Never mind the ride, we've jammed a lot more stuff in this SUV

Monday, 24 September 2018

Handsome and incredibly well-equipped, the Sportage has had a refresh for the 2019 model year.

**KIA SPORTAGE 2.0 GT Line

Base price:** $45,990.

GT Line promises a sporty flavour, but reality says otherwise.

Powertrain and performance: 2.0-litre petrol four with 114kW/192Nm, 6-speed automatic transmission, FWD, Combined economy 8.2 litres per 100km.

Vital statistics: 4485mm long, 1655mm high, 2670mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 466 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels, 245/45 tyres.

We like: Looks smart, loads of gear, comfortable and undemanding to drive.

We don't like: Underpowered engine, firm ride.

Kia has refreshed the popular Sportage for the 2019 model year bringing a whole host of fresh features, extra equipment and for the first time specific suspension tunes for each model in the range, including a sporty one for the GT Line we test here.

The 2.0-litre engine is the least convincing part of the GT Line package. Best to splash out for the 2.4 AWD model.

GT-Line, that's the top-spec package, right?

Usually, yes. But in this case the high level of equipment and sporty suspension tune is paired up with the basic FWD 2.0-litre petrol drivetrain to create an unusual blend of high specification and entry level propulsion.

* Kia adds some cayenne-spice to Sportage GT-Line

Big wheels and lots of bling means the Sportage GT Line looks the part.

As mentioned earlier, the Sportage has had an update for the 2019 model year and now gets Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Keep Assist and Lane Departure Warning as standard right across the range. Diesel models now get a new 8-speed automatic transmission, although petrol models like this one still make do with a 6-speeder.

A few exterior and interior styling tweaks have also taken place, while the GT Line now gets LED lights all round, as well as the ridiculously-named X-wing LED daytime running lights. Someone at Disney might be sharpening the copyright infringement pen over that particular name…

A pleasant and comfortable interior is unremarkable, but nicely bolted together.

The GT Line also comes fully loaded with pretty much everything Kia could throw at it, meaning that, at $45,990, it represents good value for money from a standard equipment perspective, but remains dynamically somewhat less convincing than it probably should be.

So it doesn't live up to the sporty connotations?

Not particularly, no.

The GT Line goes LED all round with its lights, even managing a friendly nod to Porsche with the headlights...

It is still a FWD Sportage behind that badge and that means it only gets the 114kW/192Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which remains the least convincing engine in the Sportage line up.

Not particularly refined, the 2.0-litre engine is also somewhat underpowered in this application and leaves the Sportage feeling and sounding unimpressive and asthmatic under full throttle.

And then there is the firmer, sportier suspension.

While it does add a slightly more dynamic edge to the Sportage's handling (only if you're really paying attention), the trade off is a too-firm ride that is particularly noticeable around town and takes the edge off what would otherwise be a comfortable and almost luxurious high-spec medium SUV.

Does anyone care about sporty handling in an SUV anyway?

I doubt it, and I can't imagine why they would either.

If you are buying a medium SUV, particularly a smaller-engined FWD one, you are after practicality and comfort. Not sporty dynamics and supreme handling prowess. Hell, you're probably hardly ever going to leave an urban environment in it, let alone think to yourself 'I might take my sporty SUV for a satisfying thrash on a winding country road'

And this is Kia's biggest mistake with the GT Line. If it had a plusher, more refined ride around town, then even the vaguely unpleasant engine would have been easier to overlook, making it a comfortable and extremely well-equipped urban SUV.

But surely that 'well-equipped' part will be enough for a lot of people?

Absolutely. And to be fair, the firm ride doesn't ruin the Sportage, just irritates because of what it could have been.

If you want a friendlier ride and better performance, but don't care about the equipment so much, then the $3000 cheaper 135kW/237Nm 2.4L EX AWD Sportage is a far more satisfying dynamic package, while if you wanted to step up to AWD and 2.4-litre power in the GT Line, then that is a $6000 jump. And one we would happily stretch the budget to take.

Of course, the best Sportage of the lot is the 136kW/400Nm 2.0-litre AWD diesel model, but that is a close-to-$10K jump at $54,990.

Any other cars I should consider?

At $42,995, the FWD Mazda CX-5 packs a similarly-powered 115kW/200Nm 2.0-litre petrol engine, but it is smoother and more refined and has a far superior ride to the GT Line, although it is not as well equipped.

The Hyundai Tucson 2.0 Elite features the same 114kW/192Nm engine (which is just as unimpressive here) and a better ride, but at $44,990 way has less equipment as well, which is a similar story across most manufacturers, with Kia being almost alone in offering a high-spec FWD medium SUV crossover.

Almost, that is, because Nissan has a surprisingly compelling answer to the Sportage GT Line in the form of the fractionally smaller Qashqai Ti. With its less powerful, but more willing and refined 106kW/200Nm 2.0-litre petrol engine driving the front wheels, the Ti goes toe-to-toe with the Sportage GT-Line for equipment. Okay, the big downside is that the engine is hooked up to a continuously variable transmission, but it would seem that in the medium SUV crossover segment, you can have lots of equipment or a good engine and transmission. Just not both at the same time.