FOUR by fours, crossovers and SUVs come in all shapes and sizes. But when it comes to style, Kia leads the way yet again.
The Sportage has a lot going for it. Award-winning, stunning looks usually reserved for concept cars, generous levels of standard equipment and strong build quality, all backed up by Kia's industry-leading seven-year warranty.
The awards have been flying in since the Sportage launched. Not only did it win the Red Dot Design Award but, it also topped the WhatCar? JD Power survey in 2012 for highest overall ownership satisfaction among compact SUVs. The survey is open to every car out there and voted for by owners so it is a real achievement for Kia and shows how strong their customer fan base is continuing to grow.
Inside, it is clear to see how far Kia has come in a short time. Starting at £17,300, the Sportage comes equipped with Bluetooth connectivity with USB and AUX ports, alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, rain-sensing front wipers, air conditioning, electric front and rear windows, cruise control and plenty more as standard.
Available in both 2WD and 4WD and with a variety of highly economical engines, the Sportage is a go-anywhere, do-anything car. In its most economical form, the Sportage can return a very impressive combined consumption figure of 54.3mpg and emit only 135g/km of CO2 from its 1.7 CRDi diesel engine with stop start technology, putting it in the £120-per-year bracket.
The Sportage is a safe place to be, too, with plenty of airbags, ABS with cornering brake control and electronic brake-force distribution, electronic stability control with downhill brake control, hill-start assist control and ISOFIX Child Seat fixings to name but a few. These all add up to give the Sportage the maximum five stars on the rigorous Euro NCAP test.
There are eight models, with different engine and gearbox options available, which means from the "1" to the gadget-laden top-spec KX-4, there is definitely a Sportage for everyone.
Completing the overall appeal of the Sportage is Kia's Care-3 inclusive servicing package.
This gives you your first three services for the incredibly low sum of £329, putting the Sportage firmly at the top of the tree in the value-for-money stakes.