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SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Wednesday <strong>February</strong> 6 <strong>2019</strong> 27 Motoring Versatility key to Sportage’s success ONE OF MY work colleagues has a reasonably new Kia Sportage sport utility vehicle. I’ve often talked to her about her choice, she says it suits her busy lifestyle with a youngster in tow, as well as recreational interests. It’s also a nice driving experience, the high, upright seating position offers a commanding view and everything is laid out internally for ease of use. There are many reasons why the Sportage has been a highselling SUV in this country, it appeals to families who want the practicality of a wagon without it being too big. The Sportage sits squarely in the mid-size SUV bracket, think Toyota RAV4 or Honda CRV. Sure, there are other SUVs in the Kia stable such as Sorento and Carnival, however, the Sportage is there for those who don’t need huge. Kia Motors has a new Sportage for <strong>2019</strong>. Well, it’s pretty much a facelift really, there’s new cosmetic detailing both internally and externally and the fitment of additional equipment, much of it unseen for safety purposes. Beneath, not a lot has changed mechanically, the petrol and diesel engine options are all a carryover. However, there has been considerable suspension development work carried out to suit down under conditions; KIA SPORTAGE: Freshened up with a facelift. effectively it means there’s a choice of a soft setting in some models, while a new GT Line incorporates spring and damper rates biased towards sporty. There are two petrol powertrain options in Sportage, a 2-litre unit and a 2.4-litre unit, while a 2-litre diesel rounds out the range, bearing in mind there is also the option of four-wheel-drive in some variants. The evaluation car was a new front-drive-only GT Line Urban model with the entry-level 2-litre petrol power plant. The engine is a beauty in terms of smoothness and refinement, and it is channelled through a paddle-shift six-speed automatic transmission, the whole driveline reeks of sophistication. The engine is rated by Kia at 114kW and 192Nm. Even though it loses the strong torque spread of its 2.4-litre stablemate, the 1999cc unit has solid bottom end strength realised at 4000rpm. As a consequence, mid-range acceleration is ushered in respectably, and with the lively behaviour common with twin-camshaft engines it also likes to have the revs up offering a vibrant response to accelerator request, and quick downshifts through the transmission. There are three driverselectable engine management protocols in the Sportage. I used normal mostly, but there are eco and sport settings which, quite obviously, refer to economical engine management or for more Motoring Ross Kiddie response when sport mode is selected. What I find most surprising about the modern SUV is the way they handle, they have become almost car-like in the way they have been engineered to tackle a corner. A lot of that has to do with the development work I mentioned in my introduction, there is a definite firmness underneath, but it doesn’t greatly affect ride comfort. The big benefit is the way the Sportage steers and behaves in a corner, even without four-wheeldrive the suspension is a complex fully independent type and that allows good freedom of movement and strong body balance. In terms of specification, the Sportage GT Line Urban wants for little. At $45,990 it gets all of Kia’s high-tech safety kit and plenty for comfort and convenience, including for <strong>2019</strong> new 19in wheels, touch screen in-cabin display, panoramic sun roof and LED lighting network. As an aside, the Sportage range starts at • Price – Kia Sportage GT Urban, $45,990 • Dimensions – Length, 4495mm; width, 1855mm; height, 1655mm • Configuration – Fourcylinder, four-wheel-drive, 1999cc, 114kW, 192Nm, sixspeed automatic. • Performance – 0-100km/h, 9.1sec • Fuel usage – 8.2l/100km just $35,990 which, by my way of thinking, is fabulous value. There’s been a lot of fresh and interesting product coming out of the Kia factories in recent years. The company has a lot of appealing product which is very suitable for New Zealand roads and drivers. And, of course, with the Niro range there are also hybrids and electric vehicles which are much the talking point today. However, the Sportage is there for those who like traditional. I’m sure those who choose the midsize crossover will, just like my colleague, find it a great choice.
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