An age of adventure

IT'S FUNNY how people form emotional attachments to cars. I'll always have a soft spot for the Kia Sportage purely because an acquaintance bought one and consistently referred to it as a Kia "Sport-idge" for the two years that he owned it, ignoring regular attempts to set him straight. The MK2 Sportage was launched in 2005 and, mispronunciations aside, there wasn't a whole lot to raise a smile. It was an overwhelmingly ordinary compact 4x4 but it was cheap and one of relative

In combination with its sister brand Hyundai, Kia has been one of the automotive industry’s major success stories over recent years. Its products have taken giant strides in terms of quality and engineering to the point where they’ve become realistic challengers in the European market’s mainstream. If recent Kia efforts have lacked anything, it’s been that spark of design flair and character that can make all the difference in helping a vehicle stand out but the latest Sportage seeks to address that.

As has become fashionable in many compact 4x4s products, many of the entry-level Kia Sportage models that leave the showroom only have two-wheel-drive. For most owners, most of the time, this will be more than adequate but those looking for some off-road or towing ability and greater security in wet or icy conditions can choose a full 4x4 model.

The Sportage uses a part-time all-wheel-drive system which sends 100 per cent of power to the front wheels unless slippage is detected and it’s automatically diverted to the rear. There’s a Lock Mode for off-road driving which splits the available power 50/50 between the front and rear wheels but it only operates below 25mph. All Sportage models have Hillstart Assist Control to help with uphill getaways and Downhill Brake Control to provide reassurance on steep descents.

The car has fully independent suspension front and rear with the option of fitting Kia’s Amplitude Selective Dampers which adjust their firmness according to the speed of the vehicle. Steering is via an electric system which adjusts the level of assistance according to speed.