The Kia Sportage has always been perceived as the sporty cousin to the Hyundai Tucson in the Hyundai/ Kia family. They may share a platform and, sometimes, engines, but they certainly differ on the outside.

The Sportage range was updated recently and concerns regarding affordability were addressed by adding extra models to the range.

The test car was the Ignite Plus level which means 1 above the most basic model and there were a few items that I would personally prefer to find on a vehicle that I purchase in this category.

In the engine department though, I certainly have no complaints. The 2.0L 4 cylinder turbo diesel puts out a very respectable 131kW and a massive 400Nm to give excellent performance. Matched with the recently added 8 speed automatic transmission, it's smooth and more than powerful enough for every situation.

An added bonus was that we achieved fuel consumption for the test period of only 6.8L/ 100km. For a medium family SUV with auto box, that is a great result. Another bonus is the fact that the Sportage handled some muddy dirt roads with aplomb, a combination of the typical SUV raised ride height and a slightly sporty ride overall.

MY biggest disappointment on the vehicle in this spec level must be the lack of an up-to-date infotainment system. At the price point and market category, I believe that this should be included. The lack of this also means that the vehicle does not have a reverse camera but only PDC beepers. I have to admit that I have become used to reverse cameras on most test cars and especially SUV's.

In spite of my relatively minor gripes, the Sportage proved why it is so popular among medium SUV's. Overall, it provides the space that buyers require with the bonus of above average performance .

The Sportage range starts from R387 000 up to R560 000 with the test car priced at R461 995. A 5 year/ 90 000km service plan is standard.

#KiaSportage
#Kia
#MediumSUV