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Kia Sportage
The first generation
Sportage was a compact or "toy"
sport-utility vehicle (SUV) which was based
on a Mazda Bongo platform. Sportage
was sold in either a four-door, two-door hardtop,
and a two-door soft-top. The first-generation
Sportage was discontinued in 2001, in favor
(for the United States market) of the Sorento.
The four-door model comes in just a quarter
of one inch longer and the same width as the
Geo Tracker, but boasts 145 hp (108 kW) and
optional four wheel drive. After the 1997
Hyundai takeover of Kia, the vehicle was produced
with major defects including an axle that
broke loose at high speeds, rattling exhaust
heat shields, weak and often defective alternators
and various other annoyances.
2005 Kia SportageThe
2005 Sportage shares its Elantra-based platform
with the 2005 Hyundai Tucson. The Sportage
will also have a 2.0 L Diesel engine available
in the United States. Pricing is expected
to start at just over US$17,000. Critics and
fans of the original, pre-Hyundai Sportage
complain that it's considerably larger than
the original Sportage and has none of the
offroad capability, the two pieces that made
the original Sportage such a hit.
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