REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

More than just beautiful

The Sportage is without question the Kia that has received the most media attention and is certainly one of its best models. Except that, once you take a road test, you are quickly disenchanted by this vehicle which is not as refined as its more modern rivals.A few years ago, the Sportage made headlines by offering the first air bag for knees, although the front-seat passenger was still riding without benefit of such protection. The injustice has now been rectified, and a second air bag is on the list of passive safety features. However, before adding the new feature, Kia has redesigned the dashboard and the center console (now equipped with an armrest) and proposes a height-adjustable steering column to make it easier to find the ideal driving position.

The Korean firm maintains that five people can ride in the Sportage. What the manufacturer doesn’t mention is that the rear-seat occupants will have to jostle for elbow room and deal with a rather straight seat back, which doesn’t make riding very comfortable. At least the elevated position of the bench seat will afford them a good view of the road. Things are somewhat better in front, and bucket seats offer satisfactory comfort, but nothing extra. Lastly, it’s too bad that the rear windshield wiper still isn’t part of the base versions (2- or 4-wheel drive), which hurts visibility when weather conditions are poor.Up against the Tracker, Vitara, RAV4 and others, the Sportage can’t withstand comparison and the 130 horses generated by its Mazda 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine are more convincing on paper than they are on the road. A gruff engine and stubborn automatic transmission also take away from the fun of driving this utility. The best idea is to make your choice the five-speed manual transmission designed by Getrag; it’s more efficient and less expensive. It should also be said that the Sportage’s hefty weight cancels out any goodwill the engine tries to show. This Kia’s suspension was designed with the help of Lotus Engineering, but the process hasn’t led to as dramatic and positive a change as it has on the Sephia. Still, thanks to its modest size, the Sportage is a fun all-terrain that handles well even if at times it seems to be on the brink of losing its balance (in the rear-wheel drive mode), especially on roads that provide minimal tire-grip potential, and even if it feels like a Suzuki X-90. Lastly, braking hasn’t improved at all, and only the rear wheels are equipped with ABS.

PROS
Increased safety
Elevated rear bench seat
Manual transmission

CONS
Susceptibility to cross winds
Stiff automatic transmission
Minimal comfort