Kia launched a turbocharged version of its well-regarded Sportage model in the North American market this month. The Sportage SX follows the Optima Turbo released Stateside late last year.
Both the midsize sedan and compact softroader use the maker's 2.0-litre direct injection engine, called Theta II but the blown Sportage is tuned for 190kW/364Nm while the Optima Turbo is good for 204kW/369Nm.
Better still, local spokesman for the brand Kevin Hepworth told the Carsales Network his company is investigating the logistics of adding the two turbo offerings to the local lineup.
"At the moment it is little more than a wish list, but it is a measure of the excitement quotient of the cars that there has been some serious discussion about how to justify them for Australia once HQ extends deliveries outside North America," he said.
The Sportage SX is available in North America with six-speed automatic transmission, sports-oriented suspension tune and 18-inch alloys. The SX is identified by model-only colour schemes, with blue or orange exterior colours and matching interior treatment like cloth and stitching, revised instrumentation cluster and cabin upgrades including aluminium door sill plates.
Regarding the sedan, Hepworth suggests: "The Optima is already a fantastic, classy car but the turbo addition here would lift it to an entirely new sphere. With performance levels equivalent to a focussed sports sedan and its head-turning refinement and styling, an Optima turbo would be a serious 'halo' car for Kia."
Kia has been quick to see the benefits of applying turbocharging to direct injection engines even at small-scale level.
The brand's Kappa engine family includes a four-cylinder 1.2-litre engine used in the Picanto light car but also features a new 1.0-litre three-cylinder, rated at 81kW/137Nm. The relatively generous torque output is available from 1500 revs.
Kia Australia has arranged some drive time in the turbo Optima and Sportage models for local motoring journalists attending next month's New York Auto Show. Visit again soon for more news and our drive impressions.
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