Top 3 reasons to buy Kia Sportage

ABU DHABI: Kia placed some big hopes on its compact utility vehicle, the Sportage when it was launched. To make it competitive, they targeted it towards specific needs of the more urban crowd. And it seems to largely have worked. The Kia sells in big numbers in the UAE compared to its competition which includes the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, and the Toyota RAV4. How does it achieve this feat with such tough competition? Here are three reasons the Kia Sportage is such a serious competitor against the biggest names in its segment.

Interior comfort and equipment levels

This can probably be defined as Kia’s USP across its range. Kia cars are probably the most well-equipped cars on the market. The Sportage is no exception. The cabin is not the largest as is the norm in crossovers. However, it is quiet and comfortable. It can even be classified as luxurious in some important ways. There are soft-touch materials everywhere. The front is the place to be with ventilated cozy leather seats. There is no lack of legroom and headroom either, unlike the rear which suffers a bit in the headroom department. The center console is thoughtfully designed. It also comes with one of the best 5-inch infotainment units with graphics and menus that can be regarded as benchmarks across segments. It also employs both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, keeping it at the cutting edge of interior features. Not satisfied with mere steering wheel controls, it also has voice controls for navigation. Audio duties are handled by a 320W 8 speaker JBL stereo system. The best possible option, however, is the full-length panoramic sunroof. So, what if the cargo space is a bit limited. As a city runabout, it offers luxury that can’t be matched by many expensive cars.

Safety features

It’s true that Kia did not have the best record of keeping their passengers safe. Their initial days were plagued with 1-star ratings and recalls. But then Kia made a complete 180 on its safety record. The 2018 Kia Sportage is proven to be one of the safest vehicles on the road. It has a five-star rating from the NHTSA. It was also the Top Safety pick of the IIHS. This is because a lot of the major safety equipment is evenly distributed across variants. Many of the active safety features are only available on the top specs. But even that point will be nullified by the third reason to buy the Kia. Still, all variants come with 6 airbags. The more advanced features include blind spot detection, parking assist system, auto cruise control, and selectable drive mode for making full use of the AWD system. Other features available as optional extras include a lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and automated emergency braking. All these features make the Sportage especially well suited to urban driving conditions. Considering that this is where most Sportages will spend their lives, this is a very good choice for anyone who wants to transport their family safely in the city.

Price and Affordability

This is what we were talking about when we said that the differences in variants are not that important. The Kia Sportage is not just value for money, it is more than that. It is a very well equipped at every price level. And then we find that the price levels vary between AED 68000 to AED 110000 for the top spec. This range falls comfortably within the price ranges of its competitors. The cheapest CR-V starts at AED 89900 while the cheapest CX-5 comes at 88900. The 2.4l EX variant at the price range of AED 87900 - 89000 comes fully equipped with almost all of the features mentioned above and should suffice anyone’s needs. We must remember that at the price for a base model of its competitors, you can ride in the luxury of a fully specced  Sportage. And then we find that Kia offers a 5-year warranty. No other manufacturer comes close to what is being offered here.

If you’ve been reading the entire article then the case is pretty much made. Luxury car level interiors and features for the price of the cheapest SUV in the market. For the city driver, the Kia Sportage, therefore, makes an incredible amount of sense.