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Kia Sportage diesel: A successful and aggressive anti-Renault Austral
It is the oldest Kia model imported into France. But, compared to the rustic Sportage of 1992, what a change! Manufacturer of low-end models at low prices in those years, the Korean wants today to be a specialist in vehicles at the cutting edge of technology, close in their finish and sophistication to German “premiums”. Nothing less. And the brand’s new SUV bears witness to the breathtaking progress made in thirty years. Launched at the start of 2022, the Sportage V is indeed pulling out all the stops with no less than four versions, diesel and petrol with 48-volt auxiliary electric motor, hybrid and rechargeable hybrid. Acclaimed, it also beats all order records in France, according to the manufacturer. It is also the best-selling Kia model, of which 57% in hybrid version, 13.5% in rechargeable. A major rival for the Peugeot 3008 or the next Renault Austral.
It throws!
Aesthetically, this Sportage sports a very original dress. It looks like nothing known… except the Hyundai Tucson cousin. Surprising, as the two sister brands had done everything to diversify so far. Finished in any case the curves of the previous version! Make way for sharp, fashionable beveled lines! This Sportage imposes. Even if he does not shine with his discretion. It is wanted, no offense to the followers of sobriety. The front thus appears to us to be too complicated and overloaded, lacking distinction. But, after all, Mercedes have become rowdy as well. The general silhouette is also a bit unbalanced. The stretched version for the US market looks significantly better proportioned.
Inside, it’s also impressive, with an ultra-modern and very “high tech” design, cold but rigorous. We will be immediately surprised by the leap forward in the finish, excellent and worthy of a… Mercedes. Too bad that some materials detonate. Artificial leather and profusely lacquered faux wood are indeed out of place, although unfortunately they are also found at Mercedes. The large digital slab will impress fans of the genre. It preserves a good readability of the counters, even if the caricatural multiplication of the icons makes the ergonomics more muddled than previously. We have certainly seen worse elsewhere. But gadgets galore clutter.
Once you understand the logic of the settings, you can certainly configure what you want. But, like the Germans, this Korean automatically cancels some of the choices at the restart. For pseudo-security reasons. We salute in any case the driving position, judicious, the generous habitability and the well thought out modularity. The trunk is also welcoming.
Beeps galore
On the other hand, we have trouble with the beep-beeps aplenty! It starts with the electronic chime, thunderous and vulgar, which occurs when the doors open, then a second time when starting. An old Korean habit, to be avoided urgently for European customers! We are also entitled to a beep when we turn off the engine with the ridiculous question: did we forget anything on board?
Our “Sportage” has also imposed a recurring beep on us so that we absolutely take a coffee break, even after fifteen minutes of driving! Beeps-beeps also for parking, whose radars start automatically – very loudly – as soon as reverse gear is activated. They are also totally useless, given the effective front and rear cameras. Irritating also the untimely emergency brake beeps, which are triggered far too often. We also didn’t appreciate the voice inveighing at us because we were supposedly taking a forbidden direction… It happened several times. In fact, the system does not take into account the multiple successive changes of direction due to the chaotic works of the Paris City Hall. So, it yells, wrongly!
A very muffled diesel
The 136-horsepower 1.6 diesel engine mated to an in-house dual-clutch transmission provides decent smoothness and performance. It’s even one of the smoothest and smoothest diesel engines we know. Despite a very typical diesel sound. This engine combines very well with the 48-volt electric motor, which gives it torque at low revs. His good general education would, on the contrary, make a Volkswagen TDi pass for an agricultural tractor. Cheer. Same satisfaction for the in-house double-clutch gearbox, which is a bit slow but fluid. The rotary gear lever, borrowed from the cars of the Jaguar Land Rover group, however, leaves us more skeptical. It is certainly more practical than with the British manufacturer. But it brings nothing compared to a classic lever.
We regret that the car automatically starts in Eco mode, the first characteristic of which is… laziness. It forces you to play with the second wheel to switch to Normal or Sport. The latter improves responsiveness and engine braking – in the absence, alas, of 100% manual mode -, but at the cost of an embarrassing abruptness when restarting at low revs. All the more astonishing that this diesel is, in Normal mode, so civilized… A small contradiction. The mechanics consume relatively little: 6.6 liters per hundred on a mixed course, with a lot of motorway.
Improved comfort at high speeds
For its Sportage, Kia has chosen to strengthen its suspensions compared to the Tucson. This choice, combined with the huge wheels and tires with unnecessarily low sidewalls on the GT Premium versions, imposes quite firm trepidations around town. But, as soon as the speed increases, the comfort improves greatly. The road behavior is not at all questionable in itself. Forget the blur of the previous Sportage! We are getting closer here to European references. Road holding would even be one of the vehicle’s outstanding qualities, if the steering were not too heavy and imprecise around the midpoint. However, it offers a smooth road feel, which insulates from the road. A little too much.
Sharp rise in prices
Flattering, opulent, pleasant to drive, this Sportage does not suffer from any major defect, apart from the beeps! The barge seduces by the line and the interior can order without problems. The Kia and Hyundai have earned a good reputation for reliability. This vehicle, manufactured in Slovakia, offers a seven-year warranty or 150,000 kilometers. But, ransom of the dazzling progress recorded, Kia has damned increased its prices.
The range starts at 29,900 euros with a 1.6 gasoline 150 horsepower and manual gearbox. The diesel equipped with the office of the double clutch box is worth 33,790 euros (with a bonus of 150 euros of allegedly ecological penalty), still in this basic definition Motion, austere and sparsely equipped but which has the advantage of ergonomics necessarily less complex. It also offers the essentials such as air conditioning or the touch screen. The Active version imposes a substantial price jump. The diesel is thus found at 37,490 euros. Without the staffing really increasing, apart from the standard GPS. Motion and Active remain reasonable and offer comfortable 17-inch tires that are cheaper to replace than 19 rims! Note that a diesel version with four-wheel drive appears in Active, for 2,000 euros more, to which it will be necessary to add 450 euros of penalty. Useful for mountaineers.
The advanced GT Premium, like our test vehicle, unfortunately adopts these 19-inch wheels that are so absurd… and energy-intensive, which also increase the penalty, which goes to 240 euros in 4×2, 1,172 in 4×4! The GT Premium lays claim to more luxury, with the famous leatherette seats (!), and offers plenty of driving aids, for those who like it. The price peaks at 43,790 euros in 4×2 diesel, 45,790 in 4×4. Kia is more expensive than Peugeot, but less than Hyundai and especially Volkswagen. Note that, if the interior is uniformly black, without any alternative choice, Kia offers an optional beautiful palette of exterior colors, with red, orange, yellow, green, brown, rather daring. To brighten up the road.
Price of the model tested : Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDi MHEV DCT7 4×2 GT Premium: 43,790 euros (+240 euros penalty)
Engine power : 136 horsepower (diesel)
Dimensions: 4.51m (long) x 1.86 (wide) x 1.64 (high)
Qualities: finishing in very clear progress, flattering presentation, good driving position, generous habitability, many dapper colors available, pleasant and sober mechanics, good road behavior
Faults: misplaced fake leather, annoying welcome chime, numerous beeps, ergonomics more complex than before, driver choices canceled at start-up, Sudden Sport mode, lacks a 100% manual mode
Competitors: Peugeot 3008 Blue HDi 130 EAT8 GT Pack: 42,040 euros; Hyundai Tucson 1.6 CRDi DCT 7 Ex: 45,800 euros; Volkswagen Tiguan TDi 150 DSG Exclusive: 49,045 euros
Rating: 14 out of 20
