Kia details redesigned 2017 Sportage

We now know more about the redesigned 2017 Kia Sportage, with the automaker detailing what's new in its fourth generation, including a slightly longer wheelbase and overall length.

The 2017 Sportage gets a 1.2-inch stretch in its wheelbase, to 105.1 inches, with overall length increasing 1.6 inches to 176.4 inches.

Kia says "every body panel is new" is new on the next-gen compact crossover, though it retains much of the same profile of the outgoing version, including its swept-back silhouette and tapered roof line.

Up front, the Sportage features a wider, lower front clip—Kia said it has been "enlarged to provide greater engine cooling"—that is much more blunt than the third-gen Sportage.

Kia said the interior features a "driver-oriented cockpit," with a modern design that emphasizes a more spacious interior.

The Sportage's lateral dash design divides it into two clear zones: An upper "display" zone, which delivers information via the instrument panel and new colour touchscreen, which is angled 10° toward the driver; and a lower "control" zone, which features climate and audio controls.

Kia said the centre stack, too, has been angled toward the driver.

The 2017 Sportage is available with a single-tone all-black interior or a pair of two-tone options, "while metalwork elements blended with soft-touch materials contribute to a more upscale interior."

The EX and SX Turbo models add leather upholstery, while the latter includes a D-shaped, heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, piano black centre console trim, and aluminum alloy pedals.

Offered in front- and all-wheel drive setups, the new Sportage is powered by a retuned 2.4-litre four-cylinder that makes 181 horsepower and 175 lb.-ft. of torque in LX and EX trims, and a revised turbocharged 2.0-litre that produces 241 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque.

The ride quality has been improved, too, according to Kia, with a redesigned independent front suspension setup, and the multi-link independent rear suspension receiving a dual-member shock absorber housing and a dual lower-arm multi-link setup.