Sportage

Short test: 2012 Kia Sportage SX Turbo

Vehicle: 2012 Kia Sportage SX Turbo
Price as tested: CDN$36995

Its pretty hard to imagine the 3rd iteration of the Sportage is such a radical depature from the original one. When a world-class engineering team mated with industry-leading design team, the result is simply amazing. This has pretty much summed up of what’s happening at Kia nowaday. Their latest Sportage is the prime example.

In order to give Sportage more performance creditals, its not that the standard 2.4 liter version is a sloush. Kia gives us the 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with 260 ponies, and more importantly, 269 lb/ft of torque, on the uplevel SX trim. Along with 260hp and 269 lb/ft of torque, SX has added larger 18″ wheels, multi-adjustable leather seats and the whole nine yards to the already impressive package. The result is a Sportage which is able to launch from north to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, which is simply world-class by any sketches of standard. Its even more astounishing consider Sportage is basically a CUV weighting in at 3466 lb.

To put this into perspective, consider Sportage’s competitions.
BMW X1 XDrive 28i with new 4-cylinder 2.0 turbo: 244hp/258 lb/ft of torque. 6.7 seconds costing @ $44390
VW Tiguan Highline with 4-cylinder 2.0TSI: 200hp/207 lb/ft of torque. 7.8 seconds costing @ $37775

Along with the performance prowess of Sportage turbo, its top-notch AWD is able to match with state-of-the-art stability control, which is able to turn the steering 3 degrees on the outside wheels to add proactivity to the driving experience. Another benefit is less understeer when driven hard into a corner. That makes Sportage as sharp to drive as any of the sports sedans out there.

The rest of the packaging continues to be impressed. The use of materials and workmanship are nothing but outstanding. The auto climate control and navigation system are initutitve, while the back-up camera located in the rear-view mirror is clear even if its a bit tiny.

And by all means. You get such a delightful performing package without having to use the extra pennies for Premium 92 Octane gasoline. That’s as impressive as you can get as an overall package.

Likes:
260hp of turbo rush
Tight handling
Build quality
Stunning looks

Dislikes:
Stiffer ride from 18″ wheels
Rear glass doesn’t open independently

Competitions:
BMW X1
Subaru Forester 2.5XT
VW Tiguan

2011 Kia Sportage

Vehicle: 2011 Kia Sportage EX Luxury with Navigation
Price as tested: CDN$35195

Performance: The original Sportage has to be the worse car I have ever driven. The 3rd generation of Sportage has shown how far Kia has gone in only 10 short years.

Unlike its predecessor, the new Sportage isn’t available with a V6 engine. Instead, the Sportage is powered by a smooth-running 2.4 liter in-line 4-cylinder 16-valve engine with CVVT or Kia’s Dual Variable Valve Timing. That set, this engine has 176 ponies and 168 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal. This 4-cylinder is not only has the refinement and smoothness to match the best of the competitions, its level of performance would let anyone forget about opting for the V6. Why it sound so familiar? Because Kia’s parent company, Hyundai, has ditched V6 for both Tucson and Sonata. In former’s case, Hyundai will added a turbo and hybrid in that impressive family sedan. Even if the Sportage has 3488 lb to carry around with all those luxury items. This 4 banger moves the Sportage with authority. The throttle response is responsive and linear. The 6-speed Steptronic provides crisp yet smooth gearchange through all 6 gears. All have done with gear ratios which perfectly match to Sportage’s sporty character. Unfortunately, its a pity Kia doesn’t provide paddle shifters on the steering for drivers to downshift before entering a corner. That means its rather redundant to have a manumatic mode, as driver has to pull the gearlever onto the left side before up and downshifting. The Sportage has an “Eco” indicator which tells the driver they are driving in the most economical manner. While it has certainly help those who rarely light on their feet while driving. I would rather delete this warning light and keep my right foot light.

Handling: We were very scary when we pushed the original Sportage into any highway on and off-ramp, simply because of its poorly calibrated suspension. The new Sportage is anything but. It begins with the same rigid chassis that underpins the impressive Tucson. That’s the great beginning for suspension components to hang its heads. Then add the Dynamax all-wheel-drive system which is able to detect any wheel slippage, with electronic stability control always in the helping hands. Its really hard to get the Sportage unglued at any circumstances. Its not only the Sportage’s Dynamax AWD ensure confidence in all kinds of weather conditions, its sporty suspension provides exceptional dynamics when pushed. There is always a sense of sportiness whenever you nail the Sportage into a corner. The steering is sharp and precise, while reacts the driver input quickly and effectively. Suspension absorbs bumps and roughness with ease. In terms of ride quality, it has a sense of European suppleness to its rebound damping. That means its ride quality is firm without being harsh. The Sportage is a very satisfying car to drive. Period.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, Sportage’s braking performance certainly live up to its billing. The stopping distance is short while pedal feels crisp. The pedal always have some lives to it, no matter how hard driver nails the brake. ABS only steps in necessarily is an added bonus.

Interior: The luggage space of the Sportage is superbly layout. It all begins with a squared cut-off with low liftover, then add fold-down rear seats. The Sportage has up to 1547 liters of luggage space for any belongings. If there is one drawback, however, its the rear glass which doesn’t open independently.

In front, our EX Limited is fully loaded. Everything else from a keyless engine start to heated seats are all standard items. Both the navigation system and automatic climate control are initutive. For the navigational system, we don’t need to faddle the owner’s manual to figure out all the features. All the leather and plastic materials are world-class in the Sportage. All the panel gaps are in tight tolerance. The leather seats provide decent thigh and back supports.

At the back of the Sportage, there are plenty of leg and headroom. Its also comfortable enough to sit 3 persons aboard.

However, there is one major problem. Its the thick C-pillars which are horrible to the rear sightlines when backing up into any parking spot. Thankfully, Kia has equipped our loaded EX Limited with back-up camera along with the navigation system. Although I dislike the poor sightlines, I can certainly live with it thanks to the latest in technology.

Conclusion: So what have Kia taught us with the Sportage over the years?

With a state-of-the-art AWD and electronic stability control, great styling and nice interior. It has proved with solid engineering and great design, its about to transform a totally garbage product into a world-class one. In Sportage’s case, that means transforming the vehicle that shouldn’t be existed at all into a class-leader.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Kia Sportage
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Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4.25/5

2005 Kia Sportage LX-V6

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