mmarshall

A Review of the 2017 Kia Sportage

http://www.kia.com/us/en/vehicle/sportage/2017

IN A NUTSHELL: Very well-built, and, in lower-trim versions, a relative bargain among compact SUVs.

CLOSEST AMERICAN-MARKET COMPETITORS: Toyota RAV-4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Escape, Dodge Journey (the Journey is comparably-priced but slightly larger), Chevrolet Equinox, VW Tiguan, Subaru Forester. Mitsubishi Outlander.


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(Unfortunately, this shade of red is not a production 2017 U.S.-market color)

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OVERVIEW:

The Sportage is a compact SUV vehicle that started off with a very unimpressive First-Generation model (1993-2004), developed in conjunction with Ford and Mazda (Kia used to build vehicles for both companies before becoming a Hyundai division), that was truck-based, with a body-on-frame design, not built particularly well despite its solid exterior hardware, unreliable, and did to have very good road manners. Consumer Reports had quite a low opinion of it. The Second-Generation version (2004-2010), switching to an all-new, car-based unibody design, was an enormous improvement in several areas, especially in general build-quality, fit/finish, comfort, and road/driving manners. The Third-Generation model, introduced in 2010, continued the steady overall improvement though I was never impressed with the somewhat stark looks of the interior, even though it used good materials. The third-generation body-styling was not really my cup of tea, either, and the ride stiffened noticeably over earlier models....even more so with the SX's sport suspension. However the third-generation model was impressively well-built, and became quite successful in the marketplace....among many other buyers, my brother got one.....a 2015 LX, and is very pleased with it.

Originally, from what I understood from Kia, the 2016 version was supposed to get the major refreshing last fall, but, for whatever reasons, it was delayed until this spring as the 2017 model. So, carry-over 2015 versions (minus a couple of paint and interior colors) were labelled 2016s. The actual 2017 version, which is just being introduced, is not really a new-generation as such (it still uses the same basic body and platform as the third-generation), but the front end, grille, headlights, interior/dash, and taillights have all gotten major revisions, for a significantly different look. I'll go into that in more detail below.

As with the last-generation model, the new American-market 2017 Sportage comes in three trim-versions....LX ($22,990), EX ($25,50), and SX ($32,500) Turbo. All versions come with a choice of FWD or AWD...which, IMO, is good marketing, since some competitors in this segment don't offer AWD on base versions. Also as before, LX and EX models use the non-turbo 2.4L in-line four of 181 HP and 175 ft-lbs. of torque, while the SX Turbo uses the 2.0L turbocharged in-line four of 240 HP (FWD) / 237 HP (AWD) and 260 ft-lbs. of torque. All versions come with a standard 6-speed Sport-Shift automatic transmission. Other gas and diesel engines are offered overseas, along with a 7-speed dual-clutch auto-manual transmission, but not in the American market.

For the review, since I had already had test-drive experience with my brother's last-generation LX AWD on the same platform/drivetrain, and since the SX's marketing did not impress me much, especially the stiffer-riding suspension/tires (nor, for most driving situations, do I feel this class of vehicle really needs the SX's 260 ft-lbs of torque), I chose an EX version with AWD and almost no options. I thought the particular one I chose, listing for only 28K and still offering pure-leather upholstery (not fake leather), heated seats, push-button start, extra chrome exterior trim, and some other nice touches for the price, was a relative bargain. The SX, of course, offers a number of extra standard features (and a lot more power under the hood), but also cost at least $7000 more to start than an EX, which IMO is a big gap for this class. Gone are the days when Kia offered rock-bottom prices, but also gone are the days when Kia built mostly junk. Unlike the Toyota RAV-4, for example, which IMO has noticeably cheap materials inside and out (though, of course, good reliability and a refined powertrain), Kia really spends some money on durable interior/exterior materials for the Sportage (and backs it up with 10/10 and 5/60 warranties), so they can't afford to simply give it away. (I'll go into this in more detail below). If you hold the line on options, though, the Sportage LX and EX can still sell at a reasonable price by today's standards, if not an outright bargain.

I was also quite impressed with this particular Kia dealership...all brand-new from the ground up, and having been open only about a month (the number of Kia franchises, nationally, is growing quite rapidly to meet increasing demand for their products). The people I dealt with were nice, and seemed to have a good understanding of their products. Believe me, that's not always the case at some dealerships......BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche shops used to have a reputation for snootiness, though that has been changing in recent years.


