Kia Sportage 2016, first drive and road test in Barcelona

About a year ago we got a first-hand look at the renewal of one of the best-known models from the Korean brand, the Kia Sorento.

Now, we travel to Barcelona to meet the new generation of the Sportage, its smaller sibling, which has been completely updated to win over the European market once and for all.

The Kia Sportage is the most representative model of the Korean firm in Europe. After three generations on the market, the first launched in 1993, this fourth one, whose sales start in March 2016 (dealerships are already taking orders), marks the definitive consolidation of Kia as a genuine alternative, after having been a brand that arrived in Europe as an example of a low-cost manufacturer and that for more than five years has been working toward an image comparable, at the very least, to that of the most established European mainstream makers.

It is no easy task, of course, because we must not forget that its line-up included, not so long ago, models such as the Shuma and the Opirus. The compact SUV, however, has always enjoyed a recognition that, translated into sales, adds up to 3.5 million units sold in these barely two decades, of which 450,000 have been registered in Europe.

Without it being possible to say it was a pioneer, the truth is that the Kia Sportage has a head start of many years over most SUVs in the C-segment, which in a short time have gone from being a very minor niche to holding a prime place in the showrooms of most brands, mainstream or not. This does not seem to worry the brand’s managers in Spain too much, who conveyed great optimism about the future during the presentation, confident that the 15,000 units a year they expect to sell of the new edition of their star model will allow them to consolidate their tenth position in our market.

Exterior design

Anyone who has a clear picture of the silhouette of the previous generation of the Kia Sportage might think the new one is little more than a facelift, an excuse to adopt the “tiger-nose” grille, the hallmark of the brand’s current design language developed by Peter Schreyer. But no. Although the side profile deliberately keeps proportions in line with its predecessor, the body now measures 4,480 mm in length (40 mm more than the previous one), the front overhang has been given greater prominence, now 20 mm longer, and the rear overhang has been trimmed by 10 mm, all on a wheelbase that has been stretched to 2,670 mm, 30 mm longer than before.

The new Sportage is 40 mm longer, enjoying 30 mm more wheelbase

The changes at the front will be more evident to the untrained eye, where apart from the grille itself, which is lower and wider, the new-design headlights stand out (optionally they can be adaptive bi-xenon), positioned higher and extending along the sides and the upper area, linking with a more defined bonnet, while the grille itself is lower and wider. A very attractive result, and even more so on the GT Line versions, which come standard with “ice cube” LED fog lights (inspired by those of the pro_cee’d GT), 19-inch alloy wheels and an underbody protector painted in aluminium colour – also at the rear lower section, framed by a double exhaust outlet.

Other details also help the new Kia Sportage’s presence, such as more pronounced wheel arches (although the width remains at 1,855 mm), and a more evident rear spoiler, as well as slimmed-down taillights joined by a narrow but very eye-catching light strip at night.

Interior design

If the exterior changes are obvious, the improvement inside is even more notable. The abundance of soft-touch materials with a very good appearance is combined with a design in which the dashboard puts the driver in the spotlight. The debate between a centralised controller or a profusion of buttons is settled by Kia by opting for the latter, whose main advantage is that many of the key functions are accessed with the simple press of a button.

In this respect is where the Asian brand can be said to have pulled out all the stops, because the Kia Sportage can incorporate almost any kind of latest-generation safety and comfort component. From the integrated TomTom navigation system with a 7-inch (with 160 W audio system) or 8-inch touchscreen (including a JBL system with 8 speakers), which the brand updates free of charge over the 7 years of the car’s warranty, to the traffic sign recognition system (SLIF), blind spot detection (BSD) with lane change assist (LCA), or rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA), among others.

What does not fit in the alphabet soup is the very important improvement in sound and vibration insulation. It is another of the areas in which Kia has taken special care when developing the new Sportage, and it adds points to a cabin where the increase in dimensions has been put to good use, offering more legroom and headroom in both the front and rear seats. The latter, moreover, can be ordered with heating for the outer seats, a new extra that lives up to the brand’s slogan (“The power to surprise”).

