Interestingly, the biggest performance sleeper on the affordable side of today’s automotive market is a compact crossover.
Wait, there’s more. It’s from Korea.
The same automotive gene-pool responsible for machinery like the Pony, Scoupe and Sephia is, today, cranking out some of the market’s most popular models. Korea is as big a force as any in the Canadian marketplace, and Hyundai and Kia are doing some very ambitious things.
Kia’s been on a bit of a product rampage lately—and they’ve just created a new model called the Sportage SX. The latest variant of their popular and recently-updated crossover, the turbocharged Sportage SX is Kia’s latest utility vehicle powered by their latest engine.
Turbocharged for fun and efficiency
Standard Sportage models get a 2.4-litre four-cylinder powerplant with 176 horsepower.
That’s fairly conventional and average. The engine in the uplevel Sportage turbo is not.
Rather than stuffing in a big V6, Kia’s gone the route of Mazda, Audi, Acura and others—offering a smaller, turbocharged engine designed for maximum performance and fuel economy.
How come? A V6 engine is bigger in displacement and weight than a four-cylinder, meaning it drinks more fuel almost all of the time in exchange for its higher output. Using a smaller boosted engine in place of a larger, naturally-aspirated one nets the same or better output figures while reducing vehicle weight and fuel consumption during gentle driving. In plain English, Kia’s new engine promises performance levels at or beyond those found in competing V6 units, while turning in mileage closer to a four-cylinder. It’s all up to your right foot.
With just two litres of displacement backed by direct injection and an intercooled turbocharger, output is rated at 260 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. These figures represent tremendous specific output and translate into very big performance while enabling very reasonable mileage during cruising or modest driving.
Best of all, it doesn’t even require the pricey premium unleaded gas many other turbo engines drink. Kia’s turbo four is also as quiet, smooth and refined as anything out of Germany or Japan. Pushed hard, it reminded this scribe of the VW Group’s fantastic 2.0-litre TFSI engine, but with lots more snap.
Wait, there’s more. It’s from Korea.
The same automotive gene-pool responsible for machinery like the Pony, Scoupe and Sephia is, today, cranking out some of the market’s most popular models. Korea is as big a force as any in the Canadian marketplace, and Hyundai and Kia are doing some very ambitious things.
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| Rather than stuffing in a big V6, Kia’s gone the route of Mazda, Audi, Acura and others—offering a smaller, turbocharged engine designed for maximum performance and fuel economy. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
Kia’s been on a bit of a product rampage lately—and they’ve just created a new model called the Sportage SX. The latest variant of their popular and recently-updated crossover, the turbocharged Sportage SX is Kia’s latest utility vehicle powered by their latest engine.
Turbocharged for fun and efficiency
Standard Sportage models get a 2.4-litre four-cylinder powerplant with 176 horsepower.
That’s fairly conventional and average. The engine in the uplevel Sportage turbo is not.
Rather than stuffing in a big V6, Kia’s gone the route of Mazda, Audi, Acura and others—offering a smaller, turbocharged engine designed for maximum performance and fuel economy.
How come? A V6 engine is bigger in displacement and weight than a four-cylinder, meaning it drinks more fuel almost all of the time in exchange for its higher output. Using a smaller boosted engine in place of a larger, naturally-aspirated one nets the same or better output figures while reducing vehicle weight and fuel consumption during gentle driving. In plain English, Kia’s new engine promises performance levels at or beyond those found in competing V6 units, while turning in mileage closer to a four-cylinder. It’s all up to your right foot.
With just two litres of displacement backed by direct injection and an intercooled turbocharger, output is rated at 260 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. These figures represent tremendous specific output and translate into very big performance while enabling very reasonable mileage during cruising or modest driving.
Best of all, it doesn’t even require the pricey premium unleaded gas many other turbo engines drink. Kia’s turbo four is also as quiet, smooth and refined as anything out of Germany or Japan. Pushed hard, it reminded this scribe of the VW Group’s fantastic 2.0-litre TFSI engine, but with lots more snap.
 |
| With just two litres of displacement backed by direct injection and an intercooled turbocharger, output is rated at 260 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Kia) |