MODEL REVIEWED: 2017 Kia Sportage EX AWD

BASE PRICE: $27,000


OPTIONS:

Carpeted Mats: $130

Wheel Locks: $55


DESTINATION/FREIGHT: $895 (about average for a vehicle this size.

LIST PRICE AS REVIEWED: $28,080


DRIVETRAIN: AWD, Transversely-mounted 2.4L in-line four, 181 HP @ 6000 RPM, Torque 175 Ft-lbs. @ 4000 RPM, 6-speed Sport-Shift automatic transmission.


EPA MILEAGE RATING: 21 City, 25 Highway, 23 Combined (decent for this class, but not as good as some competitors)


EXTERIOR COLOR: Mineral Silver (a light-to-medium gray metallic)

INTERIOR: Black Leather




PLUSSES:


FWD/AWD choice on all versions.

Good reliability record for recent models.

10/100 drivetrain and 5/60 bumper-to-bumper warranties (but only partially-transferable).

Durable, very solid interior materials despite the relatively plain interior look.

Superb paint job for a vehicle in this class.

Decent though somewhat dull paint-color choice.

Generally good underhood layout for DIY'ers, with a couple of exceptions.

Generally refined 2.4L four cylinder engine, with adequate power for most needs.

Smooth, seamless automatic transmission.

Butter-slick shift-lever action.

Decent ride comfort on most surfaces.

(Mostly) excellent interior materials/hardware, despite a generally dull drab look.

Superb exterior materials and fit/finish for this class.

Superb control layout easy to use/decipher....though video screen is more complex.

Clear, easy-to-read gauges.

Rear-seat recliners for passengers in back.

Excellent (but not a killer) stereo sound quality.

Rapidly-growing dealer network means more convenient sales and service.




MINUSES:


Seats a little stiffly-padded for my tastes.

Jumpy throttle from rest in some driving modes, even on the base engine.

Brake pedal a little spongy and poorly located for large feet.

No standard cargo-cover to hide valuables.

No standard body-side moulding for parking-lot protection.

Why a built-in door-pull only for the front passenger, not the driver?

Audible but not acute road noise.

Dash video-screen too close to center air vents.

Hard front seatback panels not friendly to knees in back.

Interior color-choices could be better.

Especially awkward manual hood-prop.





EXTERIOR:

The new exterior, for 2017 generally uses the same basic body shape as the former 2010-2016 Sportage, but with minor revisions to the taillights and a major change in the front-end-styling. The old wing-shaped grille and somewhat muted headlights are gone, replaced by the much bolder-looking "Tiger" grille and swept-back headlights that are becoming more or less standard on all new Kias. Styling, of course, is subjective, and opinions will differ, but, in general, I'm not a terribly big fan of either the new look or the old one. IMO, though, there's not much else to fault outside.The D-pillars in back are maybe a little more thick than they need to be, even with the new roof-support standards for roll-overs, but rear-visibility out of them is still not that bad (and a rear back-up camera is now standard on all Sportages). The big Tiger-grille is made out of shiny plastic, but still uses a nice strong grade of it by exterior trim standards, and all of the exterior trim parts fit like a Swiss Watch. The solidness of the body sheet metal, to me at least, seems a grade above that of many other vehicles in this price class. The doors all shut with a solid precise thunk. The door handles (body color on the LX, bright chrome on the EX, and satin-metal on the SX) work with a heavy, solid, smooth action. The paint-job is excellent (almost to Lexus/Audi standards). There are eight exterior different paint colors offered, and though most are rather dull, there are a few I liked, such as the White Pearl and Burnished Copper. Unfortunately, neither the regular White or White Pearl is available on the base LX model, which IMO needs some explanation. A nice strip of black body-cladding, as with most smaller crossover SUVs, runs around the entire lower-body, front and rear, to help protect from road debris. Like with many (but not all) new vehicles, there are no body side-mouldings to protect from parking-lot dings....and I don't see any listed as dealer-accessories. The twin side-mirrors have solid housings and snap/swivel/lock with light, sooth, slick action. Power-folding mirrors with LED turn-signal indicators are an EX option, but not on the LX (my test EX did not have them). Heated mirrors, however, are standard on the EX, and optional on the LX.


