New 'electric Sportage' is taking shape

EV set to replace popular SUV. On sale in China this year

- James Brodie

MUCH of Kia's success as a massive player in the mainstream car market has been driven by SUVS - the Sportage in particular. Now the company has given us the strongest hint yet at how it plans to follow up the Sportage with an all-electric vehicle based on this Concept EV5.

The new creation is billed as a prelude to Kia's next dedicated EV, and we won't have to wait long to see the finished article.

The Korean brand has already confirmed that a production version of the concept almost certainly badged EV5, to fit in with the firm's naming strategy - will go on sale in China before the end of this year.