Latest Kia really does have power to surprise
driver and cooled at the front plus hill descent control, parking assist and posh puddle lamps in the door mirrors are just some of the features on this car.
Then there is cruise control (although not adaptive), parking sensors all round, DAB radio with premium sound, privacy glass, electric panoramic glass roof, selectable four wheel drive... and what is Kia’s trump card for many buyers, an industry-leading seven year/ 100,000 mile warranty across the range.
It’s main rivals are the Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga and Mazda CX-5 as well as its sister car the Hyundai Tucson. The Sportage is one of the better-made and roomier small/ medium SUVs as I discovered when it was pressed into service helping number one daughter move a mountain of belongings (mainly clothes) to her new flat.
The rear seats fold flush and can be dropped with one hand in seconds giving an impressive load area. On the road there’s lots of grip through corners and the suspension soaks up the bumps well with some body roll, but it is a big improvement on its predecessor. Kia engineers have also given the Sportage better electric steering which is accurate and sharp.
All-wheel drive is available on the 2.0-litre diesel models and the 1.6 T-GDi with two-wheel drive being the default mode, but 40 per cent of the power can go to the rear wheels should the front loose grip – and then there is a diff lock for really sticky situations. The range starts with the 1.6 GDI 130bhp petrol 2WD at £18,000 and tops out with our First Edition 2.0 CRDi 182bhp 6-speed auto 4x4 at £31,650.
The sportier GT-Line models feature a new 1.6 turbo petrol engine which only comes with four-wheel drive and 174bhp. Then there is a 1.7, 114bhp diesel with six speed manual and 2WD that is the most economical, giving up to 67mpg extra urban and is expected to be the best seller.
Our 2-litre diesel does a shade under 50mpg combined and Kia claim over 54 on a run. Performancewise, on paper the 2.0-litre diesel Sportage should be fairly quick with 182bhp giving 0 to 60 in 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 125 – although some of its rivals feel quicker.
It is a long time since I first drove in a Kia and during that time the company has worked hard to successfully transform its brand and image in the eyes of the UK motoring public in 2016. I certainly now see Kias in a different light after a week with the Sportage.
So Kia has come a long way in a short time and with four ‘all-new models’ promised for 2017 – two new versions of existing products and two additions to their growing range – it would seem that their tagline of ‘The Power to Surprise’ looks set to continue.