KIA Sportage: luxury levels of performance and style
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- Published on Friday, May 27, 2016
Photo by Ben Castle. The test model (pictured), SX Turbo in scarlet red, is the highest trim package, featuring 19 inch aluminum rims, Xenon Dynamic Adaptive HID headlights, front parking sensors, paddle shifters, autonomous emergency breaking and more.
By Ben Castle
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It’s hard to believe, but the Kia Sportage is actually the longest serving model in Kia’s range, having been around since 1993. In fact, it pre-dates segment bestsellers such as Ford Escape, Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4 by as much as seven years! In the early days, it was viewed as a budget alternative to those vehicles, but now in its 24th year, the all-new fourth generation 2017 Kia Sportage looks and feels like an upscale product inside and out and aims to hit the competition where it hurts.
The previous generation Sportage was deservedly a hit thanks to sporty styling, standard features that are extra on many luxury cars and powerful engines. Those engines, a 2.4 litre GDI with 181 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque and a 2 litre GDI twin-scroll turbo (2.0T) with 237 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque are both carried over and still offer above average power for the class, but rated at 9.3L/100km and 9.7L/100km highway respectively are a little off the pace in terms of fuel economy. Both engines are mated with Kia’s six-speed Sportmatic automatic transmission and both have a maximum towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. Service intervals are 6,000 km and the warranty is five years, 100,000 km bumper-to-bumper.
Sportage is available in five trim levels: LX, EX, EX Premium, EX Tech and SX. All wheel drive is around $2,000 extra on LX and EX models and standard on all other models. The 2.0T engine is only offered on SX trim. Starting at $24,795 before taxes, LX trim has an impressive list of features as standard such as 17 inch aluminum wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, rearview camera, heated front seats, Bluetooth, XM radio, projection lights and foglights and power locks, windows and mirrors. An extra $3,000 for EX trim adds 18 inch wheels, dual-zone climate control, LED lights, power folding mirrors, leather-trimmed steering wheel and shifter, proximity entry with push-button start and Android auto smartphone integration amongst other features.
For $2,900 more, EX Premium adds panoramic sunroof, leather seats, heated steering wheel, LED cabin lighting, cargo cover, rear parking sensors, blind spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert. For $4,300 more for EX Tech trim gets you navigation, air-cooled front seats, heated rear seats, Harmon/Kardon premium audio, smart power liftgate and wireless phone charging. Finally, for a $2,400 premium, SX trim comes with the engine upgrade, 19 inch wheels, spare wheel, Xenon Dynamic Adaptive HID headlights, front parking sensors, paddle shifters for the auto transmission, autonomous emergency braking and more.
The test model supplied by Planet Kia in Brandon was the SX Turbo with a sticker of $39,935. In scarlet red, it looks every inch a $40,000 car and although seeing it in pictures, I wasn’t sure about the new frontal styling initially, it looks great, almost Porsche-like in the metal and more upmarket-looking than the old car.
The latest generation of Kia interiors is also a step-up both in terms of style and quality. It uses good quality plastics, seems solidly screwed together and is ergonomically excellent, with the controls interface being simple to operate and everything falling easily to hand. It is also one of the first vehicles in its class to feature wireless phone charging on the centre console. The front seats with power and lumbar adjustment are exceptionally comfortable.
Rear legroom is improved, thanks to a longer wheelbase and the rear seat can also be reclined, although the transmission tunnel intrudes into the cabin a little, reducing comfort for the middle seat passenger. With up to 868 litres of load space (17 per cent bigger than before) and a standard false floor that allows you to store stuff out of sight and give you a completely flat load deck if required. The retractable cargo cover standard on EX Premium and above is another very useful feature.
Fortunately, this SX model also drives like a $40,000 car. The 2.0T engine has been tuned to give maximum torque from lower revs and over a wider rev range (1,450-3,500 rpm) and as a result, it is very swift indeed and always ready to offer effortless overtaking. Shifts from the six-speed auto are very slick and can be performed manually with the paddle shifters when required. The standard Drive Select mode with Normal, Eco and Sport modes also sharpens things up nicely and on twisty roads, the Sportage inspires confidence with little body roll, well-weighted steering and a composed ride, although, you still get some “thump” back through the steering from the 45 section tires on this model.
The brakes (33 per cent larger than the 2016 model) are also noteworthy, as they are very powerful and cope well with repeated hard braking from 100km/h. Dynamax AWD will redistribute torque to individual wheels for optimum traction and stability in cornering as well as low-grip situations and you can also lock it in a 50/50 split at low speeds, whereupon it will automatically disengage when up to speed for better fuel economy. Despite enjoying all the performance available, I still managed to average 11.1L/100km.
Which one would I buy? The turbo powertrain and sporty good looks in the SX really won me over and delivered a very fun, entertaining drive and although it feels worthy of the price tag, there are many other credible options (some of them larger) available for the money. For instance, you can get the larger Kia Sorentowith the same engine, albeit a lesser trim for several thousand dollars less. If Kia offered the turbo engine in EX or EX Premium trim, thatwould be my choice, but as it does not, I would recommend the EX/EX Premium trim for value/features, which still offers above average power for the class.
The Sportage’s closest rival on paper is probably the Hyundai Tucson, tested last month, and spec-for-spec, there is on average less than $300 price difference between the two. The Tucson has a slightly bigger load area and marginally better fuel economy but the Sportage fights back with more power and a better-equipped base model. One thing’s for sure though, on merit, the Sportage is right up there with the best-in-class and now you can have style, performance and quality as well as a first-class warranty and excellent value in your Sportage.
