KIA shed their bargain basement tag many years ago now, but a good value package is still very much what motorists are buying into.
‘Sportage’ is a bit of a misnomer as it’s not really that sporty, but it’s a car that very adequately does all the boring bits of daily life – weekly shopping, the school run, commuting – and does it with a bit of style.You can’t miss those statement angular daytime running lights and its wide chunky grille, all the more so because the Sportage is a big seller for Kia and there are a whole lot of them around us on our roads.
Out on the road Sportage is a pleasure to drive. All round visibility is good and its light steering makes manoeuvring, even at low speed, easy to accomplish. It grips the road well enough, and because of that and its well set-up underpinnings, there’s not too much body roll in corners.
Its wide front track gives it good stability, and while the ground clearance still helps to give you a good all round view of the mayhem going on around you, it’s not as high as some – the conventional wisdom from Kia has always been the Sportage is less likely to be used as an off-roader, and I think they’re right. But that extra height means access is easier and there’s no contorting yourself in and out.
The choice of engines available will suit most needs, with mild hybrid petrol, self-charging hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. Most private buyers opt for the former, because they’re smooth and economical and the up front price isn’t too scary. It can get as far as 40mph on electric power alone before the ICE unit kicks in.
It will undoubtedly remain their best selling model for some time yet.
That it’ll more than meet the requirements of the modern family and their lifestyle is a given, and it won’t necessarily bite you on the bum when it comes to running it on a day to day basis.
In normal use the ride quality is pretty good, and the power assisted steering has a light feel that makes what is a decent sized car easy to manoeuvre round town. And potholes tend to prove to be nothing more than a minor annoyance.
There are plenty versions of the new Sportage, so plenty to choose from depending on the size of your bank account, or how much of the kids inheritance you’re prepared to invest.They’re all fairly well equipped, with driver assistance features aplenty, and feature twin 12.3 inch touchscreens stretching well cross the dash and are curved to make viewing and use easier for the driver.The whole cabin has a quality, well put together feel to it.
All versions come with a big clear rear view camera plus front and rear sensors, and there’s plenty of room both front and back.It’s a car that has sold as much on its looks as its undoubted practicality for the UK family in the past. And now it looks smarter still – a practical family SUV with standout styling.
Kia Sportage GT-Line HEV T-GDi
Price: £35,485
Engine: 1.6 litre, four cylinder turbocharged, petrol
Power: 207bhp
Torque: 258lb/ft
Transmission: six speed auto
Top speed: 115mph
0-60mph: 8.4 seconds
Economy: 49.6mpg
CO2 emissions: 128g/km