by 
The Auto Trader expert verdict:
3.8
The Sportage has traditionally been one of the most popular family SUVs, and we can’t see much reason why that should change. It’s enjoyable to drive, practical, generously equipped and high in quality. An impressive family car.
Pros
- Spacious, family-friendly cabin
- Fun to drive
- Good value for money
Cons
- Styling may well divide opinion
- Some important safety kit not standard on low-end models
- Question marks over ride comfort
At a glance
Contributors
Words by:Ivan Aistrop
Exterior
The exterior styling is the very thing that made the previous Sportage model so popular, so it’s perhaps a touch surprising that the latest car looks so different to what went before. Where the previous Sportage relied on straight lines and sharp edges to give it that wow factor, the new car has gone for a curvier approach. The smooth-edged headlamps appear to sit on top of the bonnet, rather than slashing across the front of it like they used to, while the high-set bow-tie grille and more rounded lower panels also contribute to what could be described as a rather top-heavy design. Around the sides and back, the design is more familiar Sportage fare, with a narrow, angled window line and a short rear overhang. You get varying amounts of styling accoutrements depending on what trim level you go for, but all models get alloy wheels, front foglamps and LED daytime running lights.
Interior
It doesn’t feel as posh as a Nissan Qashqai, but it’s not that far behind
No matter what you think of the outside, we reckon you’ll love the inside of the Sportage, because the quality has really been kicked up a notch. The dashboard has a nice soft-touch covering, and while a few of the plastics lower down are a little less touchy-feely, everything feels very solid and sturdy. Granted, it still doesn’t feel as posh as a Nissan Qashqai, but it’s not that far behind. Most of the various controls are easy to find and use, while the touch-screen infotainment system doesn’t take much getting used to, either. What’s more, the driving position has loads of adjustment, so it’s easy to get comfortable.
Practicality
This really is a crucial area for the Sportage, because most are used as family cars. Thankfully, the latest car does the job impressively well. A brace of six-foot adults have room to stretch out in the back, even when those in the front are of a similar size, and because the central transmission tunnel is low and flat, a third passenger can also sit in the back in reasonable comfort. What’s more, the boot is an impressive size at 491 litres, and the standard split-folding rear seats drop more or less flat to open up a whopping 1480 litres of space.
Ride and handling
On the road, the most crucial aspect of a family car is ride comfort, but this is still something of a grey area for the Sportage. It felt okay during our test drive, but the super-smooth roads of Southern France didn’t exactly provide the sternest of tests. We did detect a hint of firmness over the few bumps we did manage to seek out, which rang one or two alarm bells. However, it’s impossible to make a proper judgement over comfort until we get the car back to the UK, and onto some more representative road surfaces. The Sportage does feel impressively sharp in the bends, though. You get extremely strong grip and impressively tight body control, which make the car feel surprisingly nimble when changing direction. The steering is rewarding, too, because it’s responsive, direct and really nicely weighted.
Performance
Buyers choose between five engines – two petrol and three diesel – and manual, automatic and twin-clutch gearboxes. The diesels will be the most popular, and it’s easy to see why. The entry-level 114bhp 1.7-litre unit will be the best-seller, and it’s more than up to the job of hauling the Sportage around, with strong pull from low revs to keep life easy and relaxed. In fact, you don’t go a whole lot quicker if you rev the engine harder, whereupon it gets rather noisy, so you’re better off taking a lazier approach and letting the engine’s low-down grunt do the work. The 2.0-litre diesel is available in outputs of 134bhp and 182bhp, and so far, we’ve only tried the latter. It’s strong and pretty smooth, but it makes the Sportage rather too pricey to buy and run. The entry-level petrol is a naturally-aspirated 1.6 with 130bhp that we’re yet to try, but we have had a go in the turbocharged version that gives 174bhp. We almost wished we hadn’t. It doesn’t do its best work until you’re upwards of 3,500rpm, and even then, it doesn’t feel anywhere near as pokey as the numbers suggest. More frustratingly, it feels disappointingly flat further down the rev range, so you’ll find yourself flogging the engine for too much of the time.
Running costs
This is the reason that most customers will choose diesel power, and that most of them will choose the 1.7 diesel. It’s the cleanest engine on offer, delivering figures of 61.4mpg and 119g/km. Unfortunately, that’s still nowhere near as clean as the cleanest Nissan Qashqai. Obviously, versions with four-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox are grubbier than those with front-drive and the standard manual. The exception to that is the twin-clutch gearbox, which is a fraction cleaner than the manual, but it’s only available with the 1.6 turbo petrol, which is the dirtiest engine in the range. Purchase prices are pretty competitive for the class, and look like even better value once you factor in the generous amount of standard kit you get for your money. Resale values should be very solid as well.
Reliability
Kia's seven-year/100,000-mile warranty hasn’t bankrupted the company, which reflects well
Look at Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index, and you’ll notice that the Sportage doesn’t have a particularly impressive score, with engine and electrical faults being the biggest cause of complaint. However, many of the cars studied will be of the generation before the last one, which uses much older technology. What’s more, Kia has introduced a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty since then, and since it hasn’t bankrupted the company, you have to think that its cars have proved to be pretty reliable.
Safety
The Sportage comes with a decent selection of safety kit provided across the range, including six airbags, sophisticated brakes, stability control, trailer stability assist, downhill brake assist and hill-start assist. You get more more safety aids as you progress up the model range, too. Cars of 2 trim and above get lane-keep assist, automatic high-beam and speed limit information, while 4 trim gets blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert. It also comes with autonomous city braking, but it’s perhaps a little disappointing that this important feature isn’t provided as standard a little further down the range. Nevertheless, the Sportage has achieved the maximum five-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests.
Equipment
Step up from 1 to 2 trim, and you’ll add sat-nav, reversing sensors and climate control
All versions of the Sportage come very well equipped, with even the most basic car getting air-conditioning, all-round electric windows, DAB radio, Bluetooth with voice recognition, cruise control, cornering lamps and a leather steering wheel. Step up from 1 to 2 trim, and you’ll add sat-nav, reversing sensors, climate control and automatic lights and wipers. The predictably named 3 trim adds leather upholstery, heated seats, and an upgraded stereo, while (go on, have a guess…) 4 trim gives you front parking sensors, keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof, powered and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. GT Line cars sit between grades 2 and 3 in terms of luxury kit, but they get all sorts of sporty styling goodies, including massive 19-inch wheels, a gloss black grille, twin exhausts and ice cube-effect fog lamps.
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