Mk5 Kia Sportage becomes a sales hit in 24 hours

Kia has only just begun registering pre-orders for the fifth-generation Sportage in South Korea, but interested buyers have already made 16,078 of those within a day, setting a new record in the compact crossover SUV segment of the market.

The carmaker attributes the success to the innovative interior styled much like that of the larger Sorento model. The dashboard and the infotainment touchscreen, both sized 12 inches across, are united under a single pane of glass, and there is a gear selector knob instead of the conventional lever.

The car celebrated its launch in South Korea on July 6, 2021, with other markets still waiting. It is offered with a 1.6-liter gasoline turbo-four engine rated at 180 PS (178 hp / 132 kW) and 264 Nm (195 lb-ft) of torque, but you can also go for a 2.0-liter diesel option good for 186 PS (183 hp / 137 kW) and 416 Nm (307 lb-ft). Other options, including hybrids, will be introduced later.

As popular as the new Sportage is, it still fell short of the success or its relative, the fourth-gen Sorento: Kia registered 18,941 pre-orders for the mid-size crossover SUV within 24 hours since launch. As for the bigger picture, the four generations of the Kia Sportage have sold 6,136,357 units since 1993.