FIRSTDRIVE KIA SPORTAGE:A DECADE ago Kia was little more than a non-descript Korean also-ran. It ranked alongside Proton in the motoring public's affections. Even Rover was held in a higher regard, which was saying something even then.
At the time, I asked one of the wise men of the Irish motor trade about the brand. His eyebrows touched his hairline at the very idea that I should even consider them worth mentioning, before telling me that they were Korea’s answer to Lada, only without the panache. He suggested they were a useful sideline for tractor and truck salesmen who could “flog a small car for the wife” on the back of a commercial sale.
I spoke to him last month and recalled his comments. He readily ate several kilos of humble pie. His latest reckoning on the brand’s transformation is that it should be a mandatory case study for all business students, up there with Skoda’s brand conversion. And the Kia story is clearly far from over.
Kia’s transformation has been remarkable. With every passing year their credibility takes another step up the motoring ranks. The general public now name-checks them alongside brands like Ford and Volkswagen. In an industry where it normally takes decades – and billions – to make your marque, it’s been an amazing success story so far, outshining the other remarkable tale of their sibling brand Hyundai.
Recently the brand has captured the motoring zeitgeist with its seven-year warranty. Rivals dismissed it as a marketing stunt and pointed us towards the small print, but it has clearly hit home with motorists.
Kia’s latest model update builds on those strong foundations, albeit with a singular annoying anomaly more in keeping with the past.
Sportage may sound like an ointment for a groin strain, but it’s a great looking alternative to the usual array of family hatchbacks. And that’s effectively what this car is, for like all the mock SUVs on the market, from the Nissan Qashqai to the Ford Kuga, they are the motoring equivalents of Roman pillars on a terraced council house.
Yet, however much we might deride their very existence, they’re here and Irish buyers are lapping them up, even in the midst of the recessionary hangover from hell.
The new front-end styling is as sharp as anything on the market. It’s sporty and stylish. Ironically, European brands just don’t seem to be able to match this story of sharp lines when it comes to penning their own crossover models. Opel, Renault and VW have all failed to offer anything of note in this segment, and even Peugeot’s impressive 3008 has a look that only its designer could love.
The stance of the hatchback/SUV is one that buyers clearly fancy, for good or ill, and there’s no question that simply beefing up its profile doesn’t make it any less environmentally friendly than the rest of the hatchback hoi-polloi. With the 1.7-litre diesel, the Sportage delivers emissions of just 135 g/km, putting it in the second lowest tax bracket. While we were initially concerned that it might be underpowered, this engine works quite well with the car and is certainly not the slowest off the blocks when pitted against its rivals.
Inside, the interior is functional and comes with features such as Bluetooth, iPod connections and cruise control as standard, which is admirable for a car in this price range.
The controls are simple and intuitive yet it does everything that its European counterparts manage – only with an explosion of buttons, screens and knobs. When it comes to in-car gadgetry, too many of the Sportage rivals try to imitate airplane cockpits yet don’t offer any more functions than this car does.
In the back, there’s a surprising amount of headroom, while entry is easy. The rear bench is really only wide enough for two adults or three smaller children. It’s comfortable, with plenty of legroom, but it’s limited by the car’s relatively narrow platform. Bootspace is ample – one of the biggest in its price bracket with the rear seats up – and while a lot of that added space is in terms of height rather than floorspace, those who need to carry prams and pushchairs on trips will appreciate the low lip of the floor and space.
The test car was the EX version but the entry level LX version is so well equipped so the real price for a Sportage is €25,600. However, Kia assures us that the EX is the model that’s moving, so clearly people are interested in treating themselves to some added extras, like half-leather seating and 17-inch alloys. Personally, I’d suggest that if you have the cash you should then go the distance and get the GSE version for €29,995.
A four-wheel-drive version is also available at €31,995, but it’s powered by the 2-litre diesel engine and falls into the higher band with 156g/km and €302 annual motor tax. In fairness, that’s still pretty economical and still good value for a four-wheel-drive car of this size at present. Most, however, will be content with the two-wheel-drive version.
So far so good then for the Sportage. But this car is something of a curate’s egg. It looks great, is smart inside, but then it lets itself down in terms of handling. And for all the good looks, smart features and functionality on offer here, that’s something of a fundamental for a motor vehicle in our book.
On straight roads and around town, this car delivers without complaint. But on more challenging routes, it tends to wallow and lean.
This is all the more perplexing when you consider that this is essentially the same suspension underpinning the Hyundai iX35. Yet the Hyundai model seems to tackle corners with far more aplomb. Don’t get me wrong, the iX35 is no race car, but it delivers in terms of steering feedback and cornering ability.
It’s bewildering that two cars effectively from the same firm, built largely with the same parts, can have such different driving traits. Admittedly, the test car didn’t seem to handle as petulantly as the first drive we had in a Sportage last summer, but it still doesn’t match its arch rival.
So where does that leave the Sportage? In our book at a disadvantage that never needed to arise. The fact is that in a market where price and value counts above all else, the overall package is still going to win favour with Irish buyers. Looks alone will deliver many sales, while price and that seven-year warranty offer will secure many more.
Yet basing sales on price, styling and ample gadgets is always going to leave the car open to attack from competitors. The challenge for the Sportage is that so many of its rivals are also well priced. The iX35 could do with better specification on its entry-level 1.7-litre diesel, but if you spend the extra money it has the beating of the Kia.
And if it’s styling and image that’s important, there’s the Mini Countryman for instance. Admittedly we were also disappointed with the family-sized Mini, which should have been so much better, but there’s no question that it has the badge to win over customers in their droves. The Mini’s problem is a lacklustre entry-level diesel engine, but if you open the wallet and opt for a Cooper D version it suddenly becomes a real competitor with frankly the best performance of the lot.
Even with the Kia’s good looks, lengthy warranty and equipment levels, if there’s a Mini showroom nearby then the Countryman is likely to win out. That said, the Countryman is also quite insipid in terms of handling, so it’s not a vast improvement in that regard. The winner, it seems, might well be styling over substance, but that perhaps sums up the crossover segment as a whole.
Then there is the Nissan Qashqai, a firm favourite for Irish buyers. The Kia is likely to challenge it but it’s hard to see how Kia can topple it from its position at the top of this sales segment.
It’s a pity that Kia didn’t deliver more in terms of the car’s handling. This is a very attractive car, with impressive standard features and a tempting price, but it could have been better.
It’s an increasingly common complaint in the crossover segment and underlines the fact that for performance and driving dynamics, the hatchbacks from these firms are better buys. If you’re looking at the Sportage, be sure to take Kia’s very impressive C’eed for a spin as well.
Factfile
Engine1685cc diesel putting out 115bhp @ 4,000rpm and 225Nm of torque from 2,000rpm with a six-speed manual transmission
SpecificationAll feature front foglights; reversing sensors; radio/CD with six speakers and iPod connection; LED daytime running lights. LX version features: 16-inch alloys; electric windows; Bluetooth; roof rails; cruise control; electric heated door mirrors; wheel-mounted audio controls; front, side and curtain airbags; ESP stability control; ABS; Hill-start assist control. EX adds: 17-inch alloys; panoramic sunroof; half-leather upholstery; privacy glass. GSE adds: Xenon headlights; full leather; dual climate control; heated seats. First edition 2.0D adds: 18-inch alloys; all-wheel drive; rearview mirror with in-built colour reversing camera screen
0-100km/h11.3 secs
Bootspace564 to 1,353 L
L/100km (mpg)urban – 6.0 (47.1); 4.8 (58.9); 5.2 (54.3)
Emissions135g/km
Motor tax€156
Price€27,800