The Kia Sportage () is a series of automobiles manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 1993 through five generations. Initially a compact SUV built on a body-on-frame chassis, the second-generation Sportage transitioned to a car-based platform which placed it into the compact crossover SUV class, and was originally developed alongside the Hyundai Tucson and since the fifth-generation model launched in 2021, in two sizes with different wheelbase lengths for different markets, alongside the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Kia Sorento.
The Sportage has been the best-selling Kia model globally since 2016 after surpassing the Rio. In 2018, the model reached the 5 million production milestone. , the Sportage is positioned between the Seltos or Niro and the three-row Sorento in Kia's SUV global lineup with the latter sharing platform with the Sportage.
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First generation (NB; 1993)
The first-generation Kia Sportage was developed with a Mazda Bongo engineering base platform. It shares many mechanical components such as the engine, transmissions (early versions), and differentials with the Mazda line of vehicles. This was during Kia's alliance with Ford and Mazda, which involved Ford/Mazda providing technology and Kia providing inexpensive manufacturing facilities for Ford Company.
From 1995 to 1998, the Sportage was built by Karmann in Germany; European buyers received German-built versions in that period, while the rest of the world received South Korean-built versions. It was launched in Asia in July 1993 and European sales started two years later.
The Sportage was sold in either a five-door SUV or a three-door soft-top convertible. Kia initially developed the wagon in standard length form, but in circa 1996, the company released an extended length version. This stretched model—mainly sold in Asian markets under the name "Sportage Grand", but also as the "Grand Wagon"—featured a longer body utilizing the same wheelbase, an increase in luggage capacity from , and the relocation of the spare wheel from the tailgate to underneath the floor.
Kia offered three Mazda-sourced engines in the Sportage, beginning with the 2.0-litre FE DOHC inline-four petrol unit producing and the 2.0-litre RF inline-four diesel rated at . Diesel-engined models were mostly restricted to European markets, as was the more basic single overhead camshaft (SOHC) version of the 2.0-litre FE petrol inline-four. Delivering , this petrol engine was available from 2000 onwards. In North America, the 2.0-litre FE DOHC engine produced and had optional four-wheel drive. The 1997 model year Kia Sportage was the world's first production vehicle to be equipped with a knee airbag.
This first-generation model (1993–2002) sold in low numbers, even domestically in South Korea, and models after Hyundai's 1998 partial takeover of Kia (1997–2002) were recalled twice for rear wheels dismounting while driving. The first-generation Sportage was discontinued in South Korea in 2002, and in North America after the 2002 model year. By 2003, most international markets had discontinued the Sportage range, although it remained on sale in some developing countries until its second-generation replacement arrived in 2005.
The Kia Sportage scored the lowest possible result in the Australian ANCAP crash tests – one star out of five. As well as a failure of the seat belts, the vehicle structure collapsed.
<gallery widths="200" heights="150">
File:Kia Sportage AWD NB-Ⅶ Purplish Blue (13).jpg|Rear view (standard 5-door)
File:2001 Kia Sportage (NB-7 MY01) wagon (2011-11-18) 02.jpg|Rear view (Grand Wagon)
File:Kia Sportage JA interior.JPG|Interior
</gallery>
Facelift
<gallery widths="200" heights="132">
File:1st Kia Sportage 4-door.jpg|1998–2001 Kia Sportage
File:Kia Grand Sportage 2.0 DLX 2001 (36383240692).jpg|1998–2002 Kia Grand Sportage
File:'98-'99 Kia Sportage 4-Door.JPG|2002–2005 Kia Sportage
2001 Kia Sportage 4WD two-door soft-top (5819375058).jpg|Kia Sportage soft-top
</gallery>
Engines
{| class="wikitable"
!Model name
!Power
!Capacity
!Fuel
!Year of construction
|-
|2.0 TD 4WD (RF)
|83 HP
|1,998 cc
|Diesel
|1997–2003
|-
|2.0 (FE 8V)
|95 HP
|1,998 cc
|Petrol
|1994–1995
|-
|2.0 4WD
|118 HP
|1,998 cc
|Petrol
|2000–2003
|-
|2.0 ( FED )
|128–140 HP
|1,998 cc
|Petrol
|1994–2006
|-
|2.2 D 4WD
|63 HP
|2,184 cc
|Diesel
|1994–1998
|-
|2.2 D 4WD
|71 HP
|2,184 cc
|Diesel
|1994–1999
|}
Second generation (JE/KM; 2004)
After a two-year hiatus, the Sportage returned in model-year 2005, sharing a Hyundai Elantra-based platform with the first-generation Hyundai Tucson. A 2.0 L straight-4 diesel engine was available in the United Kingdom. Fans of the original pre-Hyundai Sportage and critics complained that it was considerably larger than the original Sportage and had none of its off-road capability, the two keys to its success. However, buyers of the second-generation model were likely to favor the available V6, with . Overall fit/finish and quality was noticeably improved over the first-generation model.
A facelift model of the second generation was introduced in May 2008. From 2006, it was manufactured at the Žilina Plant in Slovakia. A second facelift was introduced in the UK in early 2009, only a few months after its first facelift.
The Sportage was named as one of the most reliable vehicles from the 2009 Consumer Reports reliability survey. and ranked second in the "20 least expensive 2009 vehicles to insure" list by Insure.com.
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File:Kia Sportage rear 20091003.jpg|Rear view
File:Kia Sportage front interior.jpg|Interior
</gallery>
First facelift
<gallery widths="200" heights="113">
File:2008 Kia Sportage XE CRDi 2WD Automatic 2.0 Front.jpg|First facelift (front; UK)
File:2008 Kia Sportage XE CRDi 2WD Automatic 2.0 Rear.jpg|First facelift (rear; UK)
</gallery>
Second facelift
<gallery widths="200" heights="150">
File:2009-2010 Kia Sportage (KM2) EX wagon (2011-01-05).jpg|Second facelift (front; Australia)
File:0 Kia Sportage (KM) 4.jpg|Second facelift (rear; South Korea)
</gallery>
Safety
thumb|The [[Insurance Institute for Highway Safety displays a 2008 Sportage as an example of a weak roof.]]
The second-generation Sportage earned a top rating of five stars in crash tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rated it only “acceptable” for frontal and side impact crash protection and “poor” for roof strength.
{| class="wikitable"
|+IIHS scores
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|Test
| style="text-align:center;"|Rating
|-
|Overall:
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| Moderate overlap front || style="background: yellow"|Acceptable
|-
| Side || style="background: yellow"|Acceptable
|-
| Roof strength || style="color:white;background: red"|Poor
|-
| Head restraints and seats || style="color:white;background: red"|Poor
|}
Engines
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Model name
!Power
!Capacity
!Fuel
!Year of construction
|-
|2.0 ( G4GC )
|141 HP
|1,975 cc
|Petrol
|2004–2010
|-
|2.7 ( G6BA )
|175 HP
|2,656 cc
|Petrol
|2004–2010
|-
|2.0 ( D4EA )
|113 HP
|1,991 cc
|Diesel
|2005–2010
|-
|2.0 CRDi
|150 HP
|1,991 cc
|Diesel
|2008–2010
|-
|2.0 CRDi 4WD
|140 HP
|1,991 cc
|Diesel
|2006–2010
|}