Saturday, December 6, 2014

SUV Review: 2015 Kia Sportage EX



Overview Comfortable and competent compact crossover has great value
Pros All-wheel-drive, sporty road manners, features and amenities
Cons Small UVO screen, no paddle shifters, $200 paint cost
Value for money Excellent
What would I change? Give UVO a larger touch-sensitive screen

When the third-generation Kia Sportage landed there was very little to carp about — the bold style, LED daytime lights and raked roofline made it one of the more fetching two-box crossovers. The fact it delivered the lot in an affordable ride served to add to its allure.

Hop behind the wheel and a nicely crafted interior waits. The materials are soft to the touch and the layout is both logical and intuitive. Along with the cloth heated seats and usual power items, there’s Kia’s UVO system. It’s a full-on infotainment system, albeit with a smaller than normal screen. The hard buttons are neatly arranged to the flanks and when reverse is selected the rearview camera shows up in the screen. It relays enough information to park without ramming the curb or car behind. It is also very easy to navigate through the various features — the voice-activated side understands the commands with a rare degree of accuracy. All to often I have to repeat myself to get similar systems to do what I want. Simply say your command and it willingly obliges.

Beyond that, the seats are comfortable and powered. This and the tilt/telescopic steering let the ideal driving position be established quickly, and it accommodates a wide range of driver sizes.

Move rearward and the back seat will accommodate three adults — true, I would not want to be the middle rider for a long distance cruise, but it’s roomy enough to make things tolerable. From a versatility standpoint, the Sportage is pretty good. There’s 740 litres of cargo space with the split/folding seats upright and 1,547L with them folded flat. It also has a privacy cover and the needed tie-downs to secure cargo.

A 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with direct injection powers the EX. It produces 182 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. This is enough power to spirit 1,600-kilograms of crossover to speed without causing white knuckling along the way. It is also smooth and refined across the entire operating range. If the desire is for something with more pep then there is the SX and its 260-hp turbocharged four. It ramps up the performance levels considerably.

The power is fed to the pavement through the front or all four wheels. The latter is a $2,300 option, but one well worth every cent. The Dynamax system (which was developed in conjunction with Magna) sends 95 per cent of the power to the front wheels and 5 per cent to the rear. The upside is that maintaining some power to the rear means that when the power split changes according to the conditions the transition is smoother — it is like the power is added to a rolling start. It also has a lock mode when needed. The good news is that it’s smart. Below 30 km/h, it splits the power evenly front-to-rear. Above that speed, it reverts to its automatic function for economy and handling reasons. When the vehicle slows to 40 km/h it resumes its locked function. Beyond that it also looks at steering angle — when a full lock is dialled in, it automatically unlocks the central clutch, which eliminates wind-up and the crow hopping that hurts so many other systems.

What goes unsaid is driving all four wheels does not affect the fuel economy to any meaningful extent. It consumes 0.8 and 0.6 L/100 km city/highway more than the front driver. Given the all-wheel upsides the penalty really is not worth worrying about — I managed a test average of 9.9 L/100 km. Not bad given the ability it adds to the Sportage. The fact the tester was wearing winter boots rather than the low-rolling resistance all-seasons likely added around 0.5 L/100 km to the average, so it is pretty frugal.

The Sportage’s six-speed manumatic is well matched to the engine. The first four gears key on performance; the top two are overdrives. This strategy brings an enthusiastic launch that continues through the mid-range and on to the top end. The EX runs from rest to 100 kilometres an hour in 9.6 seconds, which is up to class standards.
From a versatility standpoint, the Sportage is pretty good.

The Sportage also goes one further in terms of maintaining stability than many vehicles — it’s one of the few to use the electric power steering to counter a wayward tendency. If the back end begins to break away, the system turns the front wheels into the slide as the stability control system reduces engine output and brakes the appropriate wheel(s). In the end, the combination of the all-wheel-drive system and the advanced stability control measures means it takes a really ham-fisted driver to get it wrong.

Another pleasant surprise comes in the form of the EX’s road manners. It is both comfortable and agile at the same time. The secret lies in the use of two-stage dampers. When body motion is slow, as it is when cruising the highway, the shocks deliver softer damping. Speed up the body motion and the shocks instantly firm to reduce the amount of roll and sharpen the response to steering input. It all makes for a crisp ride that’s sportier than many of its competitors.

Many shoppers tend to overlook the Sportage when looking for a compact crossover, which is a mistake. It has style, ample power and the sure-footed drive afforded by an advanced all-wheel-drive system. It is also attractively priced considering the level of standard features — the EX tested had just about everything I want/need in a ride. In the end, it all made for a compelling crossover.
The Sportage’s six-speed manumatic is well matched to the engine.

The Specs
Type of vehicle All-wheel-drive compact crossover
Engine 2.4L DOHC inline four
Power 182 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 177 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission Six-speed manumatic
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires P255/60R17
Base price/as tested $22,995/$30,995
Destination charge $1,665
Natural Resources Canada fuel economy, L/100 km 12.0 city, 9.1 hwy.
Standard features Dual-zone automatic climate control with filtration, power locks, windows, heated mirrors, cruise control, six-way power driver’s seat with adjustable lumbar support, heated front seats, cloth upholstery, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, smart key with push-button start, AM/FM/CD/MP3/satellite radio with USB/aux inputs, six speakers and steering wheel-mounted controls, UVO infotainment with back-up camera, Bluetooth, trip computer, auto-dimming rearview mirror, rear wiper/washer, privacy cover, fog lights and more



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