Kia Sportage wins Australia’s OzRoamer Award

Wednesday, 21 May 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Kia Sportage, one of most popular SUVs on Sri Lanka’s roads, has been awarded Australia’s OzRoamer award, as its 2013 AWD SUV under $ 60,000 Car Of The Year. The 2 litre compact SUV beat an impressive field of finalists including the Mazda CX5, Hyundai ix35, Mitsubishi Outlander and Ford Kuga to claim the top spot on the judges’ cards in this category, scoring high in key categories for equipment, comfort, ride and handling, driving experience and value for money.

The April 2014 issue of Kia’s newsletter ‘Vision 21’ quotes OzRoamer Awards judge Chloe Fraser as saying the surprising versatility of the Sportage was impressive and that it should satisfy the adventurous nature of most buyers. She said the vehicle has plenty of power, is super economical and is amongst the best in its class. Commenting on this respected accolade, Kia Motors (Lanka) Director Rodney Mason said: “The OzRoamer award reaffirms what hundreds of Kia Sportage users in Sri Lanka have discovered for themselves: that it is an unbeatable combination of style, design-driven performance and ruggedness that is at home on multiple terrains, including city roads.” According to OzRoamer Editor Rob Fraser, this prestigious award is the result of a rigorous subjective and objective process throughout the year by a number of judges. Instantly recognisable by its distinctive ‘tiger face’ - Design Chief Peter Schreyer’s signature grill design – the new Sportage was launched in Sri Lanka in September 2010, and within months became one of the most popular SUVs in the country. By class standards the 2.0-litre Kia ‘Theta II’ petrol engine delivers more power, (166BHP) improved durability, enhanced refinement and reduced fuel consumption and emissions. The power unit has dual CVVT (continuously variable valve timing) for both the intake and exhaust valves, four valves per cylinder and features weight-saving, all-aluminium construction with a cast aluminium block, cylinder head and sump. A state of the art diesel 2.0 VGT delivering a 177BHP is also on offer. In Sri Lanka, the Kia Sportage is backed by a three year/100,000 km warranty from Kia Motors (Lanka), which has represented the brand since 1996.