Author | Zhen Yao
Editor | Li Guozheng
Produced | Bangning Studio (gbngzs)
“The SUV’s face value ceiling!” “I didn’t expect Kia to be enlightened this time, and the Shibo Tuojie should sell well!” “I ordered the car first, and you continue to chat…”
In the huge car showroom, an SUV that seems to come from the future shines brightly under the lights, inadvertently showing its brightest side to visitors.
Prospective car owners will stop, walk, or get in the car one after another, and experience the world of Kia’s fifth-generation Sportage, which has been sold all over the world for nearly 30 years and has a cumulative sales volume of over 6.6 million units.
This is what Bangning Studio saw when they visited a Kia 4S store in Beijing recently. “After the pre-sale of the fifth-generation Sportage Lions Platinum on September 28, more than 1,000 people came to the store, WeChat and telephone to inquire.” said Ms. Xu, the sales manager of the store.
In the market terminal, there are two main reasons why the fifth-generation Sportage is very popular.
On the one hand , Shibo Tuojie has a pure urban SUV lineage, and it is one of the earliest urban SUVs in the world with two functions of on/off-Road. Its bold innovation, new automotive trends and templates, opened a new chapter in automotive history, and is the only Korean car model known as the “symbol of the new era” in the world’s automotive history, and enjoys the reputation of “globally popular car”.
On the other hand , since its birth in 1993, to the fifth generation, the Sportage has undergone five new generations. In the global market, it is neck and neck with the likes of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, with sales of more than 6.6 million units so far, ranking fifth in urban SUVs. In 2021, the fifth-generation Sportage will be a hot seller when it is launched abroad, with sales of 363,600 units that year, ranking among the top ten SUV sales in the world. From January to September this year, the car sold 323,100 units worldwide, making it one of Kia’s best-selling models in the world.
As the first global car launched by the new Kia in China, the fifth-generation Sportage is available for pre-sale starting at 179,800 yuan, offering 3 power options including 1.5T, 2.0T and 2.0L HEV, and all systems are standard AT gearbox. It also entered the Red Sea market of compact SUVs with a number of product highlights, including the first domestic model with a new design concept of “Opposites United”.
Kia said that the fifth-generation Sportage lion platinum has condensed Kia’s most advanced technology and strength, and has made localized improvements for the Chinese market. It will be a milestone product that Kia will bring a new impression to Chinese users.
Now, with the rise of Generation Z and the main force of car buying in the new era, can the fifth-generation Sportage be able to meet their values and aesthetics? Also as a representative model in the compact SUV market of the joint venture brand, what are its core advantages in the face of mature competitors such as FAW-Volkswagen Tanyue, Dongfeng Honda CR-V, FAW Toyota RAV4 Rongfang?
01.
new trend
The appearance and interior of a car are always one of the important factors in judging a good car. Under the background of the era where Generation Z dominates consumption, the fifth-generation Sportage Lion Platinum meets their pursuit of individuality, exploration and innovation of differentiated design, and leads a new design trend in the new automobile era.
Every car has its own face. Like the new CR-V, it has a tough design style, with simple and straight lines. Xintanyue adopts the youthful, sporty design language and intelligent lighting design of the public. The 2022 RAV4 has sharp lines in many parts of the body, and the large-sized air intake grille on the front looks sharp…
In contrast, at the moment of diversification of aesthetics, the fifth-generation Sportage specially designed for Generation Z has given its own unique answer – a new design concept of “Opposites United”. Among the SUV queues, high appearance is the most obvious bright spot in the world of Lion Platinum.
The new design concept of “unity of opposites” is another in-depth consideration of Kia’s future car design, representing the awe of nature and the exploration of technology. “The fifth-generation Sportage lion platinum extension world, which is portrayed by this concept, is like a clear stream, showing a little bit of personality and publicity that does not follow the trend.” Many people in the industry appreciate the design of this car.
According to Kia designers, in the face of the needs of car buyers in the new era, the fifth-generation Sportage took into account the characteristics of young people who like to explore the boundaries of life, and was developed based on the overseas version of the high-end model X-Line – compared to the X-Line version. The overseas ordinary version and the Chinese version are more sporty and powerful, and are more in line with the aesthetics of young people.
Specifically, on this car, the reinterpreted tiger roaring grille is integrated with the boomerang-type LED daytime running lights, which outlines a futuristic and handsome shape. The smooth window lines extend to the rear and rise slightly, enhancing the sporty atmosphere on the side. The new car offers 6 exterior colors including jungle green, matte gray, star diamond blue, interstellar gray, pearl white and aurora black, firmly locking the eyes of young people.
