2021 Kia Sportage LX review

The Sportage is not only a top seller here, it’s Kia’s best seller globally. The new fifth-generation model is a larger prospect, but is bigger necessarily better?

Sportage has been a great success locally for Kia, the previous two generations being strong sellers. No doubt that its styling, pricing and favourable sizing have contributed. With this new fifth-generation model, Kia has stepped things up, the design a decent departure from the previous models, while it has grown in size some. The look we quite like, well proportioned with a distinctive front end that is dominated by big light signatures that really stand out at night.

Along with the styling revolution, the Sportage is now much larger, as it’s based on the same platform as the latest Sorento.

The bigger bones see it measuring up at 4.6m long (plus 180mm), and 1865mm wide, the wheelbase out to 2755mm (up 86mm). That translates to more passenger space all around. The increase might put off some previous Sportage owners, happy with the way it was but the new model is now a better fit between the Seltos and Sorento in the hierarchy.

There are four trim levels offered; LX, LX plus, Deluxe and X-Line, along with three powertrains. The entry-level models are front drivers with a 115kW/192Nm 2.0-litre petrol using a six-speed auto. The turbos, a 1.6 petrol with 132kW/265Nm and a 2.0-litre diesel with 137kW/426Nm, gain AWD, the 1.6 using a seven-speed twin-clutch and the diesel utilising an eight-speed auto.

While there is a plethora of model options, the volume sellers have been the cheapies, and Kia has been astute with its ‘introductory specials’ to lead the sales. It has done this again with a sharp limited time offer of $34,990 for the LX. But it’s a get-in-quick deal, ending at Dec 31. That said, the price isn’t expected to rise too far north with the LX Plus listed at $40,990. At the other end of the scale, the X-Line diesel is $61,990.

We don’t usually drive the entry-level variant to introduce a new model; generally it’s the glitziest or sportiest with features galore and a price tag to match. So it’s good to actually kick things off here with the one the majority buys.

It’s eye opening just what you get in a base model these days. Not that long ago we would have recommended a mid-grade model as the sweet spot of the range, but this LX is impressive at the money asked, and our initial impressions were favourable. While there is no smart key, (you even put the key in the ignition barrel to crank her up), you grip a leather clad steering wheel, and note that on its spokes are the buttons for the lane keeping and smart cruise systems. You sit on cloth-trimmed seats with manual adjustment but it’s not a bad pew, with the right amount of padding and form for support. And there’s just enough movement at the seat and wheel to deliver a good driving position for most.

You peer at a digital display and it’s fairly basic so there’s not much to configure here, the instruments merely change colour with the drive modes. To the left is a reasonably sized display for the infotainment system and, while it’s fairly basic, it is easy to fathom. You have to pair your smartphone and use Car Play or Android Auto if you need more features.

This has a smattering of buttons and knobs that make setting things like the air con dead easy. It’s only a single-zone set-up and not of the climate variety, but it does the job. There are a few blank switches about, for things like the heated and ventilated seats in top models, and while there is no charge pad, the USB, USB-c and 12V plugs are easily accessible. Plus there’s plenty of cabin storage. The exterior’s styling panache flows over into the interior, with some interesting surfaces and details. What grates is the hard plastics on the door tops and handle where your elbow might rest, and the hard edge of the centre console.

Stepping into the rear, mind the high sill, but there’s ample room on offer, knees a decent distance from the front seats and headroom aplenty. Three lanky teens should fit across the cabin okay and if you have littlies there are three top tethers and two Isofix points. Split folding is initiated via levers on the squab, the seat back (split 60/40) dropping to form a flat area. While there’s no powered tailgate for the LX that’s fine by us, for it’s not our favourite extra anyway. There’s a wide opening and a low loading height. The hold is well shaped, and plenty big enough at over 540L. It even has a full size spare under the floor.

On the commute, the six-speed auto and 2.0-litre combo get the job done. There are a few drive modes, but Smart (an adaptive setting that switches between Eco, Normal and Sport) is the only one you will ever use. Sportage takes off with reasonable gusto, enough to hit the gap when need be. There’s adequate torque in that everyday driving range, and the engine is hushed below 3000rpm, a point you never venture much past in town. Can’t complain about the auto’s operation either.

Safety features include added crash avoidance systems, actively steering or braking the Sportage to help avoid crashing. The active cruise, complete with stop and go, is easy to operate, if a little slow to restart and occasionally gets confused by parked cars, slowing momentarily before it realises what they are. The lane keeping is active above 60km/h, but an easily poked button on the steering wheel can turn that off. It guides you along the motorway quite well however.

The ride gets a pass mark; some Kias can be a touch firm, but this is mostly cushy while being reasonably quiet. The only minor negative is a slightly larger than desirable turning circle. While it has an electronic parking brake, it doesn’t set itself when you park up and the button for it is on the dash; these are easier to reach when sited on the console. As to fuel use, urban operators should expect to consume around 9-10L/100km, not far off the quoted average of 8.1L/100km.

The chassis is not a master class in dynamics but it’s certainly competent enough, being composed at open road speeds and able to digest most bumps well. So this is a contented highway cruiser, reasonably quiet in terms of road noise, while the engine is muffled as it beavers away around the 2000rpm mark at 100km/h. When shown the whip, the 2.0-litre will rev and the auto changes dutifully, kicking down without too much encouragement. The four-pot works hard on the overtake, needing just over 7sec but you’ll squeeze past okay.

The steering has some sensation to it, and while it can suffer some kickback through rougher bends, it turns easily and there’s nothing awry with the assistance. It puts up solid resistance to understeer, but eventually the rear-end roll upsets the flow, occasionally triggering the ESP, but by then you’re trying a bit hard anyhow.

We were impressed with the new Sportage in LX guise. Not everyone will love the increase in size but, for the money asked, it’s a lot of vehicle. This is a thoroughly decent package at the price. Get in quick.