We are with the Kia Sportage.
The third generation Sportage had been best selling model of the Kia worldwide. Now you are seeing the fourth generation next to me. Let’s see if the Sportage this way will consolidate its old success? Let’s analyze it together.
The design of the Sportage looks much more sportive and young compared to the old. To tell the truth, if you ask me, you sense the air of the Porsche Macan in the Sportage when you look from the front. I can also say that it is its strange and cockeyed looking version.
In this, headlamps and the lines on the bonnet have great share. The grill, which is almost, the signature of the Kia brand is a piece we know from the Cee’d but it ensures the Sportage to appear aggressive when viewed from the front and this grill is referred to as tiger’s nose. As you can see these fog lamps comes with the GT-Line series and these fog lamps that looks like ice cubes become prominent with very different application.When you look the car from the side, we see that it is not much different from the old generation. Again, in this car there is no shadow shows and the door panels are at pretty flat form. The C column is exceedingly similar to the old generation. The main difference here is that the axle span is 30 mm wider and 40 mm longer than the previous generation.
Let us look what kind of living space the Sportage offers due to the effect of this growth. The rear seats, if you ask me, offers very good living space. The knee room as you can see is very good. In other words, there is almost a hand span in front of my knees. I can also say that the headroom is not bad at all. Quite a good place is offered here for three peoples. The third adult can sit here without trouble. Furthermore, due to a bit low tunnel hump there are even places for the feet. More importantly, you are now able to incline the rear seats of the Sportage backwards. Thus, it naturally becomes more pleasurable to travel at the rear seats. The rear of the Sportage now looks more modern and charming.
When we look at the taillights, we see that they are horizontally formed and are with LED technology. Moreover, these two taillights being joined together from the middle with this type of piece is an unusual practice and I think it is pleasing to the eye. When you purchase the Sportage at GT-Line level, you can get this bumper with the diffuser and the exhaust outlets on both sides together.
TRUNK
Alright, what kind of loading capacity does the Sportage’s boot offer? Let me briefly mention that to you. Behind this electrically operated boot lid 466 liters loading capacity is offered. Not a bad value but you have to know that it is 20 liters less than its platform sibling the Hyundai Tucson. But if you want personal opinion, this value can satisfy the values of the compact SUV class explicitly. Further more due to flat loading bay you are able to put your loads here easily. When the rear seats are inclined the 466 liters widen up to 1455 liters.INTERIOR
Now is the time for driving. The cockpit of the Sportage is well groomed and all the controls are underhand and positioned bonnily. There is a touchscreen multimedia on top of the mid console. From there you are able to reach the music system, navigation and telephone very easily. Directly under that there are A/C controls that we are accustomed to and they also can be used very easily. For the cold winter days, apart from seat heating, steering wheel heating is also offered in the Sportage. Moreover, for the hot summer days, it is quite an advantage that seat-cooling system is offered too.The quality of the materials offered in the interior satisfies the class expectations and it is not bad at all. But of course you should know that there are rivals in its class with better quality materials. Even though soft plastic materials are used here on top of the console, you meet with hard plastic materials as you go down. To raise the quality feeling, stitching effect is used to make as if it was covered by leather. But as far as I can see there is no leather here at all. The indicators are legible and the trip computer in the center can be used very easily. Lots of places are offered in the cockpit for your small items. There is a wide area in front of the gear lever. Further more next to the gear lever there are two cup-holders and the armrest is considerably wide too.
ENGINE
Let us consider the engine and driving features of the Sportage. As you know the Sportage and the Tucson are what we may call sibling or cousin models because engines, gearboxes and many other parts used in both are the same. In other words let me tell you that the Sportage just as Hyundai Tucson is imported to our country with 3 different engine alternatives as 1.6 liters petrol engine, 1.6 liters turbo charged petrol engine and 2.0 liters diesel engine.
Under the bonnet of this car I have been driving 1.6 liters turbo charged engine just as the one I have previously tested in the Hyundai Tucson is functioning. This engine develops 177 HP and 265 Nm of torque and can be purchased in the Sportage with 7-speed double clutch automatic gearbox and 4-Wheel Drive System. Even though the engine is small volume compared to the body of the Sportage, due to the turbo charge it offers very good performance values. You always feel the power under your foot. In other words, let me tell you that if there is old Sportage users among you and you use to have a 1.6 liters natural aspirated engine, this engine will answer your performance expectation much better.
The automatic gearbox works in harmony with this engine. Its passes are fast but of course not as fast as a DSG if you ask me. Nevertheless, passing’s smoothness and to be able to command it manually from the gear lever and from the pedals behind the steering wheel deserve praise. I can say that the thing that attract my attention most and pleased me in the Sportage is its successful insulation. To tell the truth, it is clearly beyond this class. When you start the petrol engine, even on idling you do not almost hear its noise in the interior.
Furthermore, during driving at reasonable speeds neither the road noise nor the wind noise were able to penetrate the cockpit. Therefore, in the matter of successful insulation of the Kia Sportage, the Kia engineers should be congratulated. In my opinion the suspensions have been very well calibrated. Even on the rough surfaces in the city there is not much decrease on the comfort. Moreover, in this type of curvy roads it definitely is reassuring and holds the road well. Ultimately, you must be aware that you are driving an SUV with high road clearance and therefore should not upset the weight balance of the car too much.
Even though the Sportage is introduced as four wheel drive, it clearly is not really an off road car. For this reason I did not go off road during the testing. In other words I can say that I did not do off road. If you want to do it on not very formidable conditions, by this button behind the gear lever you can lock the rear differential and advance without much difficulty but you should know that this is not an off road car in real terms.
This is a compact SUV just as its rivals and it is a model manufactured to be driven on asphalt roads. The steering wheel by its design as well as its construction that fits to the hands well looks pleasing to the eye. Ultimately, I cannot say that it is very direct or sensitive but it ensures you to guide the car very easily.
CONSUMPTION
Finally, let me tell you about the fuel consumption of the Kia Sportage. I have been driving this car for three days and have covered 250 km during that time. At the moment the trip computer indicates 10.9 liters fuel consumption averages to me. This value of course is not low, but to expect from this size SUV with 177 HP and 1.6 liters turbo charged engine if you ask me, will anyway be irrational. But I have to point out that naturally your driving can lower it or unfortunately it has a potential to increase a lot too.
Even though the new Sportage enters the market with a heavy burden on his shoulders, I believe there is no reason that it should not capture the success of the previous generation with the features it possesses. But there is also a price part; because the Kia Sportage is being sold more expensive than its platform sibling the Hyundai Tucson with the same engine, gearbox and even the same parts. This of course can be a very important factor at the motive to prefer.I have a question for you here.
To which model your preference will be in this compact crossover class where there is a stiff competition?
Don’t forget to leave your preference with its reasons as comment under the post.
See you…
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