Although the Lion is a global model, the Chinese version of the Lion based on Kia’s third-generation i-GMP modular platform does not refer to the size of the European specification (wheelbase 2680mm), but chooses It has a long wheelbase of 2755mm, which is preferred by Chinese consumers, which is longer than that of Tanyue, and far exceeds that of CR-V and RAV4.
The ultra-long wheelbase of 2755mm brings a more competitive and comfortable riding space to the lion platinum industry. Moreover, its length, width and height are 4670mm, 1865mm, and 1680mm (including luggage racks), which is obviously more in line with Chinese consumers’ “big is better” mentality.
At the same time, functions such as ventilation and heating of the front seats, heating of the rear seats, as well as the high-level sound insulation materials of the whole vehicle, further improve the driving comfort of users.
The exterior design is unique, and the interior design of the Lion Platinum is equally attractive.
In response to the aesthetic preferences of Chinese consumers, Lion Platinum has optimized and upgraded the interior. The use of hidden air-conditioning vents eliminates the complicated design and provides a more pleasant driving experience for the driver. The dual 12.3-inch one-piece curved large screen is centered on the driver, making the interior space more holistic. With the digital touch panel and knob-type electronic shift, the overall interior technology atmosphere is full.
The configuration of Lion Platinum is unique in the SUV queue. For example, the CR-V uses a full LCD instrument panel and a 10.1-inch upper-suspended central control screen, with directional air outlets and honeycomb-shaped trim panels. The interior and exterior of the 2022 RAV4 RAV4 take a calm line. Xintanyue has upgraded the 12-inch MAX fine display screen.
“Liontop is more like a smart trendsetter with high appearance and high-tech sense, while German and Japanese cars are a little more calm.” “I pursue details and prefer good looks. Lionbot is very kind to me. The taste of…” On the social networking site Weibo, forums, and Xiaohongshu, the design of Shibotuo’s unity of opposites and bold instincts has been planted by many people.
02.
Versatile driving control
At a time when technology is constantly iterating, consumers are no longer satisfied with the pure pragmatism that SUVs once pursued, and hope that it will have a more all-round performance. While putting forward higher requirements for vehicle power and driving control, consumers also expect it to be economical.
In Shibo Tuojie, Tanyue, CR-V and RAV4, all of them are equipped with the brand’s strongest engine to respond to the discerning Z generation. Specific to various parameters, these 4 cars can be called fairy fights.
Tanyue provides two power systems, 1.4T and 2.0T. The RAV4 matches two powertrains including a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine and a 2.5L hybrid system. The CR-V also offers a fuel version and a hybrid version. The fuel version is equipped with a 1.5T turbocharged engine, and the hybrid version is equipped with a hybrid system consisting of a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine and two motors.
Among these 4 cars, the most diverse power is undoubtedly the Lion Platinum Tuojie. It provides 3 golden powertrains including 1.5T+8AT, 2.0T+8AT, 2.0L+6AT (HEV), etc., which satisfies the user’s diverse needs for power performance to the greatest extent. Among them, the 2.0T+8AT version is specially added for the Chinese market, which shows that Kia attaches great importance to the Chinese market – not sacrificing power to reduce costs.
Compared with the 2.0-displacement engine, among the 4 models, the Lion is the only SUV equipped with the 2.0T+8AT golden power combination, and the data is outstanding. What is particularly eye-catching is that the acceleration time of 0~100km/h is only 7.8s, which highlights Kia’s rich technical reserves and can meet the different needs of different users for performance.
As a matter of fact, the 2.0T-GDI engine carried by Lion Platinum is specially designed for users who pursue high-performance power, with a maximum horsepower of 236Ps and a maximum torque of 353N m. Under the matching of the horizontal 8AT gearbox, the entire powertrain not only has strong dynamic performance, smooth output, but also is economical and efficient.
With the market’s enthusiasm for energy-saving and environmentally friendly new energy vehicles, hybrid power is currently experiencing explosive development and entering a golden age. At a time when oil prices are high, HEV (Hybrid Electric Hybrid) models, which are not afraid of battery life anxiety, and are affordable, are very popular among Chinese consumers.
For a long time, many people think that the HEV (Hybrid Electric) system is the exclusive advantage of Japanese cars. In fact, Korean cars are not inferior in this field.
The hybrid power system of the 2.0L HEV model of Shibotuo adopts Hyundai-Kia’s world-leading TMED hybrid power system. The system consists of engine, gearbox, ultra-thin high-power permanent magnet synchronous motor, lithium-ion battery, HSG starter-generator, and HPCU integrated controller. The comprehensive system power is 200Ps, the comprehensive torque is 350N m, and the WLTC comprehensive fuel consumption (L/100km) is only 5.6L.
