TURBO POWER TO THE KIA SPORTAGE

Kia in North America has let loose details of a turbocharged petrol Sportage called the SX. Main claim to fame? The new group engine that sees a lot more horses being made available to those who buy it. The car would be a welcome addition here where the only excitement in the range is brought about by the turbo diesel. All petrols are quite flat, especially at high altitude places like Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

Said 2.0-litre twin scroll turbo petrol is already part of the Kia range, having been introduced to the Optima last year. It kicks out a nice 191kW of power and 358Nm of torque, making it one of the most flexible engines in its class in the world. Kia says it is more fuel efficient, yet more powerful than the 2.7-litre V6 it replaces in the States. We don’t get that particular model engine here in Mzansi anyway.

I’m sure Kia SA is seriously considering this engine for our lineup, but is probably restrained by global demand as the Sportage is in excessive demand everywhere. It would run the German premium models like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 hard on performance, while expectedly, beating them on price.