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The first impression

As first impressions go, the Kia Sportage has made a lasting one on me. Since its launch in 2010 it has profoundly boosted the brand’s image. Visually it is vastly different from the car it replaced and spearheads Kia’s design DNA, winning a large variety of global awards, which is a testament to its design prowess.

Kia’s efforts to increase market share have been harmoniously and quite brilliantly brought to life in its mid-sized SUV. Four years on, and thousands of Sportages sold, it’s hard to spot  even a wrinkle of age showing in its creative lines, but Kia never rests and has made improvements to an already outstanding product. These cosmetic improvements are subtle but serve to enhance an already purposeful design. The Sportage features a remoulded grille, revamped bumpers and front fog lamps, all adding to the car’s dynamic proportions. There are two new sets of rims, sized 17” and 18” for the all-wheel drive version. The redesigned rear combination lamps are striking in large red casing, which adds to the car’s sporting nature.

On the road

The name ‘Sportage’ is rather suggestive, alluding to a certain sporty character. The Sportage is available in either a 2.0 petrol or more powerful turbo diesel engine. Additionally you have a choice of a 6-speed manual or automatic gearbox. For most, the front wheel drive version will be all that you would ever need, and perfectly capable of mounting pavements. 

Now, for those of you looking for some bundoo in your off the beaten track bashing, there is an all-wheel drive version, which comes standard with a diff lock and hill decent control systems activated via dash mounted buttons.

As part of the Sporage’s mid-life upgrades, technical and mechanical improvements have been made to improve noise, vibration and harshness. The obvious implications are a better quality drive and ride for the driver and passengers.

As the name suggests, the Sportage has a firm set of suspenders (suspension) which means the Sportage goes around corners like a champ, leaving leaning to the tower of Pisa, while staying steadfast and upright on its tekkies. The firmer suspension setting means that the Sportage can feel taught over rough surfaces though.

The diesel AWD flagship model on review has a wonderfully torquay engine, with loads of power and seat shoving oomph available throughout the car’s rev range. Fuel consumption figures are fare rather than frugal, with mixed driving returning fuel consumption figures of approx. 10.5l per 100km. I believe the fuel consumption figures will be better on the 2WD version.

The Sportage’s cabin is a mix of creatively designed plastic and leather and follows a similar design ethos to the exterior of the car. The large glass panoramic sunroof opens up the cabin, while the Infinity sound system makes listening to music and acoustic delight.

What I liked:

• Masculine good looks
• Comfortable and spacious interior
• On and off road drivability
• Good levels of standard equipment

What I’m not mad about:  

• Noisy engine
• Lack of reach adjustment of the steering wheel

The figures

The extra stuff

The upgraded Sportage will be available in eight colours: Clear White, Bright Silver, Mineral Silver, Sand Track, Black Cherry, Vintage Blue, Signal Red and Sage Green. All models come standard with a 5-year/150 000 km warranty (up from 100 000km), a 5-year/100 000km service plan and a 3-year/unlimited roadside assistance plan.

The verdict

The Sportage is a well-rounded package. It combines great looks, good performance, a modern cabin and descent fuel economy. It is a competitive segment though, and consumers have an abundant choice of medium sized SUV’s to select from.

Other options available on the menu of high-raised urban chariots are the Kia’s cousin the Hyundai ix35, the Ford Kuga or the Toyota RAV4. If size isn’t an issue, you can also consider the three German dwarfs: Audi’s Q3, BMW’s X1 or Mercedes-Benz’s GLA.

If it was my money, I believe there is only two contenders for consideration in the above mentioned bunch – the Sportage and Kuga.

The Ford is offered in either a 1.6T or a 2.0TDI; either of these two engines is mated to a 6-speed automatic or manual gearbox. After experiencing the 1.6T automatic last year, I believe that the overall drive of the car is let down by an imperfect gearbox. It continually hunts through its gears and ruins the cars composed character. I can’t be certain that the diesel suffers the same shortfall, but would suspect so. If you like driving a stick shift, the Kuga won’t disappoint. If not, buy the Sportage.

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