This is the all-new Kia Sportage

Be still your beating heart: it’s the new Kia Sportage. And we’ll forgive you if you think it looks a wee bit like the old one.

That, of course, is the sign of success. All the best cars – 911, 3-Series, Mini – have styling that evolves when a new generation arrives. The familiarity of this fourth-generation Sportage is a concrete thumbs-up for its forebear.

And yes, this really is the fourth Sportage, quashing any accusations that Kia is trying to copy the blueprints of the Qashqai’s success. Kia was selling little crossovers – albeit deeply average ones – long before Nissan.

So what’s new? If the bumf is to be believed, the Sportage is bolder, more progressive, sharper and more dynamic to look at. There are even references to tigers and jet fighters.

In the real world, it’s a more subtly stylish version of what went before, and if Kia hasn’t messed with the value for money proposition too much, one of the stronger rivals to that ubiquitous Nissan.

With mechanical bits likely shared with the reasonably able Hyundai Tuscon, expect standard front-wheel drive, optional AWD, and a handful of frugal petrol and diesel engines, ranging from 114bhp to 182bhp. There’ll be a bunch of nice electronic things to prod away at too, including a touch screen media system.

The Sportage will fight, likely in vain, against slinky concepts for the attention of Frankfurt motor show goers next month. But you can bet a good proportion of your possessions that there’ll be a lot of these knocking around on our roads in a year or two’s time. Like it?