Vehicle: 2005 Kia Sportage LX-V6
Price as tested: CDN$28300

Performance: The Sportage is powered by 2 engines. A 2.0L 4-cylinder which has 140 ponies and 136 lb/ft of torque, similar to the one used in Hyundai Elantra. Or the V6 in our tester, a 2.7L DOHC 24-valver with 173 horsepower and 178 lb/ft of torque. This is a very capable powerplant as it provides refinment and NVH that rivalled those of the best from Japan. Its surprisingly flexible, refined and smooth. Throttle response is responsive without the jerking feel of some overly responsive throttle. Matched with this engine is the 4-speed Steptronic manumatic. While its a smooth unit, this tranny is unwilling to up and downshifts in “auto” mode. Due to the laziness of this transmission, its best to use the manumatic mode to use the best of the rev range.

Handling: Unlike the original Sportage, this successor’s dynamic is anything but thanks to the advant of the next generation Elantra chassis. The steering is communicative and responsive, on the other hand, there are plenty of on and off-center feedback. When pushed through a corner, Sportage responds instantly without protest. It has a sporty dynamic feel that reminds of a jacked-up sportswagon than a crumsy body-on-frame ute that used to be on previous car. Although the AWD won’t activate until it detects slippage, it works very effectively in all the conditions. Safe understeer and certain amount of body rolls are expected in a mini-ute with high center-of-gravity. Compare to its Tucson silibing, it feels even sportier and sharper through corners. In terms of ride comfort, Kia has sacificed a bit of its Tucson silibing’s sublime quality for slightly firmer ride. However, its firm in a state of a nice blend of delightful handling and decent comfort that absorbs expansion joints and washboard pavements relatively well. Due to the sporty nature of the Sportage, its standard ESP doesn’t kick in unnecesssarily until a driver goes nuts into a corner. If Sportage is the indication of the future of Kias to come, its surely become the sporty and dynamic division of Hyundai. The firmer and more aggressive tuning of Sportage has transformed an impressive Tucson into an even sportier ride. The upcoming Rio, Sorento and Sedona would be a signs to come for more sporty products.

Brakes: The 4-wheel discs and standard ABS provide decent pedal feel. The pedal feels firm and easily modulated. Gone are the spongy and long stopping distance of its predecessor.

Interior: The interior improvements of Sportage are as significant as its dynamic qualities. Gone are the cheap, nasty looking plastic that are ill-fitting. All the switchgears have a tactical and high-quality feel that are heavy to the touch. The instrumentation gauges are clear and analog. The center console is smartly designed with stereo placed on top of climate control. The air-conditioning works exceptionally in a 30 degrees + Westcoast weather, not to mentioned the knobs for manual climate control are extremely logically layout. The driver position is easily found with tilt steering and plenty of adjustables for the seat.

The back seat is as spacious as front seats with tons of head and legrooms.

In terms of cargo space, Kia designers have done a great job by integrating all the cubbyholes and spare tire underneath. There is also a privacy cover to keep from prying eyes. A low liftover completes the very well-rounded package.

Conclusion: Except for the name, the new Sportage is a revolutionary vehicle compares to its unremarkable or even, crappy, predecessor. Everything from the powertrain to its class-leading handling have boosted this vehicle from the also-ran list instead the top of its class. Now, you have more than a dozen reasons to purchase a Sportage other than its humorous commercial.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2005 KIA SPORTAGE LX-V6
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Performance: 4.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.75/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.75/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 5/5
Value-for-money: 5/5

Overall rating: 4.75/5