Used Kia Sportage GT-Line cars

The Kia Sportage GT-Line is the sporty-looking model in the big-selling range of family-friendly SUVs. It gets quite a subtle makeover: bigger wheels and gloss black exterior styling details are the main things that make the GT-Line look different than other Sportage models. Otherwise, it remains a hugely practical and cost-effective family car.   

The Sportage is Kia’s popular mid-size model that sits between the smaller Stonic and XCeed and the larger Sorento in the Korean brand’s range of SUVs. The latest, fifth-generation Sportage was introduced in the UK in late 2021 (the previous generation had been on sale since early 2016). 

There’s a Sportage for pretty much everyone with a choice of petrol, diesel or hybrid power, manual or automatic gearbox, and two- or four-wheel drive. It’s arguably one of the best family cars you can get, being roomy, good value well-equipped.    

GT stands for ‘grand tourer’, a term that has been used for decades to describe high-performance luxury cars. More recently, it’s also been used as a name for higher-spec, sporty trim levels for various makes and models of car. 

From 2014, Kia introduced the GT-Line model on a number of its cars, including the Sportage. These have sporty styling similar to that of the high-performance models without the higher running costs of a high-power engine. 

There are four models in the latest Kia Sportage range and GT-Line ranks second between Sportage 2 and Sportage 3. At the top of the range, there’s GT-Line S which comes with all the features that Kia can pack into a Sportage.

In older versions of the Sportage, the exact positioning of GT-Line moved around a bit, but it was usually somewhere in the middle of the range. 

You can tell GT-Line cars apart from other models in the Kia Sportage range by their sporty-looking styling details. On the latest version of the Sportage, these include bigger 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels (depending on the engine), rear privacy glass, front fog lights and chrome skid plates under the bumpers. The front grille, wheel arch trim and ‘rubbing strips’ on the doors (which protect from accidental car park bumps) are also finished in gloss black. Inside, you’ll find suede and leather seat upholstery, a sports steering wheel finished in perforated leather, and aluminium dashboard trim. There are some extra features, too, including a bigger 12.3-inch infotainment system display, and heated front seats and steering wheel.

The principle remains the same with older GT-Line models – sportier looks, extra features – though they differ in the exact details from the latest version.