Kia launches petrol version of Sportage First

Kia is to introduce a petrol version of its Sportage First model, following unprecedented demand for its new model.

Since it arrival in August, the new Sportage has been available as a diesel in 'First' spec only and limited to just 850 cars, ahead of a full launch later in the year. Dealers are said to have been swamped with interest for the model. Buyers will now have the opportunity to buy one of 300 2.0-litre petrol First models.

The Sportage First Edition 2.0 AWD is powered by Kia's Theta-II 2.0 petrol engine and comes with a 5-speed manual transmission delivering 161bhp @ 5,200rpm and 194Nm torque at 4,600rpm. The vehicle has a top speed of 113mph, accelerates from rest to 60mph in 10.3 seconds and achieves a claimed combined cycle fuel consumption of 35.8 mpg. CO2 emissions are 188g/km. The ABI Insurance grouping is to be confirmed shortly.

This new version of the Sportage comes with the exactly the same high level of specification as its diesel counterpart, which includes: Black leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, 18" alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, Bluetooth, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers and a colour rear parking camera system integrated into the rear view mirror. Four exterior colours are available on this version: Clyde Blue, Phantom Black metallic, Silver Storm metallic and the striking Techno Orange metallic.

New Sportage First Edition 2.0 AWD is priced at £19,495 ‘On-The-Road' and, as with every new Kia, comes with a fully-transferable seven year/100,000-mile warranty. Customer ordering is open now and deliveries will begin in October. The full new Sportage line-up, including 2WD and lower capacity engine versions, will be available later in the year.

Michael Cole, Managing Director of Kia Motors (UK) Ltd., said: "From the moment we announced the all-new Sportage our dealers were under siege from new and existing customers who wanted to be among the first to get hold of this exciting car. But it was clear that many wanted a petrol option - so we are very happy to have secured 300 units to meet that demand.

"We will not have too long to wait for the full range of new Sportage - from November we will have 2WD and AWD versions featuring four engines including a 1.6GDI and a 1.7 Turbo-Diesel, but such is the excitement about new Sportage that we simply couldn't disappoint those customers who wanted First Edition but with a petrol engine," he added.

Read the Kia Sportage 2010 review here