The slick, upmarket looks of the SUV have really come to the forefront of automotive sales in recent years and the new Kia Sportage seems to embody all that’s good about the sector. It’s a compact SUV that comes with a range of nicely-performing, economical engines. The cherry on the cake? That amazing Kia seven-year warranty.
One of the more underlooked aspects of buying a new car is resale value. How much will it depreciate? Well, the Sportage has always been a real winner on the second-hand market, so depreciation won’t hurt your pocket too badly. There’s more financial good news with the Care-3 or Care-3 Plus models with fixed-price servicing deals.
But how does the Kia Sportage compare against the ever-popular Nissan Qashqai or the fun Mazda CX-5?
Pretty well actually. You can choose from three engines: 2.0-litre and 1.7-litre diesels or a 1.6-litre petrol. For the ultimate mix of economy and performance you’ll probably be wanting the 1.7 diesel, however, the petrol is an impressive unit too. It’s only the four-wheel-drive models that get the 2.0-litre diesel engine, the only model that offers the choice of an automatic six-speed gearbox.
The Kia Sportage is comfortable and offers a soft yet smooth ride. For the best all-round performance the 1.7 diesel which will cruise comfortably and it won’t give you palpitations when overtaking tractors on A roads.
Trim levels have been trimmed right down to four options, helpfully categorised under 1,2,3 and 4. There’s plenty of kit to keep you happy – even with the ‘1’ option, you get body-coloured handles and mirrors, alloy wheels, Bluetooth and cruise control. Rain-sensing wipers, adjustable steering wheel and air-con also come as standard.
On the next level up, 2, you’ll enjoy privacy glass, an electric panoramic sunroof, reversing sensors, dual-zone air-con and part-leather seats. For 3, you can expect leather seats and xenon headlights, and 4 brings a powered driver's seat, smart entry, LED rear tail-lights and satnav.
So it is clear to see that the equipment is generous, but how safe is the Kia Sportage? Well, a maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating suggests it’s very safe. That’ll be down to the anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control and airbags all around. Reliability won’t be an issue, either, with that remarkable seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, which automatically puts the competition in the shade and suggests that Kia knows the Sportage is the one car you can always depend on.
To test drive any of the Kia range in the South West, call in to Howards Group’s showrooms in Weston-Super-Mare.