Motoring: Kia’s bright new Sportage aims to overtake the competition

The South Korean car company has launched the fifth generation of its mid-sized SUV and it comes with a wide range of powertrains, as well as a full plug-in hybrid on the way later this year

The new Kia Sportage is a notably more enjoyable car to drive than its predecessors

The Kia Sportage is one of the South Korean company’s most important models.

The mid-sized, five-seat SUV has been available in Ireland since 1993 and a new fifth-generation model has just gone on sale.

At the Irish launch event last week, Ronan Flood, managing director of Kia Ireland, was confident that the latest Sportage would help the brand move up the new car sales charts, from last year’s admirable sixth place to a spot in ...