Used Kia Sportage review: 2011-2012

Peter Mifsud wants to buy a 4WD wagon and he’s confused by the many choices available. He’s not a serious off-road enthusiast and says his old VY Commodore has got him to where he’s needed to go, but he wants a car that will tow his 1000kg campervan and he’s got around $20,000 to spend.

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The new Sportage released in 2011 was a revelation. No one saw it coming, but they should have, as Kia has been a make on the move for some time now.

No longer the poor cousin of the car business, the brand you bought if you couldn’t afford anything better, Kia is now a well-respected maker of cars that deserves a place on our shopping lists.

The new Sportage of 2011 was one of the models that signalled the arrival of the Korean brand as one to be taken seriously.

A compact SUV, the 2011 Sportage boasted a new body with smart looks, new engines, much improved on-road manners, and five-star safety.

The range boasted three models, the two-wheel drive Si and the four-wheel drive SLi and Platinum. It’s the four-wheel drives we’re looking at here given our reader’s started preference for a four-wheel drive.

Two engines were offered. One was a 130kW 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, the other a 392Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel.

There was only one transmission, a six-speed automatic and that fed into an on-demand four-wheel drive system that in essence drove the front wheels until it was deemed necessary for traction to send some of the drive to the rear wheels.

Although it wasn’t a traditional four-wheel drive system as fitted to a heavy-duty off-roader it was surprisingly competent in the bush.

The cabin had seating for five, it was quiet and comfortable, and in the Platinum you got everything you could wish for, from an eight-way power driver’s seat, adjustable steering column, leather trim, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, a decent sound system and a reversing camera.

Kia’s fit and finish has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and it now compares favourably with any other brand in its class.

Safety was also on the money as ANCAP recognized when it gave it a five-star tick. With six airbags, ABS brakes, and dynamic stability control it has quite an arsenal of safety gear.
 
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Sportage 4WD models are rated to tow up to 1600kg with trailer brakes, so they should comfortably tow the Mifsuds’ campervan weighing just 1000kg.

With its high riding stance and ground clearance, along with its on-demand four-wheel drive system it should also be capable of handling their limited off-road needs, provided they don’t want to go rock climbing or something like that.

Owners generally praise their Sportages, they rarely criticize them.

They are not only well built, they are reliable and few problems of a serious nature crop up with them. We hardly ever hear of issues at CarsGuide, which suggests they are getting the job done for their owners in the field.

Kia issued a recall notice in January 2014, which related to an issue with the seat belt pre-tensioner. Check the owner’s manual to confirm the recall rectification has been carried out. If you’re in doubt about it speak to a Kia dealer.

Also check the service book to make sure all recommended servicing has been done. Missing services is a recipe for disaster, a failure to change engine oil regularly is just asking for trouble.

Even though few Sportages will have seen duty in the rough going inspect your potential purchase carefully, particularly underneath where any damage as a result of off-road is likely to be readily seen.