KIA SPORTAGE GT-LINE S 4X4

from 4x4 Magazine - February 2023

NORTH-EAST SUFFOLK

Following its triumphant class victory in last month’s 4x4 of the Year awards, Kia’s newcomer in the small SUV category demonstrates the all-round qualities that make it an all-round winner

IN LAST MONTH’S ISSUE, our 4x4 of the Year awards crowned the all-new Sportage as winner of the Small SUV category. That saw it beat competition from some incredibly strong rivals, including previous class winners in the Volkswagen T-Roc, Jeep Renegade and Dacia Duster.

Not all versions of the Sportage have all-wheel drive, but on those that do Kia makes the most of it by equipping them with various drive modes aimed at enhancing its ability away from tarmac. To emphasis the point, the company recently launched a trio of special editions called Mud Mode, Sand Mode and Snow Mode; we’ve got the former on test as we write this and will be challenging it to prove itself worthy of its name in a future issue, but for now here’s the range-topping GT-Line S model in 4x4 Hybrid form.

There are four main trim levels in the range, along with petrol, diesel mild hybrid, petrol hybrid and petrol plug-in hybrid powertrains. Hybrids have the option of all-wheel drive, and on plug-ins it’s standard.

To cut to the chase, the one we drove lists at £41,550. That puts it on the second rung from top on the price ladder, because going plug-in bumps the money to £45,100. It’s the most powerful model in the range, with 261bhp, but we found that 226bhp was enough to give the Sorento plenty of urge.

As usual with turbocharged petrol engines, all the torque’s available deep in the depths of the rev range. And of course the electric motor in the system gives you all it’s got the moment it starts turning. The result is 259lbf.ft from a useful 1500rpm.

So it pulls eagerly, whisking you away from the lights and staying with you all the way to the top. It’s not made to be a fast car, and a 0-60 time of 8.0

Above left: The Sportage’s driving position is excellent, with a spacious and comfortable seat giving you an excellent view of the road or trail ahead. The cabin is dominated by a large media screen which flows horizontally into a digital dashboard, creating a full-width virtual display that’s very reminiscent of the best premium SUVs of the last few years, and build quality is up with the best of them. Materials in the cabin are only one step below the sort of 4x4s that cost twice as much, too, and real-world practicality is excellent

Above right: Talking of practicality, the rear seats fold as good as flat and lock into place to create a long cargo bay that’s accessed through a big, wide tailgate aperture. It punches well above its weight for shifting big loads seconds is not exactly top fuel dragster stuff, but it’s keen and strong and even if you chuck your family and all their stuff in it, the extra weight won’t put it off.

It handles with decent poise, too. Body control is perhaps a little bouncy at times, with a tendency to go light and float over crests, but there’s enough feel in the steering to let you attack corners with all the confidence you need that it’s going to start by turning in the way you want it to and carry on by gripping the way you need it to.

Most impressive of all, though, is the Sportage’s refinement. The hybrid’s drivetrain is almost completely free of vibration, and so too is its ride. Any car that’s not physically defective should be smooth and quiet on properly surfaced roads, but the Sportage goes way beyond that – it absolutely glides, in a way that’s reminiscent of hundred-grand luxury SUVs.

It’s pretty good at soaking up the impacts on the other kind of road, too. We doubt we’re not alone in having noticed the shocking size and sheer quantity of this winter’s crop of pot holes; no vehicle is ever going to make them disappear altogether, but the Sportage draws the sting a lot more successfully than most. It has a natural agility at low speeds which makes it nice and manoeuvrable around town, too, so negotiating the obstacle course of Britain’s urban roads is as stress-free as you could ever hope for.

So is the accommodation inside the cabin, where there’s plenty of space and adjustability up front and, so long as the driver doesn’t gobble it all up, in the back too. We found that sitting one six-footer behind another is a bit of a squeeze but that so long as neither of them thinks the world owes them a living they’ll both be fine. Headroom is outstanding all-round, too, and the driving position is excellent, with a fine view ahead and to both sides.

It’s good in general up front, indeed. The cabin looks great, with a large media screen that flows horizontally into a digital dash in an arrangement that puts us in mind of the current Volkswagen Touareg. Which is a pretty good thing to be put in mind of. Those screens are good, too, with crisp displays and fast responses from an interface that makes good sense as you learn your way into it.

The rest of the cabin ergonomics are excellent, too, with good switchgear and a catchy design that’s carried off using nice materials. The steering wheel feels really pleasing in your hands and build quality is generally solid, with very little creaking or movement from the fixtures and fittings. It doesn’t come on as an attempt to be ultra-premium but it absolutely does convince you that Kia is no longer a budget brand and deserves to be thought of in the same vein as the heavy-hitters from Europe and Japan.

We were particularly impressed with the Sportage as a luggage-lugger. Its back seats fold almost completely flat and lock into position to leave a big, long cargo bay that’s accessed by a pleasingly wide aperture. Simple things, but they make a big difference to a vehicle’s practicality. It’s good at swallowing your odds and ends, too, with the usual combination of a big cubby, glovebox and door pockets augmented by a huge compound stowage area in the floor console.

In general, there’s very little to criticise. We felt that the adjustable lumbar cushion in the driver’s seat didn’t have quite as much adjustment as we’d like, but the seat itself looks and feels good and it certainly holds you in place it you decide to cut loose in corners – or, indeed, use that all-wheel drive ability to negotiate some side slopes or axle-twisters.

That we can still say such things about the Sportage is cause for some celebration. And so too is the leap forward Kia has made with more or less everything about the vehicle. This is the fifth generation of the Sportage. Each of them has been good – but what we have now is, by some way, the best yet.

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