A WELL ROUNDED ROAD

by jay kana & steph wallcraft | photos by jay kana

Which car is best for road trip travel?

Here’s the good news: the best family cars also tend to be the best vehicles for road trips. You’re looking for comfort, space to stretch out and stow snacks and devices, cargo capacity for all your gear, great fuel economy to save you money, and usability so you’re not encountering the same frustrations over and over again. The Kia Sportage checks all these boxes, so we put it to the test across 4,000 kilometres to see if it would make our list as one of the most comfortable road trip vehicles. Here are nine reasons we chose the Kia Sportage Hybrid for our road trip around the Gaspé Peninsula.

Cargo Space

With 1,119L of cargo space behind the second row, and a cavernous 2,087L with the second row folded, there’s more than enough storage space here. The split-folding seats offer versatility and during our road trip, we kept the essentials in the rear seats and the balance in the trunk.

Comfortable Seats

The powered heated seats up front are soft and supportive, with various ways to configure them to suit your body style. Whether it’s coasting at highway speeds or navigating an urban environment, these seats are smartly bolstered and eliminate driver fatigue.

Sound System

Equipped with the upgraded Harmon Kardon audio system, our Sportage Hybrid was filled with a variety of music that had crisp high tones and clear low tones for a well-balanced audio experience throughout our adventure.

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE

This standard feature is always handy to have, especially in Canadian climates. Yes, there’s a front-wheel drive bias but when the conditions aren’t clear and dry, having all-wheel drive provides added stability to the drive.

Standard Safety

The list is long and includes Advanced Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Follow Assist, Blind Spot Collision Avoidance, Smart Cruise Control, and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance. The top-trim SX includes an Around View Monitor, Front & Rear Parking Sensors, Highway Drive Assist and more.

Panoramic Sunroof

The light shining in through a panoramic sunroof really opens up the cabin, gives the second row occupants a unique view and the power retractable sunshade makes operating a breeze.

Fuel Economy

Using a 52L fuel tank of 87 octane fuel, Natural Resources Canada’s fuel ratings in L/100 km come in at 6.1 in the city, 6.3 on the highway for a combined total of 6.2. With sensible and adaptive driving behaviour, it’s possible to squeeze out nearly 1,000 km between fill ups. The engine is a 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder creating 227 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque through a smart six-speed automatic transmission.

Memory Seats

If driving duties are shared, memory seats are a time saver. Easily switch between Driver 1 and Driver 2 settings to retain your safe and comfortable driving position to a tee. No more guessing and fiddling with the seat before you hit the road.

Infotainment

The 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system is easy to navigate, clearly laid out and requires little digging into submenus. Our SX trim had the matching 12.3” digital instrument cluster, which was customizable and easy to obtain information from at a glance. There’s also wireless smartphone charging and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Plus, there’s a nifty 2-Mode Infotainment/HVAC panel that flips between infotainment features and climate control functions with a simple touch.