Car reviews

Introduction

The Sportage is a small stylish off-roader that gives great value for money with plenty of kit as standard. Unfortunately you can see where the costs savings have been made when you see the cheap interior materials. The interior is extremely spacious though enabling it to compete with larger 4x4's such as the Nissan X-Trail and the boot is one of the largest in the range. It is competent off road but most will spend the majority of their lives on the road, where although they don't handle superbly, it is acceptable for a 4x4.

Exterior & Interior

The Sportage is a stylish looking small off roader on the outside and inside. Inside there is plenty of space and the Sportage has more space than any of its competitors. There is plenty of head and leg room in both the front and back seats of the Sportage and the seats are very comfortable as well. The boot space is large at 667litres and this can be increased by folding down the back row of seats. When the boot space does need to be increased it can be done at the push of a button that moves the bottom cushion forward and into the footwell and the backrests then fold down creating a huge 1.5 metre long space that is perfectly flat, this is a lovey touch from Kia. The glass top half of the tail gate can be opened independently as well making loading and unloading of luggage in tight spaces easier. For additional storage there are multiple other storage spaces dotted around the cabin in the form of big door pockets, a central cubby box, two cup holders and storage boxes.

The interior is full of kit with the dash and centre console being well laid out and feels well built. However, the materials used look cheap and tacky which is a common trait in the Kia range. The trim levels start with the XE which comes with six airbags, air-con, electric windows and mirrors, traction control, alloys, automatic headlights, a CD stereo and remote central locking. The higher trim levels add climate and cruise control, leather seats, heated front seats, ESP stability control and a trip computer.

Drive

The Sportage doesn't compare to more popular and well known 4x4's when it comes to handling as the ride is poor due to the vague steering and excessive body roll in the corners. The ride is soft soaking up most of the bumps in the road and face lifted models in 2007 did come with improved suspension and brakes which helped somewhat to improve he overall ride quality. There is still a lot of wind and road noise in the cabin though and when the engines are pushed they can be extremely noisy.

Faults & Repairs

There haven't been many common problems with the Sportage and Kia usually prove to be fairly reliable and well built. The previous Sportage did suffer from engine problems on a regular basis though which is something to be aware of. If there are untoward noises coming from under the bonnet on a test drive you are better off not risking the purchase. The service costs are roughly the same as most other 4x4's this size, but if something does go wrong then it could lead to a hefty bill, although, this will still be cheaper than the bigger names such as Audi and Mercedes.