With a number of technical advantages, the TMED hybrid system has a high reputation in overseas markets and is known as one of the most efficient hybrid systems in the industry. It is worth mentioning that, for the Chinese market, the three-power 2.0L HEV model of Shibo Tuojie enjoys a 10-year/200,000-km warranty, as well as a 5-year/100,000-km warranty policy for the entire vehicle, which can be called the longest warranty for the joint venture. .
Excellent handling is essential to a good car.
Kia’s third-generation platform, i-GMP, has comprehensively strengthened the driving control performance of the Shibotuo world, especially in terms of chassis suspension, steering system, braking system and body strength, which have the greatest improvement in handling performance. The advantages of the platform-based design endow the Lion with excellent driving control strength in the world.
The four-wheel drive version is equipped with an advanced electronic timely four-wheel drive system and has four DMS driving modes including Eco, Sport, Comfort and Smart. Users can switch according to the actual situation to obtain different driving experiences.
What is particularly valuable is that in many parts of the car body, Lion Platinum adopts high-level sound insulation materials, and the front windshield and front windows are all made of double-layer sound insulation glass, which can effectively block external noise from entering the car, and the NVH experience is ahead of the same level. .
03.
Smart first
In the Internet era, how can a car lack an interconnected smart cockpit?
According to the latest research by JD Power Automotive Intelligence Alliance, although safety is still the most important factor for young users to purchase a car, the importance of the latest technology and richness of configuration has now surpassed the interior and body color, and has become the second most important factor in car purchase. Safety considerations when buying a car.
In the SUV queue, the decisive weapon in the world of Lion Platinum is not limited to its advanced appearance and extravagant interior space – the humanized intelligent technology that leads the era, but also its invisible blade to win the market.
In order to allow consumers to enjoy a smarter and more convenient travel experience, Lion Platinum is equipped with the newly upgraded Kia Connect intelligent interconnection system, which supports dual-zone voice recognition, rear quiet mode, vehicle remote control, valet mode, parking lot Features such as automatic settlement, IoT car-home interconnection, OTA wireless upgrade, and personalized settings meet the diverse needs of users for smart cars.
It is equipped with a Harman Kardon premium audio system (8 speakers), multi-color dynamic ambient lights, etc., which greatly improves the ride comfort.
Also in the joint-venture compact SUV market, the smart configurations of Tanyue, CR-V and RAV4 Rongfang also support popular functions such as voice recognition override, car networking, and mobile APP remote control. However, from the actual experience, Lionbot has obvious advantages in voice recognition assistant, IoT car-home interconnection, and various media content.
Travel health is also the focus of many users when buying a car. In line with the user-centered concept, the Lion-Platinum is equipped with an automatic air purification function. The real-time air quality information in the area is linked with the air conditioner, and the air purification is automatically turned on, bringing a fresh and healthy environment to the occupants of the car.
In the new era where automobiles are making great strides towards electrification and intelligence, mainstream joint venture brands are basically making efforts in intelligent driving and intelligent safety.
For example, RAV4 Rongfang is equipped with Toyota Safety Sense intelligent driving safety system, CR-V is equipped with Honda SENSING 360 safety super-sensing system, and Yueyue is equipped with IQ. Drive intelligent driving butler system. All of them can realize safe driving assistance functions such as adaptive cruise, front collision avoidance automatic braking, and lane keeping assist.
Compared with them, the intelligent driving and intelligent safety carried by the Lion-Platinum are more abundant and even worse.
In terms of intelligent safety, under the premise of emphasizing that safety is the most fundamental guarantee for travel, Lionbot is equipped with an advanced ADAS intelligent driving assistance system. The whole system comes standard with Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA), Lane Following Assist (LFA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), Intelligent Far and Low Beam Adjustment (HBA), Driver Fatigue Alert (DAW), etc. 10 intelligent driving assistance functions including.
In addition, the Lion Platinum is equipped with 6 airbags, front and rear parking sensors and reversing images as standard, and is especially equipped with the MCB multi-collision automatic braking system that can effectively reduce the probability of secondary collision accidents, which further refreshes the safety standard.
Homeopathy prosperous, innovators strong.
Compared with the models on the same track, in terms of product power alone, Kia’s fifth-generation Sportage has realized the latecomers with the thinking and attitude of innovators – it combines epoch-making forward-looking design and superior handling performance. Combined with advanced intelligent technology, it brings an excellent driving experience to Generation Z.
Behind these innovations is Kia’s determination to deepen the Chinese market, and it is a manifestation of Kia’s comprehensive response to the inner aspirations of young users to forge ahead and forge ahead.
On November 3, 2022, the fifth-generation Sportage will be launched. It will become the ideal choice for Gen Z, to accompany Gen Z to go to tomorrow and open up the future.