UNDERHOOD:

Open the solid hood, and there is a nice, thick, heavy-duty insulation pad on the underside. One must, however, prop the hood up with a manual rod, and this particular rod is especially awkward to use because of the way its tab fits inside the plastic housing.....it can get hung up when you want to release it, and can require some jiggling to get it out. One more reason, IMO, why the industry should toss manual rods and go to all-struts or springs....I've said that numerous times before. Once open and propped, there is a decent amount of underhood space, and the transversely-mounted 2.4L four cylinder engine fits in rather well, with space to reach a number of components around the block. A plastic over on the engine, though, prevents some top-engine access. The, battery, to the right of the engine and about halfway back, has only one terminal easily exposed.....the other is hidden. A large section of the plastic engine air-intake ductwork also passes right over the middle of he battery, blocking it from easy removal/replacement/cleaning. The dipsticks, filler-caps, and fluid-reservoirs are all easily-reached however. Once you get the awkward prop-rod released and out of the way, the hood shuts with a solid, laser-like and very precise-sounding thunk, instead of the cheap-sounding Thwack and vibration you get on some vehicles.


INTERIOR:

Inside, the new Sportage, like the former one, lacks a plush or luxurious look (though the new dash is somewhat more formal than the older, simpler one was). But, also, like the old one (perhaps even more so), it uses excellent materials, despite the rather plain look. Yes, there are a number of plastics throughout the cabin, but virtually all are strong, thick, and substantial in feeling....no cheap or thin bargain-basement stuff. All of the trim feels solidly attached, as for the substantial-feeling buttons. The layout of the buttons/controls is easy to decipher and use, though the video screen, like almost all screens, is a little more complex. The gauges are clear and easy to read. Headroom, without a sunroof, is fine, front and rear, for even tall persons like me (6" 2" and a baseball cap). Legroom, front and rear, is also fine, except for one little glitch, which I'll address below. The stereo sound-quality, while not quite a killer-grade, is very good, and the hardware, like the trim-materials, is also very solid and well-attached, feeling like the work was done by Santa's Elves. The seat-leather grade (real leather, not fake stuff) is quite nice, especially for the price, though the seat-padding itself, like on a number of Asian-designed vehicles, is a little firm for my tastes (I tend to like cushy seats). The front seats, on the EX model, have standard 3-stage heaters. The small padded thumb-rollers to open and adjust the air vents are some of the most solid and well-attached I've seen on a vehicle at any price. The steering wheel switches and buttons aren't quite as substantial-feeling as the rest of the interior buttons, but are still about the same as you find on most steering wheels nowadays. A nice touch in the back seats (and also, to its credit, shared by the Toyota RAV-4, even though I have criticized that vehicle's basic cheapness inside) is the multi-stage recliners, operated by a manual pull-lever. Sitting on the back seats in some vehicles (particularly in small SUVs) can be like sitting on a slab (the current Ford Escape's, IMO, is one of the worst back seats in that regard)...and the recliners add at least come comfort to them.

Faults inside? Yep...a few, but not many. A nice strong vertical door-pull for the right-front passenger is built into the door-panel........why not also for the driver, who instead has to grasp a small cutout in the door's arm-rest? The two center air-vents, in the middle of he dash, are too close to the video dash-screen.....try to use the screen's touch-icons, especially while the vehicle is bouncing over bumps, and your hand can get rewarded with a shot of A/C cold or heater-hot air. The hard but durable plastic back-panels of the front seats, though scalloped-out to add to rear knee room, are, nevertheless, not particularly friendly to knees in back if the front seat is pushed back far enough or you have a tall enough person. And, only the SX version has the option of a two-tone or brown interior. Like on previous versions of the Sportage, the LX and EX are stuck with black or gray monotone (I myself usually prefer two-tones).




