At the 2010 Geneva Show and making its premiere in the new Sportage, is a 2.0-litre version of Kia's next-generation 'R' family diesel. All-new, the 'R' family diesel engine first appeared in 2.2-litre, 197 ps form, in the new Kia Sorento confirming that Kia's engineering capabilities are indeed world-class.

The R2.0, which is expected to prove the most popular engine choice with new Kia Sportage buyers in many European countries, generates a maximum of 136 ps and 304 Nm of torque from just 1,800 rpm. As well as guaranteeing strong performance, the new diesel enables the Kia's compact SUV to deliver highly-competitive fuel economy and emissions figures.

Later this year, a new 1.7-litre version of Kia's 'U2' diesel will become available. Designed and engineered at Kia's R&D Centre in Germany, this 115 ps engine meets Euro 5 emissions regulations and is cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient than previous U2 engines. It has been developed for optimum driveability, with more than 90 per cent of the maximum torque available from just 2,000 rpm.