Kia’s Boldly Designed Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle Earns Top Honors From The Trusted Resource^®

• All-new 2017 Sportage is part of an elite group of 12 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award Winners

• Sportage’s standout design, functional interior, and versatility deemed it a winner in its segment

IRVINE, Calif., November 15, 2016 – Kia Motors America’s (KMA) longest running nameplate in its fourth-generation, the Sportage, wins the Best Buy of the Year award among small SUVs/crossovers on behalf of Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com.  The all-new 2017 Sportage earned a spot on Kelley Blue Book’s list of 12 winners after an extensive yearlong data collection process, vehicle testing and evaluation of hundreds of 2017 model-year vehicles.  

“The all-new 2017 Sportage has improved in all the right areas, from its expressive styling and functional interior to its refined performance,” said Orth Hedrick, vice president, product planning KMA. “To be recognized by the experts at Kelley Blue Book as a Best Buy among some of the toughest competition demonstrates the all-new Sportage is a breed apart from the CUV segment.”

With its distinct European styling, innovative packaging, turbocharged engine and feature-rich interior, sales of IIHS Top Safety Pick + have been on a sharply upward trajectory, with year-over-year sales up 59.3 percent.

“The new-for-2017 Kia Sportage offers versatility, ease-of-use and laudable utility in a fun-to-drive package,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book.  “Its value-price and the length and comprehensiveness of its warranty were also keys to its 2017 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award win in the red-hot Small SUV/Crossover category.”

 The Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards provide a significant service to consumers by identifying the top 2017 model-year vehicles.  More than 300 new-car models were tested and evaluated in order to determine the finalists and, ultimately, the winners.

About the 2017 Sportage
The all-new 2017 Sportage wraps a contemporary design around a structure that is both stiffer and more spacious than ever before. Advanced driver assistance technologies, significant suspension and steering improvements, and available intelligent AWD improve the Sportage’s driving dynamics while premium materials create a class-up experience in an otherwise utilitarian segment. The 2.0-liter inline-four turbo found on the FWD SX Turbo makes 240 horsepower (237 on AWD models) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, while LX and EX trims use a normally aspirated 2.4-liter engine that produces 181 horsepower and 175 lb.-ft. of torque. Like the outgoing model, the all-new Sportage is built at Kia’s production facility in Gwangju, Korea.