The all-new Kia Sportage has arrived in South Africa, replete with a futuristic design, an impressive array of standard features and more. Given the popularity of previous iterations of the South Korean brand’s family SUV – both here and abroad – much is expected of the 5th-generation model. Should you be adding it to your shopping list?
It’s crazy to think that when the 1st generation Sportage was revealed in 1993 (back then it was a genuine compact off-roader equipped with a low-range transfer case), Kia was perceived as an up-and-coming brand, with lofty ambitions of pinching sales from long-established brands such as Nissan, Subaru and Toyota (the European brands arrived at the SUV party a little later). Now, it’s easy to say Kia is the embodiment of “mainstream” – in some cases, it’s class-leading.
Given consumers’ appetites for high-riding family cars, Kia’s contemporary SUV range is all-encompassing. Kicking off its portfolio is the Sonet, followed by the Seltos, Sportage and Sorento, in ascending price order. The Sportage is a vitally important product for Kia because it’s the Seoul-based carmaker’s best-selling model globally. Suffice it to say, expectations for the 5th-generation model are sky high; at the very least, it needs to replicate the success of its predecessor.
As far as rivals are concerned, the Kia Sportage has no shortage of those. Its main competitors include the Haval H6 and H6 GT, Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan and, of course, its cousin, the Hyundai Tucson.
What’s on offer?
The GT-Line is distinguished by, among other things, discreet badging and large 19-inch wheels.
Kia South Africa offers the all-new Sportage with one engine and transmission combination across the range. The motor on duty is a 132 kW/265 Nm 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol unit, which is mated with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and directs its power to the front wheels.
There are 5 derivatives in the line-up: LX, EX, GT-Line, GT-Line Plus and GT-Line S. Lower-end derivatives of a model range often lack several creature comforts (to keep their asking prices keen), but Kia asserts that even its entry-level Sportage comes well equipped. All versions feature automatically activated LED headlights and DRLs, fog lamps, selectable drive modes, leather-clad steering wheel and transmission lever, rake- and reach-adjustable steering column, 40:20:40 split-folding rear seatback, reverse-view camera, a curved 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system (it supports Bluetooth and is compatible with Android Auto and AppleCarplay), plus USB charging points front and rear.
Customers can choose from various alloy wheel designs between 17- to 19-inches in size, while EX and GT versions additionally feature items such as heated seats, higher-grade upholstery, as well as conveniences such as a powered tailgate, panoramic sunroof, and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
In terms of safety specification, all derivates are fitted with half a dozen airbags, ISOfix child-seat mounts, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control, hill-start assist, downhill brake control, blind-spot collision warning and trailer stability assist. Semi-autonomous technologies, including lane-follow assist, lane-keep assist, smart cruise control and forward-collision avoidance assist are available in the higher grades.
For specifications across all grades, click here for the latest Kia Sportage info.
You might be wondering where the diesel engines are; Kia SA has not ruled out introducing turbodiesel derivatives entirely, which suggests that they’re on the cards for a later introduction.
A digitally connected cabin will please all the tech junkies.
What is the new Kia Sportage like to drive?
In an era of family-car designs that seem more influenced by the pursuit of aerodynamic efficiency and pedestrian safety than aesthetic excellence, is there still scope for artistic flair? Yes, it would seem so – the Sportage looks striking from almost every angle. It helps to have some vibrant colours to choose from – our test units were clad in Experience Green and Infra Red metallic. Other colours include a wicked Splash Lemon yellow and the hue shown here: Orange Fusion.
Kia states a 0-100 kph acceleration time of 8.8 sec, a top speed of 201 kph and combined-cycle CO2 emissions of 149 g/km – the latter works out as an average fuel consumption figure of 6.4 L/100 km. While we obviously made no attempt to drive at 201 kph, the new Sportage does feel as eager off the line as the “under 9 seconds to 100 kph” claim suggests. After a day’s driving, we were happy to see our EX and GT-Line S test units indicate fuel-efficiency figures in the mid-7s.
A digitally connected cabin will please all the technojunkies
“Surely the newcomer’s cabin can’t match the drama of its exterior design,” I hear you say. On the contrary, if those bold looks don’t make you look twice, the interior of the Sportage (particularly the GT-Line S) certainly will!
Kia’s new family car’s cabin is an instantly impressive space to occupy, with a beautifully curved infotainment touchscreen that wraps the entirety of the dashboard. It looks and feels classy and premium, which is an excellent opening salvo for a vehicle positioned at this price point. We’d say the ambience strikes a fair balance between comfort and sportiness.
Press the start button and the Kia’s 1.6-litre turbo motor fires up quietly. The engine is generally muted – you only become aware of its presence through the intrusion of mechanical noise when you summon up more urgent acceleration through a mild flex of your right foot. The transmission shifts smartly too; it seems to intuitively find the appropriate ratio at the right time, which suggests that Kia has got the calibration of the auto ‘box spot on.
When we drove the top-spec version, we made use of the gearshift paddles behind its tiller. They do feel nice to use, but when you shift manually, the car doesn’t seem quite as composed and refined as it does in its default “self-shift” mode.
Both derivatives that we drove offered good ride qualities. We’d stop short of describing the ride as “excellent” because it is on the firm side, yet there was enough damping to flatten out cat’s eyes and minor bumps and ruts on the tarmac. Even when riding on the bigger wheels (as the flagship version does – on nineteens), the ride quality was impressively forgiving when traversing the smoother patches of tarmac that the Western Cape is thankfully blessed with.
Interesting styling and a well-positioned price package bode well for the Sportage’s prospects.
How much does the new Kia Sportage cost in South Africa?
| 1.6 T-GDi LX | R539 995 |
| 1.6 T-GDi EX | R593 995 |
| 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line | R649 995 |
| 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line Plus | R677 995 |
| 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line S | R734 995 |
All Sportage derivatives come as standard with Kia’s industry-leading 5-year/unlimited km warranty, which includes roadside assistance, as well as a pre-paid 6-year/90 000 km service plan.
Summary
After a quick stint behind the ‘wheel of the 5th-generation Sportage, we can confirm that the new model comfortably picks up where its predecessor left off. Not only is Kia’s family car a head-turner… it backs up those bold looks with a solid powertrain, excellent fit-and-finish (for the model’s price point) and comes liberally equipped; even the more affordable versions are well-specified. Despite the radical exterior design, the overall package is more evolutionary than revolutionary.
Same old, same old, then? Well, why Kia should mess with what’s clearly a winning formula? The Sportage has ambitious sales targets to meet and the Korean marque couldn’t risk veering off course too radically. If your budget cannot quite stretch to one of the GT-Lines, fear not as the EX derivative represents a compelling purchasing proposition. We look forward to getting behind the ‘wheel of the new model again and comparing it with its Japanese and German rivals.
