The new Kia Sportage range is to start from £17,995, and will be available in 18 variants.

On sale from February 5, 2016, the range includes four engines and three transmissions with the introduction of a 1.6-litre T-GDi (turbocharged petrol direct injection) unit and a 7DCT (seven-speed dual-clutch automatic) gearbox, both of which are reserved exclusively for the GT-Line trim.

They join extensively re-engineered 1.6-litre GDi petrol and 1.7- and 2.0-litre turbodiesel power units with improved fuel economy and CO2 reductions of up to 29g/km on the previous model.

The six trim lines are badged 1, 2, 3, 4, GT-Line and First Edition. All versions powered by the 1.6-litre GDi and 1.7-litre CRDi engines are front-wheel drive, while those powered by the 1.6-litre T-GDi unit and the two 2.0-litre CRDi diesels have all-wheel drive. Four-wheel-drive versions are distinguished by the 'KX' prefix in the model designation - except for GT-Line and First Edition versions.

All versions except the entry-level grade have a 7- or 8-inch touch-screensatellite navigation system linked to Kia Connected Services with TomTom®, providing full European mapping and detailed traffic, speed camera, weather and local services information. Further up the range, Speed Limit Information, Lane Keep Assist, High Beam Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert are available.

Grade 1/KX-1 comes as standard with 16-inch alloy wheels and all-round disc brakes, front foglights, LED daytime running lamps, cornering lights, black cloth upholstery with a grey headlining, electrically adjustable door mirrors, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearshifter, all-round electric windows, air conditioning, a DAB radio, Bluetooth with music streaming, USB and AUX ports, 12-volt power outlet in the front and rear, Trailer Stability Assist, Hill-start Assist, Downhill Brake Control and cruise control with speed limiter. 

Grade 2/KX-2 adds with 17-inch alloys, 7-inch touch-screen navigation system with integrated reversing camera and connectivity services, roof rails, privacy glass on the rear side windows and tailgate, black premium cloth upholstery and powered lumbar adjustment for the driver's seat, electrically folding and heated door mirrors with LED indicators, reversing sensors, automatic lights and wipers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, dual automatic air conditioning with an automatic windscreen de-fog system, a cooled glovebox and the Lane-Keep Assist, automatic high-beam assist and speed limit information functions.

With grade 3/KX-3 comes 19-inch alloys, a front wiper de-icer, black leather upholstery, a high-gloss black centre fascia, a rear USB charging point, heated front and outer rear seats, 4.2-inch LCD TFT colour information display, an 8” satellite navigation screen and a JBL premium sound system with sub-woofer, external amp and front centre speaker.

Above that, grade 4/KX-4 adds bi-xenon adaptive headlights with automatic levelling and washers, front parking sensors, a smart key entry system and engine start/stop button, stainless steel door scuff plates, a panoramic sunroof, LED rear combination lamps, 10-way power adjustable driver and eight-way adjustable front passenger ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

1.7-litre CRDi 2wd models feature emissions starting from 119g/km, with 4wd versions starting from 139g/km.