The new, China-only Kia KX5 sports fresh looks and a new, quieter and more tech-ladden cabin
Kia has launched the new 2019 KX5 (aka Sportage) in the Chinese market through its Dongfeng Yueda Kia local joint venture. Kia Motors unveiled its new strategic SUV ‘The New KX5’ at the 2018 Guangzhou Motor Show. The KX5 is the Sportage facelift that we already seen in Europe (will debut at LA for the US-market) and has suffered a “plastic surgery” on the front end in order to adapt to chinese tastes.
The most obvious change between the U.S.-spec Sportage and the 2019 KX5 is the completely redesigned front end, which ditches the crossover’s curvy face for a more traditional arrangement, featuring new slim headlights (that seem to be all the rage in China models right now) and grille. The new car is a C-segment SUV with a luxurious & sporty design, including a lot of chromed details and the latest safety and comfort features. Kia Motors plans to inject new models into the Chinese market in the first half of next year with the idea to recover its sales.
The exterior look of the car, despite the front design, is the same as what we have seen on the Sportage already. The big differences is a completely new front grille that resembles to what we have seen on the SP (another China-only SUV) exceptional and sporty style. Also includes latest safety items like front-running collision assistance (FCA), lane keeping assistance (LKA) and driver’s attention warning (DAW).
While some might say that the new KX5 looks more conservative than before, others will find the new design more appealing in general. Look at the other end of the body and the changes appear to be minimal to non-existent compared to the U.S.-spec (and Euro) version. Inside Kia has applied the latest generation infotainment system including some chinese apps like QQ Music, home IoT linkage, vehicle location sharing service, and IT-based personalized information service that reflects local customers’ interest in those services. Another highlight of the 2019 KX5 is its cabin, which adopts a new dashboard design with novel features and tech, including a 7-inch digital instrument display and a 10.25-inch infotainment system. There are no physical buttons to operate the climate control system, as they have been replaced by a touch-sensitive panel. In addition, the powertrain choice will have two engines, 2.0-liter gasoline engine and 1.6-liter Turbo gasoline direct injection engine.
“The New KX5 is a Chinese strategic model developed by actively reflecting the needs of Chinese customers,” said a Dongfeng Yueda-Kia executive. “With its advanced design and cutting-edge safety specifications and next-generation infotainment system, Dongfeng will become a key selling vehicle for Kia.
Chinese customers will get to choose between two engine options: a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder T-GDI that produces 174hp (177PS) and 195lb-ft (265Nm) of torque and is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit with 162hp and 149lb-ft (203Nm) of torque paired to a six-speed automatic.
Dongfeng Yueda Kia claims that the new KX5 is also much quieter than before, thanks to additional multi-layer soundproof material used in the cabin. A full range of active systems is also present, as well as a new AI-powered voice control system, wireless charging, a 360-degree camera and more.
