2010 KIA SPORTAGE LAUNCHED, DRIVEN

Can one say enough about Peter Schreyer without sounding like a groupie? I guess not. Audi’s loss is Kia’s gain. How they let the guy who designed the original funky TT go still amazes me. My only consolation is they knew/know what they were doing. A massive institution like Volkswagen has many capable and talented designers in its team, not least of all the chief, Walter da Silva himself. Still, I can’t help but wonder if Kia hadn’t tossed the proverbial bone Schreyer’s way, what kind of Audis we’d have today. Indeed, what kind of Kias.

Fortunately we have the kind that look like this all-new Sportage. Menacing up front with what is now known as the “tiger grille” with its chrome surrounds, the car hints at a combination of power and style. The front lights structure features LED daytime running lights, a first for the segment (if you exclude the more premium Audi Q5). Although Kia says it stands lower than its predecessor, those high shoulders and small windows make it look higher. For the record, ground clearance is 17.2cm, length is 4.4 metres, width 1.855m and the wheelbase is 2.64m. Since I never drove the previous car I have no point of reference as to how it compares with the new one.

Sitting on the driver’s seat one does get a commanding feeling, like the world is at your feet. With that said, it does not overpower your sense of traffic either, meaning you are always aware of surrounding vehicles. So ladies especially will enjoy the ride height and the extra roominess provided by the optional panoramic sunroof.

Leather appointments are evident from the seats to the centre console, to the stitched steering wheel cover. At times you are tempted to stop and check the badge again, just to make sure this is a Kia. And it is. It is the new Kia, a Kia that company executives say is going sportier and more premium than ever before. The leap from the Kia I first met in the Shuma a few years ago is unfathomable. You are literally stepping out of one car into a completely different one, from a different automaker. Except this is the same company that brought us Shuma.

Equipment levels are very high. Again, a surprise. Included in that list are a CD player, air conditioning, USB port (needs an extra cord), remote controls on the steering wheel, electric mirrors and an adjustable steering column. Have a look at the gear lever in these pictures and tell me it doesn’t look premium. An optional rear view camera can be supplied with the AWD model and its picture appears on the interior rear mirror. There is no satellite navigation for the simple reason that Kia does not offer this option to the SA market in any car. I reckon this will soon change though.

A relatively short drive through the streets of Maputo in Mozambique affirmed the Sportage’s position as an urbane mid-sized SUV. Front suspension consists of MacPherson struts with coil springs and shock absorbers filled with gas. An anti-roll stabiliser bar is also included. At the rear a multi-link system can be found. As a result the Sportage becomes much more street than bundu. In fact none of the transmission systems we tried out features a low-range gear, which means those rough excursions will have to be limited to the local football field.

Perhaps where Kia still needs a bit of soul is in the engine department. True, the 2.0-litre common rail turbo diesel worth 130kW at 4000rpm and 392Nm between 1800rpm and 2500rpm is a gem. Not only does it stand head and shoulders with the best out there, in some ways it even surpasses them. Kia and sister brand Hyundai pride themselves in producing their own engines and gearboxes, something that no one else does. But the petrol derivatives really need a second look.

Offered at launch are a 2.4-litre with 130kW and 227Nm as well as a baseline 2.0-litre with 122kW and 197Nm. Very little between them, so Kia is adding extras to the 2.4 that 2.0 buyers aren’t getting. Performance is uninspiring from both of them I’m afraid, even at coastal altitude. I know there is a company 2.0-litre petrol turbo making 200kW being used by the Hyundai Genesis and I suggest they detune it and pluck it into this car. Nothing wrong with a 150kW mid-sized SUV. Transmissions on offer are a 5-speed and 6-speed manual, as well as a 6-speed automatic. The last two are great, as they should be, especially when mated to the supple diesel. Drive is either through two wheels or all four. Unfortunately for Kia none of these powertrains fall below the C02 tax threshold of 120g/km. they all range from 170g/km to 219g/km for the 2.4 AWD automatic.

How Kia will stop this thing from running off the showroom floors will be quite interesting, since executives are complaining about a lack of stock coming from South Korea where the car is built. How they will sell 500 per month as planned will depend on this supply constraint alone. Nothing else.

Kia Sportage Pricing

2WD 2.0 manual Ignite (R249 995)

2WD 2.0 manual (R264 995)

2WD 2.0 auto (R274 995)

AWD 2.0 manual (R294 995)

AWD 2.0 auto (R304 995)

AWD 2.4 auto (R319 995)

2WD 2.0 CRDi manual (R289 995)

2WD 2.0 CRDi auto (R299 995)

AWD 2.0 CRDi manual (R319 995)

AWD 2.0 CRDi auto (R329 995)