South Africans will need to earn at least R53,000 per month in order to purchase the new Kia Sportage on a finance plan, calculated TopAuto.
The new SUV runs on a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which gives it an output of 132kW and 265Nm.
With a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox sending this power to the front wheels, the Sportage can manage 6.5l/100km on a combined fuel cycle.
Acceleration, meanwhile, is pegged at 8.8 seconds to claim the 0-100km/h sprint and its top speed caps out at 201km/h.
Visually, the new SUV sports LED headlights and daytime running lights, a black “tiger nose” grille, a chrome beltline, and alloy rims ranging from 17 to 19 inches.
In terms of features, standard equipment on the thoroughly-updated Kia includes cloth upholstery, smart entry and push-button start, automatic dual-zone climate control, a reverse camera, rear park assist, six speakers, cruise control, blind spot collision warning, and an artificial leather multifunction steering wheel.
Its boot is also larger than its predecessor at 591 litres compared to 466 litres, owing to the new Sportage’s slightly larger dimensions.
What you need to earn
We can use the following information to calculate what the monthly payments would be on the entry-level Kia Sportage LX if bought through a finance plan.
- Car price – R539,995
- Payment term – 60 terms (5 years)
- Interest – 10%
- Deposit – 10%
- Balloon – No balloon payment
- Extras – No optional extras
According to these figures, the SUV will require a monthly payment of at least R10,420.63.
Financial experts then recommend that you do not spend more than 20% of your gross monthly salary on vehicle payments.
From this, we can determine that local motorists will need to earn a minimum of R52,103.15 per month in order to comfortably “afford” Kia’s new mid-size SUV.
However, this figure does not include additional expenses that need to be accounted for, such as insurance, fuel, and maintenance.
Join the discussion