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Kia Sportage 3 1.7 CRDi 5dr road test report

3 1.7 CRDi 5dr

Big, bold, and beautiful the all new Kia Sportage is the clearest indication yet of the carmaker’s seriousness at moving up the automotive ladder. While the outgoing Sportage was functional, good value, and well-made, a head turner it certainly wasn’t. The entirely new Sportage is altogether a different, more desirable animal aimed more at the urban jungle than a muddy field.

Road Test Reports Says 4.5 star rating
A front-facing image of the Kia Sportage 3 1.7 CRDi 5dr

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Image number 2 of the Kia Sportage 3 1.7 CRDi 5dr Image number 3 of the Kia Sportage 3 1.7 CRDi 5dr
RICHARD LAWTON SAYS

Performance Performance - 4 stars

Available with a choice of four engines, the Sportage on test has a newly developed 1.7-litre turbodiesel engine, which comes with Kia’s fuel-saving intelligent Stop & Go (ISG) system which automatically turns off the engine when the car is stationary, instantly starting again when the driver puts the car back into gear. If you have never driven a car with such a system (and they’re quickly becoming ubiquitous) then initially you think you’ve stalled the car but within a few hours you’ll be smugly sit in traffic knowing you’re not burning unnecessary fuel. Given Kia’s green badge “EcoDynamics” on the rear, the car is capable of a very respectable 54.3mpg on the combined cycle and emits 135g/km of CO2 when on the 16” or 17” alloy wheels, the ‘3’ trim on test comes with rather fetching 18” alloys which gives a slightly higher CO2 emission figure of 143g/km and does push the car into a higher VED band. The smooth, quiet, and refined diesel engine also packs enough of a punch to make things exciting behind the wheel. A top speed of 107mph and a 0-60mph time of 11.9 seconds confirm that the Sportage isn’t super-swift but is more than capable on the open road, and is in fact a real joy to drive – in part thanks to the car’s aesthetic appeal but also thanks to the easy-going nature of the engine and high seating position. Elsewhere in the range, motorists have the option of a brand-new 1.6 litre petrol unit, or two 2.0 litre units in either petrol or diesel. One suspects that the majority of sales will be either of the smaller engines, although it is worth noting that fans of automatic gearboxes will have to opt for a one of the larger engines.

Ride & Handling Ride & Handling - 4 stars

Kia is unashamedly aiming the new Sportage at an entirely different motorist than the previous generation, no doubt thanks to the fact that crossovers have taken 60% of the sales away from traditional SUVs in Europe. The lion’s share of the Sportages on UK roads are likely to be of the two-wheel drive (2WD) variety and it is clear that Kia hope to tempt the growing numbers of motorists after a ‘crossover’ into their welcoming seats. Yes, you can get an all-wheel drive (AWD) Sportage but for many there’s little need of it. The question you will need to ask yourself is whether AWD is a requirement and whether you are willing to stump up a premium for it, for many the 2WD will be more enticing thanks to its price point and better fuel efficiency. The engineers at Kia also comprehensively road tested the Sportage on UK roads prior to launch to ensure it offered the type of ride and handling us Brits are looking for. This additional work has paid off too with the car nicely balanced, offering a comfortable ride without it becoming too soft and accurate, responsive handling. The electronic power-steering has been developed so that at low speeds the driver isn’t required to struggle turning the wheel, making parking straightforward, while at higher speeds the handling nicely firms up.

Build Quality & Reliability Build Quality & Reliability - 5 stars

Built in the same Slovakian plant as Kia’s European breakthrough cee’d the new Sportage benefits from the Korean manufacturer’s outstanding and owner transferable seven-year/100,000 mile warranty. They obviously have absolute faith in their ability to develop and produce a high quality product and it shows with the Sportage. While all Sportage variants come well kitted out, including a full sized alloy spare wheel, LED daytime running lights, front fog lights, tinted glass and iPod connectivity to name but some of the features, the ‘3’ trim comes with just about all the bells and whistles imaginable including Xenon headlights, full leather interior, front and rear heated seats, and dual control air conditioning. There’s a real feeling of prestige with any of the variants with a quality finish and excellent finishing touches on the inside and out. Even the addition of subtle chrome touches, such as the door handles, helps build that premium feeling.

Safety & Security Safety & Security - 5 stars

Regardless of trim level the Sportage comes chock full of safety equipment, with nothing left out of the entry-level car that’s found in the top-of-the-range variant which means that electronic stability control (ESC) is happily a feature found on all Sportages. Featuring six airbags, a bodyshell that has been designed to disperse frontal collision energy and a plethora of other safety features it is little wonder that Euro NCAP awarded the car its maximum 5-star safety rating, with an excellent score of 93% for adult occupancy safety.

Space & Practicality Space & Practicality - 4 stars

The new model is longer, lower, and wider than the old Sportage, giving a much sleeker and sexy appearance, yet it retains much of the same practical sensibilities of the outgoing model. Occupants in both the front and back will benefit it from the additional interior space, with plenty of room to get comfortable in the back – even with that distinctive raking coupe-like roofline. Boot space comes in at 564 litres with the potential to expand this to 1,350 litres with the rear seats down. Kia has gambled that the sales it will lose on people looking for a ‘proper’ utilitarian SUV will be far outstripped for people looking for an eye-catching crossover. The Sportage is sure to find favour with couples and families looking for a distinctive family car with bags of room and character.

Ownership & Value Ownership & Value - 5 stars

Keenly priced the Kia Sportage is set to go head-to-head against some very stiff competition, namely the Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 3008, Ford Kuga, and Volkswagen Tiguan. Perhaps one of the biggest compliments to give the new Kia is that it is no-way out of place against any of its rivals. Prices of the new Sportage start at £17,015 for the entry-level 2WD, 1.6 petrol with ‘1’ trim, while the car on test the 1.7 CRDi, 3, 2WD, Sat Nav comes in at a still value-for-money £23,065.00 OTR. Packed full of features, fantastic safety built-in, good fuel economy, unmatched manufacturer warranty, and some of the most desirable aesthetics seen in the crossover market and many feel, this writer included, that the all new Kia Sportage will find that the UK can’t get enough of their new favourite Kia.

Submitted: 07/02/2011 10:36:21

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