MOTOR RIVALS

Kia Motors America (KMA) unveiled the all-new 2017 Sportage at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The fourth-generation Sportage, KMA’s longest-running nameplate, wraps stunning contemporary design around a structure that is both stiffer and more spacious than before. Advanced driver assistance technologies, significant suspension and steering improvements, and available intelligent AWD vastly improve the Sportage’s driving dynamics while premium materials and world-class craftsmanship create a class-up experience in an otherwise utilitarian segment.

Chassis

The structure of the all-new Sportage is significantly improved due to the extensive use of Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS). With 51 percent of the Sportage’s body-in-white consisting of AHSS versus the outgoing model’s 18 percent, torsional rigidity has improved 39 percent. Furthermore, the increased use of advanced hot-stamped steel improves body integrity. The material has been used to reinforce the A-, B- and C-pillars, side sills, roof structure, and wheel arches. As a result of its stronger core, Sportage engineers are targeting the compact CUV to earn an overall five-star National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rating and an Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ designation.

The completely redesigned fully independent front suspension achieves a leap forward in ride quality. A four-point bushing setup delivers greater stability and a more natural response to changing road surfaces, while stiffer wheel bearings and bushings result in more precise handling. The fully-independent rear suspension now adopts a dual-member shock absorber housing, while both AWD and FWD models now benefit from a dual lower-arm multi-link setup. The SX Turbo has been uniquely tuned with firmer shock absorbers to deliver sharper handling befitting its athletic personality.

Safety

The 2017 will be available with a wide range of driver assistance features¹ including:

• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), which can detect a potential collision with another vehicle or pedestrian and help bring the Sportage to a halt
• Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), which emits an audible alert when it detects the driver straying from the current lane without using a turn signal
• Blind Spot Detection (BSD) with Lane Change Assist (LCA), which can monitor cars up to 230 feet behind the Sportage and provide the driver with a visual warning in the door mirror when another car enters the blind spot
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), which can warn the driver when other cars pass behind the Sportage as it backs out of a parking space
• Bi-HID headlights with Dynamic Bending Light (DBL) technology

Powertrain

The 2017 Sportage is offered in front or all-wheel-drive, both coupled with a six-speed Sportmatic transmission. The Dynamax intelligent AWD system is available on every trim and features a 50/50 locking center differential. The system senses, anticipates, and optimizes traction requirements for all road and weather conditions. AWD models feature a unique front fascia with a steeper approach angle for increased capability.

Efficiency and driving performance were two major areas of focus when retuning the engines. The hard-charging 2.0-liter inline-four turbo found on the SX Turbo makes 241 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque and has been retuned to target improved fuel efficiency and offer better midrange torque. The LX and EX use a normally aspirated 2.4-liter engine that produces 181 horsepower and 175 lb.-ft. of torque and is also retuned to target better fuel efficiency.

Technology

The all-new Sportage features a number of new and advanced on-board technologies² to elevate the driving experience and keep drivers connected. The LX comes equipped with a standard 5.0-inch color touchscreen that features Bluetooth^®3 hands-free phone operation and streaming audio, SiriusXM®⁴ satellite radio, and rear-camera display⁵. A move up to the EX brings a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with the latest version of Kia’s award-winning telematics and infotainment system, UVO3, which is making its debut on the all-new Sportage. Complete with Android Auto⁶, Apple⁷ CarPlay^® (late availability), and UVO eServices⁸ featuring 14 telematics services, the enhanced system features up to 8 GB of music storage, access to onscreen apps such as Pandora^®9 and Soundhound and Wi-Fi tethering capability, all free of charge. The SX Turbo features all of the above, plus an 8-inch touchscreen and onboard navigation.

All Sportages come standard with a 160-watt six-speaker audio system, and a powerful 320-watt Harmon Kardon^® premium audio system is available, featuring eight speakers including subwoofer, an external amplifier, and Clari-Fi^TM10 music restoration technology for unrivalled audio quality.

Launching at Honda dealerships nationwide on October 1, 2014, the new 2015 Honda CR-V receives the most significant mid-model cycle refresh in its history, with a new direct-injected Earth Dreams Technology™ i-VTEC® engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT), a new suite of Honda Sensing™ safety and driver assistive features, significantly enhanced exterior and interior styling, a long list of new standard and available features and a new premium Touring trim.

Technology

The 2015 CR-V includes easy-to-read instrumentation and, for the first time on CR-V, Honda's new 7-inch touchscreen Display Audio telematics interface. Display Audio, standard on EX and above trim levels, allows the user to tap, pinch, and swipe – just like on a smart phone or tablet – to control audio and other telematics features, including the available next-generation HondaLink™⁹ and the Honda Satellite-linked Navigation System™¹⁰. All CR-Vs retain the full-color intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID) that offers a range of customizable features via fingertip controls on the steering wheel. The CR-V's audio and telematics systems offer a high level of connectivity, including a standard Pandora®¹¹ internet interface and SMS text messaging function, Bluetooth®¹² HandsFreeLink® phone interface.

Powertrain

The 2015 CR-V's new Earth Dreams Technology™ 2.4-liter direct-injected DOHC i-VTEC inline 4-cylinder engine produces 181 lb-ft of torque, an 11-percent increase over the previous engine's 163 lb-ft¹³ while making the same 185 horsepower¹⁴. The new lighter-weight engine is mated to a new continuously variable transmission (CVT) with G-design Shift that provides smooth, seamless ratio changes and contributes to increased EPA fuel economy ratings of 27/34/29 mpg³ (city/highway/combined) for front-wheel-drive models and 26/33/28 mpg³ for the Real Time AWD models.

Chassis

An updated suspension design, and features such as Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®)¹⁵ and Motion-Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS) all contribute to the 2015 CR-V's quality driving experience, which is enhanced further on the EX and above trims with wider front and rear track dimensions due to wider wheels (+0.5 inches). The CR-V uses front MacPherson strut and rear multi-link suspension systems that benefit from tuning changes. The rear multi-link system helps maximize rear seating and cargo space while providing stable and comfortable handling and ride quality. Newly revised shock absorber tuning helps deliver a refined driving feel.

Safety

As with all Honda vehicles, safety is a primary focus, starting with the CR-V's next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure that helps make the CR-V highly effective at absorbing and dispersing the energy of a frontal collision crash. Overall, the body receives more than 60 changes to improve stiffness and collision performance, and the 2015 CR-V is targeted to achieve top safety ratings, including a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from the NHTSA. Standard safety equipment on all models include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) electronic stability control system, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist, frontal airbags, side-curtain airbags, SmartVent® front-side airbags, and a front seat design that can help reduce the severity of neck injury in the event of a rear collision. The newly available Honda Sensing™ suite of safety and driver assistive features includes Honda LaneWatch™, Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW). These systems benefit from the adoption of new sensor fusion technology that integrates the capabilities of a windshield-mounted monocular camera and millimeter wave radar to provide enhanced sensing with ability to identify and anticipate multiple collision scenarios, including a pedestrian collision, and initiate warnings and, in some cases, emergency braking.