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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