Short Take Road Test
That Kia continues to assemble ever-better-performing, more-competitive, more-attractive products should be news to no one. That a small crossover is the Korean brand’s quickest vehicle might take you by surprise. It did us. But it’s true: Since the 1994 Sephia landed stateside, no Kia has hit 60 mph in fewer ticks of the second hand than this new turbocharged Sportage.
A midyear addition to the lineup, the SX gives the otherwise competent Sportage that which it lacked: haste. Its 260-hp, 2.0-liter direct-injected turbo four is a detuned version of the one available in the Optima. With optional all-wheel drive dispersing 269 pound-feet of torque, the Sportage reaches 60 in 6.1 seconds. It’s quicker to that mark—by 2.8 seconds—than a 170-hp, 2.4-liter Sportage with all-wheel drive. Quicker, by 0.3 second, than the lighter, 274-hp Optima SX sedan.
None of the Kia’s all-wheel-drive little-ute peers is as fleet, including the segment’s former top sprinter, the Toyota RAV4.
All turbocharged Sportages come with a six-speed automatic transmission. Its quick, smooth actions help the crossover live up to the first five letters of its name without sacrificing comfort.
Unfortunately, Kia is making a bad habit of exclusively pairing the engine we prefer with a “sport-tuned” suspension. Even though no stiffening of the already firm setup was warranted, Kia tightened the calibrations anyway. The SX’s suspension is composed but not compliant.
Dual exhaust outlets, a barely scrutable T-GDI badge—that’s “turbocharged gasoline direct injection,” for the faint of scruting—and a less chrome-y grille are the only turbo identifiers on the exterior. Sportages in SX trim come with everything from the formerly top-spec EX, adding $2500 to the sticker for the stiff ride and the stout engine. At a base price of $27,990 for an AWD version, it’s more than a bit expensive. Our test vehicle arrived loaded with the $1500 Navigation option, which includes an upgraded audio system, and the $3000 Premium package (leather upholstery, heated seats, a backup warning system, a panoramic sunroof, a fan-cooled driver’s seat, and more). Throw in a $75 cargo mat, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money ($32,565, specifically). Expensive, yes, but the SX is sufficiently sportaged.
Just think if Kia were to try its increasingly deft hand at a proper sports car.