CARGO COMPARTMENT/TRUNK:

Open the solid-feeling rear hatch (a power-operated lift-gate is an EX option, but my test-car did not have it), and, as with many vehicles of this type, you are treated to a fairly roomy cargo area. The cargo area itself, with its black fabric/carpet floor-liner and thick-plastic walls, is not particularly well-finished in terms of looks or plushness, but, like the Sportage's exterior and interior, uses durable materials. The split-rear seats, of course, fold down to increase the cargo area. Once you get the cargo area filled, however, if you want to keep its contents from prying eyes, you generally have to do one of two things...either toss a blanket over them, or march over to the Kia parts department and buy the separate, removable pull-shade/cargo-cover as an accessory. When I shop with people for a liftback-type of vehicle like this, and cargo-cover is not standard, I usually try to get the salespeople to toss one in free with the deal, if one is available as an accessory. Sometimes they will do it if they want to make the sale bad enough. Under the trunk's lift-up floor panel is the usual temporary spare tire and jacking tools. A large First-Aid kit for the trunk is a dealer accessory.



ON THE ROAD:

Start up the 2.4L four with a nice START/STOP button (standard on the EX and SX), and, though not Lexus-V8 smooth, the four idles with a good amount of refinement...that thick underhood insulation pad seems to earn its keep. The four has enough power on the road for most normal driving situations...in most cases, the extra torque of the SX model's smaller turbo engine probably won't be needed unless you are very heavily loaded and/or at high altitude. But, on the base 2.4L, I noticed that, like from the last-generation model (my brother has one), here is still a rather jumpy throttle response starting up from rest. There are three drive-modes (ECO/NORMAL/SPORT) that change the engine's power-curve, and, to get the smoothest and most comfortable starts, I usually had to use the ECO mode and feather-foot the pedal. Of course, over time, your foot will probably get used to it, and do it automatically.

Both the 6-speed Sport-shift transmission and its shifter operate and shift seamlessly, whether in auto-manual or full-automatic mode. The shifter not only has a nice fore/aft motion (which I greatly prefer to awkward zig-zags), but operates as smoothly and slickly as a politician's campaign speech....without the lockouts in place, you can sometimes shift it with one finger. The chassis seems to have some improvements in the suspension this year. Even last year's version with the softest tires (LX) was not uncomfortable per se, but a little firm for my taste. This year's EX, with larger 18" wheels and 55-series all-season tires (LX models come with 17" wheels and 60-series tires) seemed to ride a little smoother over bumps. The SX, of course, comes with a firmer, more sport-oriented suspension, 19" wheels, and 45-series tires that stiffen things up noticeably. But this year's EX model's ride comfort was OK for my tastes...I had no complaints, and the LX model would likely ride even smoother. On the EX, steering response was a little slow, and there was some noticeable body roll.....of course, one is not driving a Miata, so some of that, with the relatively high center-of-gravity, is to be expected. Steering/road feel from the power-steering unit was not bad, considering this type of electric power-steering and vehicle-class. Wind noise was well-controlled, but there was some audible road/tire noise even on smoother, non-porous paved surfaces, though it wasn't bad by any means. Keep in mind, though, that most vehicles are quietest when they are brand-new, or have brand-new tires, and the tire tread hasn't started to wear. The brake pedal, while effective, had a little more sponginess in top-action than I like, and it was not mounted in a position that made it very easy for my big size-15 circus-clown shoe to easily go from gas pedal to brake without catching on the rim.



THE VERDICT:

Well, by now, I know what some of you may be thinking.......there's a little nepotism here, and the only reason MM gives this vehicle so much credit is because his brother owns one (or, at least, the mechanically similar 2015 version). No, folks......I don't operate like that. I believe in being objective.........I'd call my own (late) mother's car a POS if it deserved it. There are things on my own daily-driver Buick Verano, particularly under the hood and in the suspension/tires, that could be different, I don't care for, and I'd like to see changed.

But, even being completely objective, IMO there is no question (and I review a lot of vehicles) that this one delivers for the money....at least in LX and EX versions. It uses excellent materials and workmanship both inside and out, even if those materials don't look very plush. The paint job is almost Lexus/Audi-grade. The drivetrain is smooth, refined, and, for most driving situations, has adequate power. It has good space efficiency and passenger-room inside, with the added comfort of reclining rear seats. best of all, it has a very good reliability rating from Consumer Reports and one of the best warranties in the business to back it up....though like on other Kia/Hyundai products, the 10/100 part on the drivetrain is not transferrable to a new owner outside the immediate family. Yes, as with any vehicle, there are a few faults that IMO need to be improved....front seat-backs, throttle-programming on the base 2.4L engine, air-vent/video-screen design, softer front seat-padding, and more interior color/pattern choices (and maybe add some wood-tone trim inside). But, overall, to anyone who buys or leases one and takes it home, I say congratulations....money well-spent. If were buying something in this class (compact, car-based, mainstream-class SUV....this is probably the one I would myself chose.

