Sleek and affordable Sportage

The Korean carmakers are on a roll. Spared from devastating effects of natural disasters and the effects of an appreciating currency, they are able to come up with higher standard specification cars at a lower cost against rivals, notably the Japanese.

This also takes into consideration higher technical equipment to enhance engine performance and efficiency, while raising vehicle driving safety.

The latest Kia Sportage is an excellent example: it has two sunroofs, push button engine stop/start facility, reverse camera with visual on the rearview camera, six airbags, to name a few.



The engine is up to par with double variable valve timing and is fully complemented by a six-speed automatic transmission and an on-demand four-wheel drive system, with lock mode.

The last item means that all four wheels are engaged as and when the electronic control determines traction is required via the four points of road contact.

Under normal driving when two-wheel traction is sufficient, engine power is channelled to the road via the front wheels.

The four-wheel drive lock mode is handy when you wander off-road on muddy or challenging tracks.

At RM138,888 on the road with insurance, the Sportage 2.0L is a bargain against such fancied rivals, especially the Honda CR-V.

The Sportage holds its own well, with smoothly crafted aggressive looks that fit in just as smartly in the urban jungle. LED daytime running lights underlining the headlights are the “in” thing now and the gull-wing folding mirrors are an added convenience in tight parking situations.

The leather attired interior exudes a premium ambience that’s a steal for its price, just like the convenient door locking and unlocking feature.

The glovebox also serves as a cooling unit for canned drinks - a welcome feature on warm days and on long drives.

We also like the visual that takes up half of the rearview mirror when reverse gear is engaged. There are three colour bands to guide you, with green being the widest distance away from an obstacle, red being the obstacle, and yellow being the halfway point. This takes the guessing out of reversing this tall and reasonably big SUV.

The disagreeable note comes in the rather high door panel. This design feature provides a more car-like ambience inside and serves a safety function - more metal to protect you in a side impact but it limits vision on the kerbside for the driver, which isn’t good if there are children nearby.

On the go, the 2.0-litre petrol engine with double cams is not wanting with 166bhp and a rather flat torque band that peaks at 197Nm/4,600rpm. What this means is that you can mosey along easily at decent road speeds without stepping on the acce­lerator pedal harder than necessary.

However, we found the response of the six-speed automatic transmission to throttle pressure a bit erratic.

It shifted down several gears on moderate pedal pressure sometimes, bringing about a jerky ride, but wouldn’t do so at other times. It made up for the minor irritation by selecting the appropriate gear in urban situations to make motoring smooth sailing.

Ride is on the firm side, with enough softness coming through as you roll over speed bumps. It firms up progressively if you hit a series of bad patches, which could be a little jolting, so it’s better to ease off the pedal and let the suspension work within its limits to maintain a comfortable poise.

The Sportage takes well to winding stretches too, though bearing in mind that if you wish to up the pace, the on-demand four-wheel drive may lead to some understeer at the tighter bends.

At decent speeds, this Kia SUV will make its way up to Genting or Cameron Highlands without too much sweat or drama.

We also like the good noise insulation that reflects the extra effort put in at the R&D centre in Korea.

Road rumble is barely heard at legal highway speed and air turbulence around the vehicle body is a mere whisper.

Well, the Sportage does live up to the hype being festooned on it in Europe and is a likeable SUV.