Kia fast-track petrol Sportage 08 | 09 | 2010

KIA HAS secured additional factory production to ensure it can deliver 300 petrol-engined versions of the new Sportage crossover when it goes on sale across scotland later this year. The Sportage First Edition 2.0 AWD is powered by Kia’s Theta-II 2.0 petrol engine and comes with a 5-speed manual transmission delivering 161bhp @ 5200rpm and 194Nm torque at 4,600rpm.

The petrol Sportage, which comes with the same specification as its diesel counterpart and is priced at £19,495, achieves a combined cycle fuel consumption of 35.8mpg and CO2 emissions are 188g/km.

Scottish Kia dealers are currently taking orders now and deliveries will begin in October. The full new Sportage line-up, including 2WD and lower capacity engine versions, will be available later in the year.

“From the moment we announced the all-new Sportage our dealers were under siege from new and existing customers who wanted to be among the first to get hold of this exciting car," Michael Cole, managing director of Kia Motors (UK), explained. "But it was clear that many wanted a petrol option – so we are very happy to have secured 300 units to meet that demand.”