By Guilherme Marques
The Kia Sportage has a lot going for it. And now it even has a little bit More.
This time I’m beginning with a request: please close your eyes and picture the first generation Kia Sportage. It can be in any colour you like. No? Well then, try to visualise the second generation. You know, with the big plastic bumpers and the angular lines. Also no? Okay, do not beat yourself up because I bet that if you asked anyone what they both looked like, 9 out of 10 people would not know (not an official number, more of an educated guess).
There are two main reasons for this: first, the Sportage was born in 1995, a time when Kia was building cars that were little more than white goods, at least in the eyes of Europeans; second, they simply did not look good.
Fast forward to 2010 and the new, third generation Sportage comes out. I think the word ‘revolution’ cannot begin to describe the difference between the first two models and the current one. The Sportage spearheaded the introduction of Kia’s breakthrough design language, under the leadership of the brilliant Peter Schreyer (his importance within the company is such they have just named him vice-president), and showed the world there was a new kid in town, you know, the one “everybody’s talkin’ bout”.
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The market for crossovers is very profitable and Kia wanted a slice of the pie, thus it endowed the Sportage with less of off-road ability (if any in 4×2 spec) and more of everything else. Was it a smart move? Most definitely yes.
Three years have passed since we first laid eyes on the Sportage and it still looks very much new. We are driving it because there is a new version created for the Portuguese market, fittingly named More, that sits just below the top of the line TX, offering more equipment for not that much more money. Goodies include the enormous panoramic roof, cruise control, audio controls in the steering wheel, bluetooth hands free, stop&go, and a few more. The More is available with the 1.7 CRDi engine, front-wheel drive spec and comes in two colours: Cassa White or Dark Gun Metal.
The diesel engine produces 115 horse power, which does not seem like much today, but bear in mind this is a crossover, built for the daily things like commuting, the school run or the shopping trip. So, whereas 115hp would not be enough in a variety of cars, they suit the Sportage personality just fine and I never found myself wishing for more grunt.
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I did, however, enjoy averaging 6.2 litres per 100 km. The Kia tells you when to shift up or down in order to maximise efficiency and you can sense the six-speed manual gearbox is optimised to save fuel, when you work wisely with it.
Inside there is lots of room, as you would expect, and the overall sense of quality is high. Build quality is irreprehensible. The 16’’ wheels make for decent levels of comfort, but the Sportage is not at its best when the road is too damaged. That is because a more advanced suspension system would rob it of one of its biggest selling points, the price.
Still, the balance between comfort, handling and body control is very good and undoubtedly better than that of its biggest rival, the Nissan Qashqai. It is also the best looking by a mile. Make that 10 miles.
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Because I love good design, I have a great deal of respect for what Kia has done and, as a designer myself, I would kill for 10% of the talent Mr. Schreyer has. Backed by some excellent engineering, he overhauled the whole Kia range in only six years, taking it from white goods to why-can’t-all-cars-look-like-this?
The Sportage More costs €29,357 and not a cent more. I like it. I could happily live with it everyday and I strongly recommend it. Where else will you find a crossover that is as efficient, looks this good, has this much equipment and costs under 30k?
