The Kia Sportage is a medium-sized budget Sports Utility Vehicle, competing with the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe and Chevrolet, the Sportage is available with a very competitive pricing structure. With an entry level price of just under £15,000, it's definitely worth investigation.
The tested car, a 2.0 Litre CRDi XS diesel, fitted with leather seats. First impressions of the Sportage were that it was a reasonably good looking car, the optional bull bars, roof bars, alloys and side steps lent it a rugged and capable look. Neat front and rear lights combined with a generally pleasing and well designed body complete with large black bumpers.
On the road, the Kia is surprisingly refined, handling and feedback were confident and predictable for a vehicle of this type and certainly better than several more expensive SUVs I could mention. On-road performance dynamics were also good and fairly car-like and it's also quite torquey at low revs, hinting that it could be a good towing tool and still has a lot of poke left for overtaking at cruising speed. My car was fitted with a slight;y jerky but functional cruise control system, good for motorway use - it was as functional if not just a bit clunkier than the market leaders in this sector. Four-wheel drive is selected manually, rather than by viscous linkage but serious off-roaders prefer to be in charge of their diff-locks.
Build quality is okay; materials in the cabin are of reasonable quality considering the retail price of the car but do leave room for improvement. The cabin is well designed, spacious and comfortable whilst controls are ergonomically placed however it does have a mildly agricultural feel to it. I can't fault the boot space - it's cavernous.
Electronic Stability Control, driver and passenger airbags and a tough cabin safety structure ensure that you and your passengers are as safe as possible.
In short, this is an awful lot of car for the money - performance and comfort are good without compromising practicality and safety, despite slightly disappointing aspects of the build quality. The SUV sector is an exceptionally competitive area of the market and to order to excel, this car needs to stand out from the crowd. Without doubt, the Sportage's greatest of many strengths is value for money.
