Kia has revealed exterior images of the all-new Sportage, ahead of a global debut in Frankfurt.
Entering its fourth-generation, the new Sportage features a 'bold, progressive design'. Kia says the new model is inspired by the smooth and sharp shapes found on some of the most iconic modern fighter jets, and that the Sportage creates 'visual harmony out of the tension between sharp, defined feature lines and smooth surfacing'.
The face of the new Sportage represents the biggest change to the car's design, with the headlamps no longer integrated with the grille for the new model, instead sweeping back along the outer edges of the more sharply-detailed bonnet and bolder wheel arches. The Sportage's lower, wider 'tiger-nose' grille adds more volume, resulting in what Kia describes as a more imposing appearance and a more stable-looking stance.
The new model retains the swept-back silhouette of the outgoing Sportage, with a roofline that tapers slightly towards the rear of the car, longer front overhangs, shorter rear overhangs and longer wheelbase. At the rear, the horizontal forms and surface volume 'emphasise the car's width', while slim combination lamps are joined by a strip that runs the width of the rear, inspired by the 2013 Kia Provo concept car. Turn signals and reversing lights are separated, relocated lower down to add more 'visual weight and a greater sense of stability' to the lower half of the car.
The Frankfurt International Motor Show runs from 17-27 September 2015.