There to cover the Miami Beach auto show, I was navigating Ocean Drive in a first-generation Kia Sportage, done in blue, when I noticed people pointing at the little SUV.
Compact SUVs were not as common then, especially of the breed Kia, which had only come stateside a year or two earlier. So while this one in particular was sort of purposeful in looks, I didn’t know if the sophisticates of South Beach were looking at it, or the fact that it was a Kia.
Fast forward to Christmas 2010, and a grayish Twilight Blue 2011 Sportage. This one is a crossover with definite design cues from Kia’s 2007 "Kue" concept, as well as some serious sophistication in its class. So as we enter the New Year in a Kia, let’s see if this Sportage is getting some looks of its own.
· Sportage sophistication – Kias have been getting better looking since that boxy little first-gen Sportage, and its awkward-looking second-gen model. The Kue concept sure gave us a taste with a wedge shape flowing off squinting headlights and grill design. The production third-generation Sportage’s aggressive design was further honed by its new Irvine, California design team, and shares some of the Kue’s nose, profile and roof shape, for which we are glad.
The design has a high beltline and sleekly low roof line. But let’s take a gander at the nose first. The shield-shaped 4-bar grill is flanked by upswept slivers of headlights with an Audi-like LED running light bars on its bottom edge. The Kue’s lower grill shape, with its slim central slit and wider outboard shapes, has been modified with chrome spears on top and chrome-framed fog lights at its outer edges. There’s a lower air intake as well with a faux brush shield at the bottom, its black plastic carrying around to the edges of the pronounced wheel flares and along the sill line to cap the lower part of the rear bumper. There are some nice crisp design lines, especially the sculpted hood lines that framed the swept-back windshield. A shoulder design line runs off the top of the headlight to sweep aft and connect to the taillights, while a bit of the Kue’s carved flanks design survives here as well. The new Sportage is long in wheelbase, wide in stance and short in overhangs on a new platform that’s 174.8 inches long and 73 inches wide on a 103.9-inch wheelbase – three inches longer and wider, on a half-inch longer wheelbase. On those 18-inch Kumho tires with silver and black alloy wheels, it looked great, and bears a slight family resemblance to its big brother, the Sorento. But oddly, no one gave it a second glance – credit thoughts elsewhere during a busy Christmas weekend, perchance.
· Kia accommodations – It’s all hard black over pewter plastic here, but with decent graining and finish and padded black leather-look accents on the doors. And there’s some serious kit here for a compact crossover, starting with automatic interior illumination when you walk up at night with the keyless entry fob in your pocket. The thick leather-rimmed steering wheel hosts stereo and cruise control buttons on the upper spokes, and voice command and Bluetooth cell phone on the lower silver ones. The wheel tilts and telescopes as well, offering a clear view of the gently-cowled three-pot instrument cluster with a big central 140-mph speedometer with inset red LCD trip computer display flanked by an 8,000-rpm tach and gas and temperature gauges. Along with keyless door locks, there’s a keyless start/stop button next to a large LCD touch screen for navigation as well as a solid AM-FM-Sirius Satellite Radio-CD-MP3/USB iPod audio system with real-time traffic, with voice command of phone calls, SMS text messages and music media sources. Underneath, a gloss piano black trim with dual-zone climate control over a hard plastic iPod storage nook with the audio hookup and two 12-volt outlets. The 6-speed automatic’s gear shift is there, as are twin cup holders flanked by center console grab handles. There’s decent storage under the center armrest, as well as an OK glove box with a/c vent. Overhead, a panoramic sunroof with full moonroof (manual sunshades) over the front seats and a fixed glass roof in back. The navigation screen doubles as a back-up camera display, aided by back-up sonar sensors. And the front seats are heated, the driver’s getting 8-way power adjustment with power lumbar. They were comfortable and supportive, in a sturdy-feeling sports fabric weave with a blue and gray tartan plaid-like cloth insert that was a bit dweeby in looks, but OK. Back seat room was pretty good, with decent head and leg room and a fold-down center armrest. The seatbacks split 60/40 and fold to expand the decent size of a cargo area under a security cover, with a segmented cargo carryall area under the floor. It does have a high liftover, but the hatch height does clear 6-footer’s heads.
