the interior in our hands yet, Kia says that the 2009 Sportage’s cabin has been improved with the revised instrument panel and the new seat trims. The only change under the hood concerns the new 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine that produces 150Hp. The new Sportage is expected to hit European dealerships in the forthcoming weeks. –Photo gallery after the jump
