2012 Kia Sportage is Carries Over From the 2011 Model

The 2012 Kia Sportage is a compact Kia SUV 2012 which borrows elements of its basic design from the 2012 Hyundai Tucson. The Kia Sportage should see no major changes following its redesign for the 2011 model year, in fact, the only new elements for the upcoming year are the suspension and some added sound insulation.

Otherwise, there are some new extras in a few of the trims, but overall you will see the Kia Sportage model to be adequate.The car although is carries over from the completely revised 2011 model which mostly unchanged, but Kia has managed to stretch an extra 1-2 highway mpg on turbo models.

The 2012 Kia Sportage looks much like a baby Sorento, but the Sportage’s leaner, edgier, and meaner look sets the two apart. A chrome front grille featuring a take on the Korean brand’s signature “tiger nose” design cue comes standard. The 2012 Kia Sportage SX AWD models come with a unique black and chrome version of the grille.

Body-colored side mirrors with integrated turn signals are standard on most Kia Sportage models, the same goes for projection headlights. Heated side mirrors are optional while the 2012 Kia Sportage LX models get 17-inch alloy wheels, and upper-level models get 18-inch alloy wheels.

Kia says noise, vibration, and harshness (NHV) levels are improved thanks to added sound insulation, and the 2012 Kia Sportage EX models get new high performance suspension dampers. All Kia Sportage models come standard with Kia’s Sync-like Microsoft-UVO system, and the Sportage’s interior gets a new treatment with anti-soiling and anti-static cloth seats, which are now standard on EX models.

The top of the line Sportage SX 2012 trim gets a push button start with smart key, which lets you start or stop the car engine and lock/unlock doors from the outside with the key tucked in a pocket or purse.Leather seats also come in the 2012 Kia Sportage SX, and heated and air-cooled front seats are optional. All Kia Sportage models come with 60/40 split rear seats and the seats on upper level trims feature a one-touch strap for easier access.

The 2012 Kia Sportage AWD system lacks low-range gearing, but a dashboard switch locks in a 50/50 front/rear power split. Despite its compact-looking size, five passengers will fit inside the car albeit snugly, and there is 26.1 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the rear seats. When they’re folded down, the Kia Sportage cargo volume grows to 54.6 cubic feet.

Under the Hood 2012 Kia Sportage

2012 Kia Sportage comes with a standard 176-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine; meanwhile the top-line Sportage SX 2012 model has a 256-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. Also a difference about a Base and other Kia Sportage models is in transmission – the manual transmission is standard for Base, while other models feature a six-speed automatic transmission.

All 2012 Kia Sportage are available with front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive is optional on LX, EX, and SX. Front-wheel drive is standard, with Kia’s Dynamax all-wheel drive system on offer, opting for the latter setup drops the Kia Sportage mileage to 21/28 with the 2.4-liter motor and 21/26 with the turbo 2.0-liter.

The Kia Sportage SX has a sport suspension and unique trim, those seeking a bit of extra oomph can opt for the Sportage SX 2012 model, which brings a turbocharged 2.0-liter four with 260 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque, enough to scoot the little crossover from zero-to-60 mph in just over six seconds while still returning 22/29 mpg.