Sportage offers Kia’s style, warranty value
Coming off a complete redesign last year, the 2018 Kia Sportage still offers all the great value-added items Kia is renown, as well as delivering what is still one of the better-looking Compact Utility Vehicle (CUV) designs in the market.
Exterior Lines
The Sportage takes an athletic approach to exterior style while pushing all the necessary buttons to maintain competitive equality. Look for an exterior design playing to a crowd that appreciates a bit of excess in their design scheme.
While I really like the tigernose grille and gorgeous lens wrap showing off the threelayer lamp treatment, the front view is still a somewhat odd mix of bulbous wheel wells and several hood lines that seem bigger than the CUV requires. The roofline is sharp as it peaks above the driver and steeply flows down in a sleek, athletic profile.
The base model Sportage gets 17-inch aluminum rims and it graduates up to 19-inch options for the top-end of the trim line.
New for 2018
Upgrades to the 2018
Kia Sportage include a new Technology package for the LX trim (formerly only available on the EX) and a new Sport Appearance package for the EX. The LX models receive upgraded cloth seats, while the EX gains blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, heated power-folding outside mirrors and Piano Black trim. The EX can now be equipped with a heated rear seat.
Power
The entry-level Sportage features the 2.4-liter inline-four that is identical to the Optima and Sorento. That powerplant delivers 181 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. Move up to the top-of-the-line Turbo and you get a 2.0-liter turbo-four that puts out 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Kia estimates the 2.4/FWD combination will return 23 miles per gallon city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined, while the 2.0T/AWD will score 20/23/21.
Sportage engines are mated to an outstanding 6-speed automatic transmissions that drives either the front wheels or all the wheels.
The Magna Dynamax allwheel-drive system electronically senses the road and anticipates slide events and can brake individual wheels to prevent or mitigate traction loss. The system can push as much as 100 percent of the power to front or rear wheels as needed, and there’s even a 50/50 locking differential.
The Sportage comes with Eco, Normal, and Sport driving modes, and while suspension dynamics don’t change between the settings, throttle response and steering weight are altered.
Inside Effects
The Sportage makes huge strides in cabin comfort and material quality over much of the class. This is a more astute interior design and one that incorporates a gentle touch of technology and a hard look at noise control and visibility for the driver.
Upgraded leather seats and extra lumbar and side bolstering come with escalation of trim lines. Sportage offers a very comfortable ride on day trips and easy rides for about town. Legroom is just fine for full size adults up front and just slightly snug in the rear seats. Vertical storage options in back add flexibility. I did encounter some annoying blind spots that have come with the redesign, but you get used to them quickly the more you drive the Sportage.
I like Kia’s UVO infotainment system for its easy use and intuitive operation menus. The base and turbo models get a 7-inch screen that delivers great visibility for the driver.
Safety
You can buy a new Sportage with some nice safety features, including forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot detection, lane departure warning and rear cross traffic alert.
Kia’s legendary warranty is at 10 years or 100,000 miles. With a price range of $24,395$35,000, the Sportage is bound to be a popular choice for CUV enthusiasts, no matter how crowded the field gets.