ONLY a few months after its launch the all-new Kia Sportage has been crowned with a significant accolade by becoming the Diesel Car Magazine Car of the Year.

The fourth generation Sportage bettered the competition due to its excellent specification levels, even on low grade vehicles, including Bluetooth connectivity, DAB radio and satellite navigation.

This coupled with its dynamic handling and distinctive design, made this family crossover a clear choice for the top spot.

The Sportage was also voted the best medium sized SUV by the magazine.

The Sportage strong points were its competitive prices with the range starting from £17,995 and the lead-in diesel, the1.7 CRDi 6-speed manual version, at £19,745 - all covered by the brand's industry leading seven year warranty.

Kia's new crossover, which was introduced to the UK market in February, has already seen impressive sales success with more than 14,000 customers placing orders in just four months.

Editor and publisher of Diesel Car, Ian Robertson, said: "The Sportage won the top spot because of its generous equipment levels, keen prices and excellent road manners, which means that the Sportage leapfrogs the competition to sit at the very top of the class."

Paul Philpott, president and chief executive of Kia Motors (UK) said: "We are delighted and honoured to get this tremendous accolade from Diesel Car. Clearly new Sportage is a big winner with customers and Diesel Car's endorsement only reinforces the car's success."