Kia Sportage – Is it worth your money?

In a market dominated by traditional and old-school SUV, it is pretty hard for a new-age crossover/compact SUV to make its presence feel and draw attention.

The Kia Sportage, for that matter, needs to be praised, as it has generated some rave reviews. The Sportage has proved itself as a game changer not only for Kia but also has acted as a flag bearer for all the other monocoque SUVs in the UAE market. Kia Sportage price tag reads AED 68,000, making a great sense for those who are looking for a practical compact SUV fit for urban duties. However, what other things justify its price and your attention?

Let’s find out:-

Looks and design

With its unique styling cues and stand-off design elements, the Kia Sportage presents itself as a different compact SUV from other rather squared styled conventional options. The tiger-nose chrome grille, vertical placement for LED fog lamps, machined alloy wheels, round daytime running LEDs around the main headlamp, and the long strip of light joining the rear tail lamps, all contribute towards making the Sportage one unique looking car. Also, a couple of thoughtful features like aerodynamic vents in fog lamp housings and smart welcome system, as per which the door handles lighten up while unlocking the Sportage, are some premium features. And finally, the height of 1655 mm, large 19-inch wheels, and a high ground clearance of 195 mm give it a stance of a proper crossover which is hard to ignore.

Interior

 

Matching the extrovert exterior styling of the Kia Sportage is its equally captivating interior design. The overall fit and finish, as well as build quality of the cabin, is a notch above of all the Asian offerings in this segment, which makes it feel as premium and well-built as its German rivals. Apart from it, the overall layout of the dashboard feels sporty, thanks to a couple of things like flat-bottom steering and the wide centre console which is tilted towards the driver. Also, the Kia Sportage is equipped with the best of features in this segment including a panoramic sunroof, full leather upholstery, push-button start with keyless entry, ventilated front seats, paddle shifters, and electronic parking brake. However, the small size of the touch-screen with limited features is the only grouse here.

Engine and performance

In this particular segment of compact SUVs, the Kia Sportage happens to provide the broadest range of engine options, all of which are petrol powered. Starting with the smallest mill option - a 1.6-litre GDI engine produces 132 PS of power and 161 Nm of torque. The mid-spec 2.0-litre MPI engine churns out 155 PS of power and 196 Nm of torque. The range-topping 2.4-litre GDI engine pumps out 184 PS of power and 237 Nm of torque. All these engines come mated to the standard 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Cabin space

The Kia Sportage is one of the longest and widest compact SUVs in the segment, which explicitly provides it with a spacious cabin. While it can comfortably seat five full-sized adults with ease, the Sportage also offers the option of fully folding rear seats with 60:40 split ratio. This enables one to maximise the utility by increasing the cargo space as well.

Ride quality and handling

Given that it is a crossover, the Kia Sportage almost feels car-like to drive with minimal body roll. The presence of SUV-specific techs such as AWD and advanced traction control makes the overall controlling of the Sportage even easier.

Safety equipment

In terms of safety, the Kia Sportage offers some very premium kit erstwhile available only in some premium options from luxury car makers hailing from Europe. The Sportage impresses buyers with its list of safety features which include a total of six airbags, blind spot detection, parking assist system, auto cruise control, and drive mode selector.

Kia also offers a standard vehicle warranty of 5 years/150,000 km. This ensures an absolute peace of mind, especially for those who are afraid of the uncertainties associated with the maintenance of a premium SUV.