Sporting edge of Sportage
With cars, unlike women, I have very rarely been drawn to good-looking ones. Function follows form, and a fantastic driving experience is far more important than a good-looking car. Besides, history has taught us that some of the best, most iconic-looking cars drove like crap, was highly unreliable, or rusts faster than its 0-100 km/h time.
Sometimes, though, I do make exceptions to this personal rule of mine. Case in point: the Kia Sportage. I first laid eyes on the Sportage whilst on the road in Istanbul, Turkey, test-driving the then new Picanto. Making a mental note to myself, I knew I had to request for a test drive on local roads soon.
Peter Schreyer’s influence on the Sportage can be clearly seen with chiseled fenders, the LED light strips and the aggressive tiger grill and face, dictating a new design direction to what was formerly considered the other Korean car company. Not having a clear design history meant that Schreyer can create his own theme and direction for future Kias to follow. The top-model Ex DeLuxe also came with handsome 18’ alloy wheels, which sit just perfectly with the rest of the Sportage’s lines. The lower variants still come with 17’ wheels but the size and design of the 18’ split-alloy five-spoke wheels looked best indeed without compromising ride quality: it’s firm but compliant enough on the super-smooth highways of Europe as well as battle-scarred EDSA.
The cabin feels very snug; it’s surprisingly roomy but has that intimacy you might expect from a sports sedan. The rear shut-lines and C-pillar are quite low so you might bang your head getting in the first time, and the roof and A-pillar are equally low; I banged my head against the roof and slammed my nose on the window the first time I got in excitedly. Motoring faux pass notwithstanding, the pain was well-worth what greeted me inside. The interior plastics have gone a notch higher in terms of feel and design, the quality having gone up from your usual cheap plastic giveaway toys to a proper car interior. It’s still not as soft to the touch as the established Japanese brands, but the many fine details in and out are most pleasurable to look at.
Seating position is excellent, with supple leather-covered seats gently contouring to my backside. There’s more than enough room for four larger than average sized adults, with five adults doable for up to medium-length journeys (like 2-3 hours or less). The integrated 2DIN audio system is excellent and offers USB and aux-in connectivity with your MP3 device. The leather-covered steering wheel adjusts for rake but unfortunately not so for reach. However, one can still find a comfortable driving position. And drive you will as I found myself taking extra-long trips and going out at night to places I don’t frequent simply to show-off the Sportage. The ride is very smooth but has that sporting edge to it, giving you high-speed confidence afforded by the stability and responsiveness of the entire chassis and suspension, while the ABS-equipped brakes, very strong and able are surprisingly over-assisted, perhaps another carry-over from Audi’s of yore aside from Peter Schreyer’s design cues? The Ex De Luxe version gives you ESP/stability control and usefully, Hill-Start Assist and Downhill Brake Control which automatically clamps on the brakes to assure you a smooth take-off from idle, making you look like a pro while hanging from inclines. And if you get cheeky with your driving and lose it altogether, dual airbags help cushion the impact for the basic variants, while the Ex DeLuxe makes do with a total of six airbags, including curtain bags.
Sitting inside and driving the Sportage was one of the memorable test-drives for me this year. I’ve found a new favorite in the compact SUV segment. With 2.4 liters providing 177 ps and 23 kg-m of torque through a 6-speed automatic AWD transmission equipped with Shiftronic manual override control, the Sportage is pretty quick on its feet. Steady out on the highway, relaxing in city traffic and more than willing on twisty, winding roads. If only it came with a diesel engine though, it would be the very best in this segment. Columbian Autocar Corporation, Kia’s sole and authorized distributor in the Philippines has promised that a diesel variant will be made available next year. Fingers crossed, I hope to drive that variant and prove I’m right that it is the best in this segment, and a car can look really good without being an absolute dog to drive.
Fingers crossed.
