In the first week of January 2022, Kia Slovakia produced the final fourth‑generation Sportage. This generation had been manufactured since the end of 2015, and producing the last unit, bearing serial number 1,161,841, therefore took approximately six years, making it the most-produced generation of the model in the history of the plant.
“The fourth‑generation Kia Sportage remains very popular among customers. Its attractive design and high quality are the main pillars of its success, which I firmly believe will be followed by the fifth generation, whose production we launched at the end of 2021,” said Tomáš Potoček, Spokesperson for Kia Slovakia.
During the six years of fourth‑generation Sportage production, the largest volumes were destined for customers in the United Kingdom, Russia, Spain and Italy. The final fourth‑generation Sportage, with serial number 1,161,841, was produced on 5 January 2022 and will be delivered to a customer in the United Kingdom.
The Kia Sportage was the second model to be produced at Kia Slovakia, with production starting in 2007 with its second generation. By 2010, more than 100,000 vehicles of this generation had been produced. The third generation gained popularity among customers across Europe, with nearly 800,000 units rolling off the production lines at Kia Slovakia by 2015.
When adding together all three generations of the Sportage produced in Teplička nad Váhom up to the beginning of 2022, total production exceeds two million units. More than half of this total was accounted for by the now‑concluded fourth generation.
