Competitively-priced Kia does the trick
WHILE not the oldest or most popular brand on the South African market, Kia is definitely here to stay, as their range of versatile offerings continue to surprise with clever gadgets, unique styling and unexpected acceleration.
At the weekend, Kia treated World of Wheels to a breakfast run in its Port Elizabeth showroom range which include, among others, the Picanto 1.2, Soul 1.6 diesel, Sorento 2.4 and Sportage GT Line.
The four distinctly differently styled vehicles cater for most markets, with the Picanto made for inner-city driving and boasting several optional extras including leather seats, a 7 inch LCD display multimedia system, as well as rearview cameras.
While the performance of the four-cylinder engine, limited to 170km/h, won’t blow your hair back, the car does what it is designed for through its eye-catching front end, impressive sound system and economical 35-litre tank.
The appearance of the boxshaped Soul is certainly an acquired taste, however, the simplicity of the display panel, multifunction steering, spacious seating and surprising acceleration illustrates beauty does come from within.
The aesthetically appealing allwheel drive Sorento and Sportage GT Line both have a commanding presence on the road, but their slow-changing automatic gearbox left much to be desired on the ride.
While both SUV’s claim and are capable of playing close to the 200km/h range, the slow shifting quickly kills the enthusiasm built through the revs.
The host of luxury features fitted as standard in the two models include separate climate control for front and rear passengers, seat warmers and cornering fog lights.
However, the Sportage falls short in terms of its multimedia system. With all the other models boasting more modern electronic audio and navigation displays, the Sportage’s dashboard instead is instead littered with more buttons to perform the same functions.
While it may not be every driver’s first choice, the range is competitively priced for the surprises on offer in each vehicle.
The Picanto range starts at about R155 000; the Soul from about R318 000; and the Sorento from about R470 000.
The Sportage ranges from about R420 000 to R600 000 for the GT Line.