A very capable crossover worth a look
The 2020 Kia Sportage has all the stuff the market wants.
The first thing you have to do with respect to Kia’s Sportage is decide how to pronounce it. Americans say “SPOR-tidge.” Up here, it’s more likely to be “spor-TAHGE,” with the em-PHA-sis on the second sylLAB-ble.
Also gives a distinctly French slant to it. Not surprising, given how well Kia does in Quebec.
The fourth-generation Sportage debuted three years ago. Fresh styling and added equipment highlight the changes for 2020.
Prices start at $25,795 for the front-wheel drive LX.
Even at that level, you get useful stuff like heated power side-view mirrors, heated front seats, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, 12-volt outlets front and rear, two-level trunk with hidden storage and a backup camera with guidelines to ease those tricky reverses.
Another two grand gets you “Dynamax,” among the most clever four-wheel drive systems available.
A product of Canada’s own Magna International, Dynamax uses a series of sensors to automatically engage fourwheel drive when it can be helpful; otherwise, it stays in front-wheel drive to save fuel.
For that nasty cottage access road, you can lock the system into 4x4 mode.
The mid-range EX (4x4 only) at $31,695 brings a bunch of typically useless “driving aids” like “lane-keeping assist.”
(Um, how did you get your driver’s licence?)
And, of course, the “dumb key” fob system, which sadly is almost universal now.
More useful are the 10-way power seats and the heated leather-wrapped steering wheel. (Um again, when is our government going to make this mandatory?)
My EX tester listed at $37,995, which included the “Premium” package (the dreaded leather upholstery, pointless blind-spot warning system, the more useful dualzone automatic air conditioning, and rear cross-traffic alert), and the “Tech” package (heated rear seats and cooled front ones, a lovely Harman/ Kardon sound system with SiriusXM satellite radio, and Kia’s UVO telematics system).
Add $200 for the “Modern Bronze” paint job, plus taxes, freight and A/C charge, and this vehicle will run you $40,080. If you think that’s a lot for a compact SUV, you haven’t been following the market.
The range-topper is the SX Turbo 4x4, which starts at $39,995, but I’ll focus on the one I drove.
Sportage is a handsome thing, given that the two-boxes-onwheels concept doesn’t give designers much leeway.
One knock: the rear turn signals are way too low in the bumper. Given how many people are driving taller vehicles now, these really must be positioned higher.
That bronze paint gives a luxurious look, which continues inside, with good design executed in high-quality materials. The exception would be the matte black plastic panel for radio and HVAC controls, which looks decidedly low-rent.
The main instrument cluster is a paragon of design and legibility. Big round speedo and tach, with smaller gauges for fuel and coolant temperature nestled within.
The “UVO” touchscreen system is integrated cleanly into the dash, rather than appearing to have been glued on as an afterthought.
Many functions are controlled by buttons on the steering column spokes, some of which can only be changed when the car is in “Park.” Occasionally inconvenient; undoubtedly safer.
It will take some time to find out where all the functions are, but that’s true of any modern car. Lots of adjustability in the seat and steering wheel (reach and rake) to find a good driving position.
Lots of room, too, and real adults can fit in the back seat.
The rear seat-back release levers are down on the floor, rather than on the seat backs themselves, as is more common. The seat split-folds in one-third/two-thirds ratio. As I do in my VW Golf wagon, I removed the rear-seat headrests when no one was riding back there, to improve rearward visibility.
Lots of cubby bins and cupholders throughout, for realworld driving. An open bin ahead of the shift lever handles miscellaneous debris and includes a USB outlet.
A touch of a button gives you the choice of three drive modes. “ECO” dampens throttle response and isn’t as quick to downshift on light throttle application to maximize economy.
“Sport” gives you the most spirited drive, and the seat side bolsters tighten up a little to give you added lateral support, rare indeed at this price point.
“Normal” splits the difference.
I’d need a month with this vehicle to determine if there is any measurable difference in fuel consumption using these different modes. My guess: probably not. The 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine (181 horsepower at 6,000 r.p.m.; 175 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 r.p.m.) gives decent performance. But its most remarkable characteristic is how quiet it is — not something you’d usually say about a largedisplacement four-banger.
Some credit must go to the sound-deadening “acoustic” glass in the windshield.
The six-speed automatic transmission is properly transparent in operation, shifting seamlessly as needed.
The manual shift feature is backwards, as it is in so many cars. It must be back to upshift, forward to downshift. If I have to tell you why again, you shouldn’t be using it anyway. Hard to know how much of the Sportage’s nimble handling is down to the trick four-wheel drive system, but it’s a delight, simply going where you point it. Some credit must also go to the Michelin Primacy tires, same ones I have on our Golf.
The steering is accurate and confidence-inspiring.
In sum, the Kia Sportage is a very capable vehicle, and seems to have all the stuff this market wants.
The challenge for Kia is getting people to consider it. This is one of the biggest segments in the Canadian marketplace, with maybe a dozen worthy contenders.
If sprightly handling and high-end features are at the top of your shopping list, Kia’s Sportage is worth a look, no matter how you pronounce it.