When Kia came to replace its mid-size sedan competitor, the Optima, it came over all cautious and produced a car that didn’t look very different from the previous generation model, writes Damien O’Carroll.
When it came time to replace the boldly styled Sportage SUV, however, it has gone in a completely different direction, with even more in-your-face styling that could easily polarise potential buyers, but has also delivered a double hit with some incredibly sharp pricing that has seen the medium SUV surge to the top of the sales charts straight away.
While the entry Sportage lands at $35,990 (which is damn sharp pricing in its own right), for a limited time Kia made it available for a staggering $26,990, hence the surge in sales.
The new Sportage comes to New Zealand as either a 114kW/192Nm 2-litre petrol 2WD, a 135kW/237Nm 2.4-litre petrol 4WD, or a 136kW/400Nm 2.0-litre diesel 4WD. All engine/drivetrain variants come with a six-speed automatic transmission.
In petrol 2WD form it is available in LX, EX and LTD models, in 4WD petrol form it is available as an EX, LTD or the new GT Line, while the 4WD diesel is only available as an EX or GT Line.
The LX comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and a backing camera, a touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, cruise control, power adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors, locally (well, Australian) tuned suspension, halogen projector headlights, fog lights and an electrochromic rear mirror.
The EX adds 18-inch alloy wheels, chromed door handles, front parking sensors, LED taillights, dual zone climate control, rain sensing wipers, leather upholstery, privacy glass, gloss black exterior trim, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring, LED DRLs, and blind spot detection.
The LTD gains 19-inch alloy wheels, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, a cooled glove box, keyless entry and start, a power tailgate, autonomous emergency braking, an electric park brake, lane change assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and high beam assist.
The newly added GT Line brings HID projector headlights, a different design of 19-inch alloy wheel, satin chrome mouldings, front and rear skidplates and other exterior GT Line additions, ventilated front seats, wireless phone charging, steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, satellite navigation, quad LED foglights, a panoramic sunroof, dual rear exhausts. LED interior lighting, two tone leather trim and a GT Line leather steering wheel.
The 2WD LX kicks off the price range at $35,990, with the EX landing at $39,990 and the LTD $43,990. The petrol EX starts the 4WD range at $41,990, with the LTD at $45,990 and the GT Line $51,990.
The 4WD diesel EX costs $44,990, while the range-topping GT Line diesel rounds things off at $54,990.
While the bold new nose is dominated by the decision to move the grille below the headlights (in the style of the Porsche Cayenne), the rest of the body is largely an evolution of the last car.
On the road the new Sportage is much like its platform-mate, the Hyundai Tucson, to drive, which is a very good thing indeed and a huge improvement over the previous car.
While the Sportage packs a remarkable amount of standard kit into every trim level for the money asked, there are a few glaring omissions. Namely the thoroughly excellent new 1.7-litre turbo petrol engine the Hyundai Tucson gets and, strangely, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Still, despite these omissions, the Sportage still offers a remarkably good value for money argument. While the petrol engines (the diesel engine wasn’t available at the launch, although we know it is excellent from the Hyundai Tucson) can sound a bit coarse at times they still do a more than acceptable job of hauling the Sportage around and both are also relatively economical while doing it.
The new Sportage is a bravely stylish and high quality replacement for a car that was already pretty damn good to begin with. Price incentive aside, we would expect to see Kia keep selling a decent number of these as the year progresses.
