Page 35 - issue17.05.2019

Royal Air Force News Friday, May 17, 2019 P27

Kia Sportage Motoring

The winning formula of popular SUV has only been tweaked

Still a good

Sport(age)..

SLEEK: Kia Sportage has kept its good looks

TIM MORRIS technology in comparison to other hybrids on
Motoring the market but it is the most Polar Bear friendly
Sportage in the range.
Correspondent
Equipment
THE AUTOMOTIVE world has gone mad Every Sportage comes with a good range of
about protecting the environment and standard kit but GT-Line cars are, as they say
manufacturers will take every opportunity in the States, fully-loaded. They come with
to shoehorn in an electric motor here and features ranging from heated leather seats to
there to claim that their latest models are blind-spot warning and a forward-collision-
saving the planet. avoidance system.
Being cynical for a moment, I’m not
entirely convinced that buying a diesel hybrid Economy
will stop the ice caps from melting or prevent
Percy Polar Bear from getting a tan, but at Strangely, you’d expect the hybrid to be the
least you’ll feel like you’re doing your bit and most fuel efficient but it loses out by a nose to
driving one is certainly good PR. It will even the twin-clutch, 1.6-litre diesel which returns
save you a bit on tax. 57.6mpg and 129g/km respectively. Both
Some models are overtly green while new diesels are a lot more refined (in diesel
others feature subtle technology that’s terms) than the old 1.7, which used to rattle
designed to silently enhance efficiency. Kia’s like a tractor, so that’s good news. The petrols
latest Sportage falls into the subtle category. don’t appear to make as much sense on paper
It’s been Kia’s best-seller in the UK for a but we’ve yet to drive them so we’ll reserve
number of years and it should therefore come judgement.
as little surprise to learn that the design team REAR VIEW:
has chosen to largely leave the car’s dynamics Streamlined Owning
for an SUV
alone.
You can still choose from a range of petrol As with all Kias, the Sportage comes with
or diesel engines but the 2.0-litre diesel has Tech Specs a seven-year warranty. Kia Care has also been
now been modified to accommodate a mild extended, so you can now pay for the first seven
hybrid 48V system. years of servicing up front too.
The ‘mild’ hybrid means that the Sportage 0-60 mph 9.2 secs
doesn’t use a separate electric motor to Top speed 125mph Pros
provide drive. Instead it simply has an uprated l Spacious and practical interior
starter motor and a larger battery. These work Fuel Consumption l Sleek and sporty exterior looks
together to lessen inertia in the crankshaft Urban 45.6mpg l Great value with lots of kit
and therefore reduce the amount of energy Extra urban 53.3mpg l Sharp handling for its class
needed to make the engine run. Combined 48.7mpg l Good resale values
It’s simple and shaves a few CO2 digits to
keep the Sportage relevant in the modern CO2 emissions 152g/km Cons
SUV market. It doesn’t price itself beyond Cost (as tested) £34,545 l Start-Stop technology is noticeable
the reach of its loyal fan base either, because CABIN: Layout is good but still too much hard plastic l Diesel engines are still slightly noisy
there’s no major engineering alterations l Not the most cosseting ride for an SUV
needed, the new battery pack sits neatly below ambiance but there’s still a fair bit of hard and it convincingly backs up Kia’s claim that l Still a bit too much plastic in the cabin
the boot floor. plastic on display which really lets it down. the Sportage has ‘athletic handling’.
It’s hard to fault the layout however, with On top of this GT-Line cars get specially- Verdict
Design enough well-placed buttons to make most tuned suspension which firms things up even The crossover landscape is littered with soft
operations a doddle without having to take further. This does mean that ride quality is roaders and imitations. It’s like buying a Rolex
The Sportage is now a quarter of a century your eyes off the road. It also has a well- reduced slightly but if you prefer precision from a market stall, it may look convincing but
old. It always has been a fairly good looking designed, integrated, sat nav/entertainment to a rolling armchair it won’t trouble you too you’re just waiting for the fingers to fall off.
SUV and Kia has largely kept the familiar screen that doesn’t take a genius to operate. much. The Sportage is more than that. It has a
lines. Changes are pretty minimal, consisting In terms of space, it’s roomy enough Around town you can feel the mild hybrid long history, it will cope with the rough and
mainly of new bumpers, a new ‘Tiger Nose’ for most families with a good amount of at work due to a couple of small give-aways. tumble if you take it off road and it has a strong
grille, silver skid plates, new fog lights and legroom. It loses out to a few competitors The first is a bit of additional engine braking following. 131,000 were sold in Europe during
new LED headlights. Kia has made the for rear headroom but that’s a price worth as the starter motor turns into a dynamo and 2017 alone and a large part of that success is
sensible decision to keep the Sportage, well, paying for the sleek looks in my book. You sends some of the ‘lost’ energy back to the li- down to trust in Kia’s reliability record; that
sporty, and that’s good news. can’t have it all. ion battery. The second is that the engine cuts seven-year warranty is a winner.
Moving inside, tweaks are also limited, out as you approach junctions. Anyone not It is a very good car and despite the arrival of
which is slightly less positive. Don’t get me On the road used to start-stop technology may think that newer competitors such as Nissan’s Qashqai it
wrong, build quality is good and there are the car has stalled but it’s actually switched holds its ground well. The spacious interior and
no rattles but Kia could have gone further in When you’re putting it around those itself into coast mode, ready to fire back up the smart new dash give it an edge while the
upping the feel of the cabin. The GT-Line S winding country roads the Sportage is when you need it. refinement levels have significantly improved
comes with smart red-piped leather seats and particularly agile for a Sports Utility Vehicle. In reality it’s a pretty seamless system that thanks to the new diesel engines.
a liberal sprinkling of chrome effect trim on The suspension has been carried over from just works in the background so you soon I always did have a soft spot for the Sportage
the dashboard. This does improve the overall the previous model so there are no surprises get used to it. It’s not groundbreaking green and the latest revision does not disappoint.