The Kia Sportage has come a long way from 1993, when it was launched on the engineering platform of the Mazda Bongo. Watch video
The Kia Sportage has come a long way from 1993, when it was launched on the engineering platform of the Mazda Bongo.
And with the Americans' taste for compact SUVs, it's a bit surprising the Sportage is not a higher seller for Kia. This year the Sportage is Kia's fifth best-selling model, behind the Soul, Optima, Sorento and Forte models, respectively.
However, through the first 10 months of the year, sales have been strong for the Sportage, with a jump of 59 percent to 69,251 units. And during that same time, sales of the Optima plummeted by 25 percent.
Here we take a look at the 2017 model, which has been completely redesigned for the year.
What it is: This is the 2017 Kia Sportage EX AWD. It has a 2.4-liter, direct-injection 4-cylinder engine that produces up to 181 horsepower and 175 lb.-ft. of torque. Its fuel EPA rated fuel economy is 21 miles per gallon city, 25 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined. As the moniker implies, it's all-wheel-drive with locking center differential.
Some of its competitors: Ford Escape, Jeep Renegade, Chevrolet Trax, Honda CR-V
What we liked: The interior is refreshingly simple, yet does not seem cheap. The controls in the center stack were intuitive. The Sportage's ride seemed nice enough, though we never encountered any hazardous conditions in our one week with the SUV.
Though the part has run into some trouble on other Hyundai/Kia cars, we are always suckers for the panoramic sunroof, which on the Sportage is tucked between two luggage rails, adding to its sportiness. That roof doesn't come standard, however, and is part of a $1,800 premium package on the model we tested.
What we did not like: The automatic rear hatch did not always work the way we wanted it to, and one time when we went outside we discovered the hatch gaping open, seemingly deciding to do so on its own. It's possible the key fob's button could have been "pocket dialed" on accident, but the feature seemed a little glitch-y.
Fuel economy is not bad, but could be better.
Verdict: Overall, it's easy to see why the new-for-2017 Sportage has received a positive response and favorable reviews from buyers thus far. As compact SUVs go, it seems like a solid option.
Price as tested: $32,595.00