Kia Sportage JA (1993–2002)

How Kia built its first SUV

In the early 1990s Kia was an independent carmaker allied with Ford and Mazda. The Sportage was developed in that partnership: the base engineering came from the Mazda Bongo, and the engine, early gearboxes and differentials were Mazda designs.

Sources describe the chassis in different ways. English-language accounts stress the Mazda link, while German Wikipedia says the frame was shared with Kia's military jeep, sold briefly in Germany as the Retona. Both agree on the essentials: a separate ladder frame, rear-wheel drive in normal use and a part-time four-wheel-drive system with a low-range transfer box. The wider story of the company in those years is told in our history of Kia Motors, and the Mazda side in the history of Mazda.

Body styles: five-door, soft-top and the long Grand

The five-door estate was the core model. It measured about 4,245 mm (167.1 in) long on a 2,650 mm (104.3 in) wheelbase and weighed around 1.4 tonnes. An ADAC test quoted by Motor1 criticised its small boot, given as 300 litres.

A three-door with a folding fabric roof followed. It was much shorter, at 4,030 mm (158.7 in), on a 2,360 mm (92.9 in) wheelbase, and a short convertible was sold in the United States from 1997.

From around 1996 Asian markets also received the Sportage Grand, or Grand Wagon. It kept the wheelbase of the five-door but added 305 mm (12.0 in) behind the rear wheels. The spare wheel moved from the tailgate to under the floor, and maximum luggage space grew from 1,570 to 2,220 litres. Italian sources say this version was presented in Europe at the Geneva Motor Show in 2000.

Mazda engines and the part-time 4x4

All European engines displaced 2.0 litres. The table gives outputs in kW first and the metric PS figures of German and Italian sources.

The North American DOHC engine was rated at 130 hp (SAE). Some databases list a 2.2-litre diesel for early cars, but we could not confirm it.

Gearboxes were a five-speed manual or, with the petrol engine, a four-speed automatic. The front suspension was independent, with wishbones and coil springs; the rear used a rigid axle on trailing arms. Front brakes were ventilated discs and rear brakes drums, with ABS on the options list.

Performance was modest. The ADAC measured 14.7 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h for the 128 PS petrol and 18.4 seconds for the 95 PS version, and Motor1 reports fuel use of about 11 litres per 100 km.

Karmann assembly and changes over the years

Kia began selling the Sportage in Asia in July 1993; German sales started in September 1994, and Motor1 dates wider European sales to about two years after the Asian launch. To supply Europe, Kia contracted Karmann in Germany, which built the car from 1995 to 1998. Italian Wikipedia puts Karmann's output at 25,984 vehicles, making the Sportage the first Kia assembled in Europe. From autumn 1998 all production returned to South Korea, and Pakistan assembled the car locally from 2000.

The main updates were:

• 1995: front airbags and wood-effect dashboard inserts, according to Italian sources.
• 1997: a knee airbag, which Kia presented as a first for a production vehicle.
• 1999: a revised body.
• 2000: the Euro 3 version of the petrol engine and, in Europe, the long Grand.

Sales grew late in the car's life. English Wikipedia lists US sales rising from 28,582 in 1998 to 62,350 in 2000, and European sales peaking at 18,320 in the same year. Production ended in 2002, though a few developing markets kept selling the JA until the second generation arrived in 2005. The guide to all five Kia Sportage generations shows how far the model moved on after the JA.

The Kia Retona connection

The Retona was a short three-door off-roader made in South Korea from 1998 to 2003. It used the platform of the Sportage soft-top, but it descended from Kia's military jeeps and was developed by Asia Motors, which Kia owned. It had the Mazda FE DOHC petrol engine or a turbodiesel, body-on-frame construction and four-wheel drive.

The Retona was about 4,000 mm (157.5 in) long and weighed 1,510 kg (3,329 lb). It was sold in Germany only briefly, and an Auto Bild owner survey of 2006, as reported by English Wikipedia, described it as very unreliable. It should be judged separately from the Sportage itself.

Specifications: five-door JA

Width is quoted at between 1,735 mm and 1,760 mm, depending on source and year, so it is left out of the table.

One ANCAP star and two wheel recalls

We found no Euro NCAP result for the JA; the only published crash rating is Australian. ANCAP gave the 1997–1999 wagon one star out of five, the lowest result possible, noting failed seat belts and a collapse of the structure.

Cars from the 1997–2002 period, built after Hyundai's partial takeover of Kia in 1998, were also recalled twice because a rear wheel could come away while driving. If you are looking at a JA, ask for proof that this work was done.

Buying a JA today

The first Sportage is now a youngtimer. Its appeal lies in the simple ladder-frame layout, low-range gearbox and Mazda mechanicals, which many specialists know. It is listed with other classic cars of the 1990s, and it belongs to the same compact off-roader class as the early Suzuki Vitara.

• Karmann-built cars (1995–1998): the most interesting for European collectors.
• DOHC petrol: clearly quicker than the SOHC; the diesel is slower but more economical.
• Check: the frame and floor, as on any body-on-frame car of this age, the recall work on the rear wheels and the condition of the four-wheel-drive engagement.
• Do not expect: modern crash protection, given the ANCAP result.