The works of the Korean company Kia have not stopped surprising in recent years. We are following with great interest what Kia has given us this time. We are greeted by a small "parquet" SUV Sportage with a fresh, bold, athletic and sporty look. The car is built on the same platform as the previously unveiled Hyundai ix35, but comparing the two related models, it is clear that both companies are striving for two different flavors - the Hyundai ix35 has soft curved lines, while the Kia Sportage is sharp and slightly angled. The author of the Sportage design is Peter Schreyer, the new head of Kia’s design department, who previously developed the design for the Audi TT and the great Kia Magentis. Compared to the previous generation, the new Kia Sportage has not only changed its look and become more modern, but is also longer, lower, wider and features a more spacious cabin and luggage space. Inside, the instrument panel replicates the shape of the front radiator grille, all devices are read very clearly. Although a closer look reveals a not very high quality of materials, it does not prevent the feeling of sitting in a higher class car. The Sportage is spacious enough - the boot holds 564 liters and the folding rear seats increase the space to 1,353 liters. The car, like competitors Nissan Qashqai and Ford Kuga, is offered with both all-wheel drive and two-wheel drive. The base engines are 1.6 L petrol and 1.7 Diesel, which power only the front wheels. The most coveted engine is a diesel 2.0 L CRDi engine with 136 hp or 184 hp. Thanks to the longer wheelbase, this car is more comfortable to drive than before. Not surprisingly, the car behaves like an ordinary car on the road - it follows the turning trajectory well, has a small body tilt, although it lacks the sharpness and precision that the Skoda Yeti has. The long guarantee provided by the company is based on the idea that the car will be of high quality and reliable. That is what we expect from Korean car manufacturers. So, the new player in the market will definitely not go unnoticed and maybe even become one of the examples in its segment.
Excellent design, great value for money, spacious interior
None
Year: 2013
Engine capacity, l: 2,0
Fuel Type: Diesel
Gearbox: Mechanical
Body type: SUV
Car description
I have Kia Sportage crossover III 2.0 CRDi with four wheel drive that is very capable off-road and can handle the worst weather conditions. The one I’ve got has a six-gear manual transmission. This vehicle looks very youthful and stylish too. What needs to be mentioned is a quality issue. It has poor interior with doors made of hard plastic, poor trim fit and hard textured faux leather seats that look rather dull. Buttons and the panel where the temperature is set are made of chrome trim which I don’t like since finger prints are very visible. So if you want it to look neat and tidy you’ll have to clean ‘em constantly. It has rather poor radio/sound system, not to mention that there’s no sound coming out of one of my car’s speaker. Overall sound isolation definitely needs to be improved so that no noise coming out of the cabin would be heard. Meanwhile, the rear view camera gets dirty very quickly thus when trying to park the car there’s not much use of it. It also features a sizeable interior; passengers in the back have plenty of space, but after having a longer ride you start feeling back pain, the same goes for the rest of the passengers either sitting in the front or back of a car. One more thing that I don’t like regards side mirrors that get dirty quickly too. Because of that I have to make couple of stops at the gas station to clean them off. The suspension is really soft. As a result it soaks up bumps and potholes in the road. No regrets about 4WD system. The stability control system helps a lot, especially on icy, slippery roads.
Performance
The engine is definitely can be described as very dynamics. If driving at 50 mph on the highway and with the activated cruise control, my fuel consumption is 54 mpg. Average consumption – 47 mpg.
Reliability, running costs
I have no comments about running costs because so far I had no need to visit an authorized service center.
Recommendations to buyers
When it comes to recommendations it’s difficult to say anything useful. Since some Kia Sportage owners indicate potential problems with electronics it would be worth going for OBD testing.