The downside comes when we open the tailgate (electrically operated depending on the version) and find a boot space of between 503 and 491 litres (depending on whether you fit the puncture repair kit or the optional spare wheel, respectively). Although not a bad figure, it is noticeably smaller than the 564 litres offered by the previous model, although at least on this occasion the resulting flat load surface when the rear seat backs are folded down (this cannot be done from the boot, so you have to go to one side and the other of the car each time) is completely flat, which allows a claimed capacity of between 1,492 and 1,480 litres, instead of the 1,353 litres of the third generation.

Driving dynamics

The engine range of the new Kia Sportage is made up of two petrol and three diesel units. Direct injection, the naturally aspirated 1.6 GDI petrol engine producing 132 CV, already familiar from the previous model, forms the basic offer, while the turbocharged 1.6 T-GDi producing 177 CV, which shares its mechanical base with the pro_cee’d GT and is paired with all-wheel drive and the GT Line trim, with the new 7-speed DCT dual-clutch gearbox as an option. It was the first of the units I had the chance to test, and on the road it offers good response, performance by default and almost temperamental when you select Sport mode via the Drive Mode button. The DCT gearbox, with quick and smooth shifts, suits this engine like a glove, and the gearshift paddles are welcome for manual control.

The veteran 1.7 CRDi engine remains one of the most recommendable options in the range

As for the diesels: the first I tried was the veteran but capable 1.7 CRDi producing 117 CV, most likely the one that will have the greatest demand across the range. For now it is only available with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive, and it is indeed capable of moving the roughly 1,500 kg this version weighs with great ease. In fact, in terms of feel and expectations, it is more satisfying than the new 2.0 CRDi producing 184 CV and 400 NM with all-wheel drive and 6-speed automatic gearbox, whose operation is much slower and less refined than the DCT’s, and this affects the perception of a power output that a stopwatch would probably confirm immediately. Below this, the Kia Sportage has another, more sensible version of this engine, which delivers 136 CV and 373 NM.

What all of them have in common, whether all-wheel or front-wheel drive, is a behaviour finally tailored to those who are not afraid of bends. Electric power-assisted steering but good feel and guidance encourages you to tackle corners with decisiveness, while the tuned suspension, supported by an elaborate rear multi-link setup, has left behind that odd compromise between firmness in compression and flexibility in rebound, giving this SUV an unfamiliar composure and a noble dynamism, with which one is encouraged to explore the limits of grip calmly, always remembering that what we have in hand is not a sports car, but a comfortable family vehicle.

In fact, you should not be carried away by its off-road look, nor by the Lock button on the centre console of the all-wheel-drive versions. This system, developed by specialist Magna, analyses the difference in rotation between the front and rear wheels to send torque to the latter through a multi-plate clutch when slip at the front is detected. Although on slippery asphalt it fulfils its role of maintaining a certain traction capability, when you venture off-road and one wheel loses contact with the ground, you also lose the ability to move forward.

Versions and price

The price range of the new Kia Sportage runs from €18,002 for the 1.6 GDi Basic with front-wheel drive to €34,860 for the 185 CV 2.0 CRDi with all-wheel drive and automatic gearbox, with the GT Line trim reserved for the 1.6 T-GDi and the two 2-litre diesels. Except for the 1.6 GDi and the 1.7 CRDi, the rest of the engines can be had with a manual or automatic gearbox and with front-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Standard equipment, starting with the Basic, includes fog lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, front and rear electric windows, and air conditioning. The Concept trim adds roof rails, LED daytime running lights, and a leather steering wheel and gear lever, while the Drive also adds 17-inch wheels, dual-zone climate control, the lane keeping assist system, traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, and navigation with a rear camera. The Emotion versions are the most luxurious, with features such as adaptive bi-xenon headlights, the navigation system with an 8-inch screen, or leather upholstery, while the GT Line, the sportiest, in addition to exterior styling details, reserves 19-inch wheels, a sport multifunction steering wheel, and a panoramic sunroof.

Technical specifications of this car

Off-RoadKIA Sportage18 versions · from 36,190 €