Kia Sportage: a little softer

The Sportage is a comfortable ride and has a decent amount of road balance and grip to match the engine's eagerness.

This Sportage wagon is happy enough doing the shopping chores, not so much the tourer.

There are now a couple of ways into the Sportage, the soft-roader compact from Kia.

The latest of these Korean wagons offers two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive versions plus the choice of petrol or diesel engines for the four-wheel drive machines. And these revamped packages have some style and value appeal in a crowded part of the market.

More than 1.5 million Sportages have been sold worldwide since the launch in 1992; 16,000 of those have been sold into Australia since 1997.

But while the original machines were more a rival to Suzuki's four-wheel drive Vitaras, the new generation has eschewed the two-speed transfer box and full chassis. So today's Kia Sportages are more a competitor for the likes of Honda's CR-V, more the soft-road option where it once had some off-road 'heritage.'

Around here the turbocharged, diesel-powered, four-wheel-drive version with six-speed manual is considered the best, and most versatile, of today's Sportages.

But even that machine, held in first gear, runs a bit too quick for any semi-serious paddock crawling; it likes its engine revs and the gearing is a bit tall so for meandering through serious ruts a bit of clutch-slip may be needed

That's a pity because the original Sportage; with its low range was handy enough for a small four-wheel drive.

No, this diesel-engined Sportage prefers more open, faster country; dirt, tar or sand.

Indeed, the 2-litre Sportage EX CRDi wagon is a compact flyer and much fun to push along through the traffic, down a country road or over a mountain range.

It is forever willing; with maximum power of 103kW arriving at 4000rpm and best torque of 304Nm at 1800rpm it works almost like a small petrol motor; second gear starts are out. And this CRDi is available only with the six-speed manual, which helps contribute to the engine's driveability.

Kia's been in the diesel-engine business for some time (primarily on commercial vehicle applications) so have a reasonable head start on some others when it comes to producing refined oil-burners for passenger cars.

This one is a little gem and features common rail direct injection plus variable geometry turbocharger where the vanes close a little to increase exhaust pressure, and then more turbo boost, at lower speeds.

The torque is available from 1800rpm through to 2500rpm so there's a fair bit of flexibility here. Kia claim it should deliver 7.1l/100km but pushing it around can see that consumption run out closer to 9l/100km.

And all this is done with a fair degree of fun, especially at a starting price of $32,490 for a machine of some sophistication.

Ride comfort is good and this diesel four-wheel drive Sportage has a decent amount or road balance and grip to match that engine's eagerness.

These days the four-wheel drive versions run front-drive until the electronics detect wheel slip and send up to 50 per cent of drive to the rear. For rough-roading at speeds up to 30 km/h the Kia system can be locked in 50:50 four-wheel drive with a dashboard switch.

The current generation Sportage is maybe not as distinctive as the first. Most automotive stylists (leaving aside the Chrysler boys and girls for the moment) appear to have taken on this ubiquitous look for the compact SUV class and the Kia effort is more of the same (even if some of those lines toward the rear are contradictory).

So after all that fun and excitement, the two-wheel drive LX version with two litre engine and the optional four-speed automatic was not quite the same.

This Sportage wagon is happy enough doing the shopping chores, not so much the tourer.

Pushed around, the front-drive Kia tends to understeer and kneel at the front in corners; the diesel version appeared to be better-balanced at the front; perhaps the extra weight of the diesel helps here. And with the petrol engine the automatic transmission takes the shine off most press-on drives.

It is a compact, well-kitted machine. All Sportages arrive with today's usual list of airconditioning, power windows and mirrors plus ABS for the four-wheel disc brakes plus driver and passenger front airbags.

The cabins are well-sorted with no real ergonomic complaints. The rear seats are reasonable for this size and style of vehicle where there is a decent amount of rear cargo area.

But while that diesel, four-wheel drive version of the Kia Sportage has some value virtues, the two-wheel drive Sportage may not find as much custom.

Kia Sportage EX CRDi

Price: $32,490

Body: Four-door wagon

Engine: 2 litre, turbocharged diesel

Power: 103kW @ 4000rpm

Torque: 304Nm @ 1800rpm

Transmission: Six-speed manual, four-wheel drive

Length/width/height: 4350mm/1800mm/1695mm

Kerb weight: 1727kg

Ground clearance: 195mmT

Owing: 1600kg