· Sportage systems – Our 7,000-mile-old Sportage came with the base 2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine with 176-hp, more than the previous-gen’s V-6. A 270-hp 2-liter turbocharged GDI engine will also be available. The front-wheel-drive tester hit 60-mph in a nice 8.5-seconds, with decent mid-range passing power and fuel mileage that averaged about 18-mpg in mixed commuting, and only rose to 23-mpg indicated on the highway. . Like many compacts these days, it had an “ECO” reminder that popped up on the gauge package when you drive economically. A new platform, as we mentioned, hauled us around, all unibody with independent McPherson struts in the front and multi-link rear with new dampers and coil springs mounted separately to minimize intrusion into the cabin and trunk space. The resulting ride is sports sedan firm yet comfortable for the most part, only getting a bit hard-edged over some bad bumps, potholes or expansion joints on highways. Handling was nimble and predictable, with acceptable understeer when pushed and not too much body roll – call it sporty. The “motor-driven” power steering, on the other hand, had an artificial feel that needed minute corrections even as we got used to it. Good for fuel mileage it may be, but it didn’t have a good feel. The all-wheel disc brakes were good, with decent pedal feel and stopping power with minimal nose dive and no fade after a few hard stops in a row. For safety, driver and passenger front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags and side curtain airbags with ABS, stability control (that can be shut off), Electronic Brake Distribution and a Brake Assist System that recognizes when you come off the gas quick and on the brake and adds to the braking power. Despite having a front wheel drive model, we also had Downhill Brake Control, which locked the vehicle at slower speeds down steep grades, which we didn’t have any of in our Florida test grounds.
· Sportage salary – The Sportage comes in three trim levels, the base model starting at $18,295 with 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, SIRIUS Satellite Radio with three months complimentary service, MP3 connectivity and Bluetooth wireless technology. The LX adds side mirror LED turn signals, keyless entry and tinted glass. Our EX started at $23,295 and added 18-inch alloy wheels, roof cargo rails, rear spoiler and chrome body trim and door handles. Options included: $1,500 navigation with rear camera; and a $2,500 premium package with premium audio, heated front seats, keyless entry/start, double sunroof, rear sonar, auto-dim rearview mirror with Homelink, heated outside mirrors and cargo cover. Final price - $27,990. There’s a ton of competitors out there that all fit the compact crossover tag – Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Dodge Nitro and its sister ship, the Hyundai Tucson. Base-priced at a similar trim level, they range from $22,000 for the Mitsubishi, Dodge and Chevy to $24,000-plus for the others. Power output goes from 16-hp for the Mitsubishi to 179-hp for the RAV4 and 180-hp for the CR-V. Some of the competition even offers V-6s. As for driving, all are comfortable and competent on road, the RAV4 and CR-V maybe a bit more fun, while we hear the Rogue is very sporty as well. But with the prices and power close enough, it may be up to personal choice in style and equipment, although the Kia gets a lot of both for the money.
· Bottom line – The Sportage gets an “A” for styling, especially considering what its ancestors looked like. It also gets high grades for comfort, fit and finish of exterior and interior, and level of kit for the price. I wasn’t as happy with the fuel mileage, which should have been over 20-mpg during the general driving I was doing. And the electric steering needs more feel and less dull.
Vehicle type – compact 5-passenger sports utility crossover
Base price $23,295 ($27,990 as tested)
Engine type DOHC, 16-valve in-line four
Displacement – 2.4 liter
Horsepower (net) – 176 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) – 168 @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission – 6-speed automatic with manual shifting
Wheelbase – 103.9 inches
Overall length – 174.8 inches
Overall width – 73 inches
Height – 64.4 inches
Front headroom – 39.1 inches
Front legroom – 41.4 inches
Rear headroom – 38.5 inches
Rear legroom – 37.9 inches
Cargo capacity – 26.1 cu.ft./54.6 w/rear seats folded
Curb weight – 3,186 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 14.5 gallons
Mileage rating – 22-mpg city/31-mpg highway
Last word – Looks great, runs well, steers OK
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