Kia Sportage SLi 2010 review

Car clichés die hard, but if there’s one to incinerate that old chestnut about ‘Korean equals drive away then chuck away’, Kia’s third generation Sportage could be it.

The signs have, of course, been there for all who can see beyond their comfort zone. Not for nothing did Hyundai’s i30 diesel manual win Carsguide’s 2007 Car of the Year. This year an offering of its sister company could at the very least be in the running.

In terms of its execution alone, the Sportage softroader transcends its country of origin in that while it’s built in Korea, it happens to be designed by an Italian based in California and – just as importantly – has been re-adapted to meet Australia’s uniquely challenging road conditions.

Explore the 2010 Kia Sportage range

• Kia Sportage Si 2010 review
• Kia Sportage SLi 2010 review
• Kia Sportage 2010 review

The Sportage is longer, wider, lower and an altogether slicker package than the model it replaces. Of course, it could hardly be otherwise, the old one being more of an inducement to take public transport.

But then it has to be up to formidable line-up in the ever-growing compact SUV segment, including Volkswagen’s Tiguan, Nissan’s Dualis, Hyundai’s ix35, Holden’s Korean-made Captiva, Mitsubishi’s new ASX and the stalwart Toyota Rav4 and Honda CR-V.

Appearance

Derived from the Kue concept, the visually striking Sportage is designed by Massimo Frascella and features the corporate grille and accents that have become increasingly familiar under the direction charted by chief designer Peter Schreyer.

The high beltline and proportion of glass to metal are meant to evoke a coupe. From the rear three quarters you could almost be looking at a premium hatchback. At any rate, it is light years removed from the slab-sided dullard it replaces.

As pert and no doubt fashionable as that back end may be, vision is compromised to say the least by that slot of a rear window. No sooner have you overtaken a car than it almost disappears. Vast wing mirrors, intended to compensate, combine with almost thigh-thick A-pillars to restrict the front view.

Mechanical

Unprecedentedly, the Australian version of the Sportage receives a suspension a set-up adapted from the British version and refined over 1700km of testing by a team including former Toyota dynamics guru Graeme Gambold. Its steering calibration is unique. The mid and top spec versions receive a new AWD system from Magna Dynamax that uses electro-hydraulic sensors to activate a coupling which in turn feeds up to 40 per cent of the torque to the rear wheels more or less instantly.

It’s this dynamic package that primarily distinguishes the Sportage from it virtual sibling, Hyundai’s ix35. Kia’s Australia CEO MK Kim said Sportage is the “first of our new generation cars to benefit from the determination to deliver Australian flavour. It will not be the last.”

Pricing and equipment

The front-wheel-drive Si manual with its 122kW/197Nm 2.0-litre starts at $25,990 for the five speed manual. The six speed auto adds $2,000. It’s no stripper, with equipment including 17-inch alloys, front fog lamps, and the full safety package including six airbags.

The mid-spec SLi runs a 130kW/227Nm 2.4-litre petrol engine ($31,990) or a 2.0-litre turbo diesel ($34,990) through a six speed auto. Its gains on the Si include chrome accents, leather trim, rear view camera and roof rails. The Platinum uses the same drivetrains (petrol $35,990; diesel $38,990) and adds full leather, daytime running lights, smart key and ventilated driver’s seat.

All get a full-size spare. Back seats, which easily accommodate a couple of six foot blokes, can be dropped with the flick of a switch.

Against that, all trim levels equal, if not better, the obvious rivals. It’s not so long ago that ventilated driver’s seats were optional in top end Euro luxury cars; this decadent leather finished pew comes standard on the $36K Platinum.

Driving

The launch roads around Queenstown in New Zealand’s south island, while glaringly superior to much of the corrugated bitumen found in the bigger island to the west, make a good case for Kia’s big talk about getting it right for Antipodean punters.

Equally, it’s hard to enthuse about the only manual, which, it’s rapidly apparent, is there only to provide an attractive price point. The 2.0-litre engine is simply inadequate, especially with four on board, whining ineffectually around 3200rpm in top gear at 110km/h. Though the bigger engine of the SLi has more weight to shift, it does so far more convincingly. The petrol-engine auto’s tall sixth gear has it spinning 1000 revs under the lesser model at freeway speed. The need for neck-wringing removed, this model is far more likely to achieve its claimed fuel consumption.

The SLi petrol version is the sweet spot in the line-up. Apart from the surety of all-wheel-drive, it feels altogether more planted and secure, highlighting the light but evenly weighted steering. For the likely user (that’d be urban families whose driving gets not a lot more adventurous than picnicking with their 2.5 offspring) the ride/handling compromise seems pretty much perfect. While that 2.4 fizzles out at 6000rpm, there’s enough useful performance beneath that. Not until it’s pushed hard do you remember this is a soft-roader first, a car second.

It’s hard not to love the class-thrashing 392Nm of the 2.0R diesel. Even more than most such things, it packs a knockout mid-range punch, reducing overtaking exposures to a safe minimum and making it the obvious candidate for towing. But it requires more diligence through the tight stuff, turning in sharply but rapidly requiring more lock as the heavier front end pushes determinedly wide.

Again, though, it’s a matter of asking the right questions. And if you’re asking for a family-friendly, smartly-presented, sharply-priced soft roader, this Kia answers in the affirmative.