And, as always......Happy car-shopping.

MM

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

love the tail light design.

mmarshall

That was one of the relatively minor changes for the new-generation 2017...and adding the chrome strip between the two taillights. The front end, of course, was a much more radical change. Here's the old taillights:

Fizzboy7

Enjoyed the read. Nice write-up. Kia and Hyundai have come such a long way.... a true success story.

mmarshall

Thanks. This was one of my more pleasant reviews....and I pretty much enjoyed writing it up. A nice vehicle, and a nice dealership.

True. In fact, IMO, they are outdoing the long-vaunted Japanese quality in some areas.

Sulu

Thanks for the review, Mike. I have a question.

Isn't this truly a new model of the Sportage? Despite looking (in profile) like the previous model, I believe that it is more than just a facelift; so it is not following in Ford's footsteps of merely putting a new front end (on the previous-generation Fusion, for example) and calling it a new model. From what I have read, it has both a stretched wheelbase and body, allowing for a bit more passenger and cargo space inside.

mmarshall

Yes, from what I understand, it has some changes to the underpinnings. I understand they worked the suspension a little....the ride did seem a little more complaint than the previous non-turbo version, even with slightly larger wheels....a small amount of stretched wheelbase could also have contributed to that, as, all else equal, longer wheelbase usually means smoother ride.The new electric power steering seemed a little more tactile (but not that much) over the older electric unit. And, yes, the rear seat legroom, perhaps from the lengthening you mention, did seem pretty good for guys my size (I mentioned that good legroom in the review), though the hard, scalloped front setbacks don't do one's knees a lot of good if you bang them. And, in the AWD system, when the driver locks the center-differential for tough conditions (which, like with most competing car-based AWD systems, should never be done on dry pavement), the torque split is now 50/50 front/rear instead of its former ratio.

Other than that, Kia hasn't published a lot of spec-data about exactly what platform and engineering changes they did on the latest version vs. the old one. So, I had to go with what little research material is available on that subject, what the Kia folks actually told me there, and, of course, my own observations behind the wheel and during the static-inspection. From what I could tell, much of the base 2.4L powertrain (except for the AWD lock-split), bodywork aft of the firewall, rear end, and general platform seemed much the same as before....with only minor changes apart from the front end, interior, taillights, and perhaps a small chassis-lengthenng.

Also, I see you're in Canada. The Canada-spec version may be different from the U.S.,

mmarshall

Next planned reviews: 2017 Cadillac XT5 / CT6, Chrysler Pacifica, Buick Lacrosse, Lincoln Continental....I'm still waiting on all of these products to reach the D.C. area.

pbm317

It is indeed all new platform and architecture. Yes some of the powertrains are seemingly carried over/re-tuned. But the structure and all sheetmetal is new. It's nothing like the Escape which is a refresh but with updated powertrains. Almost all automakers prefer to stagger these changes for lifecycle management.

mmarshall

Thanks for the input. Kia publically released some, but apparantly not all, of the changes they made for 2017. The body doesn't look that much different, though, between the firewall and rear taillights.

pbm317

Automakers can choose to use similar designs across generations for a multitude of reasons. Consistency, a design they think still looks unique and fresh, continued awareness, etc. Someone that likes the look of the previous generation, that just now found out about it and wants a new one, can still have one that is styled somewhat similarly. Nissan Altima and Kia Optima are other mainstream models that have recently employed such strategies.

But this 2017 Sportage is definitely NOT the "same basic body" as you wrote above. Look at the hood and rear door cuts. The thick rear pillar has actually been trimmed down a bit, aided by Kia's expansive use of high strength steels (as is the trend across much of the industry). Yes, it may take a discerning eye from the general public on the side profile, but please do not dismiss this as a minor change model or a refresh.

Press reviews have been released detailing all of the changes, many of which are also noted in Kia's press release.

http://www.kiamedia.com/us/en/media/...eles-auto-show

mmarshall

OK...given the info you posted here (and yes, it appears legit, with Kia's own seal on it), there does seem to be more under-the-skin changes than I first thought. However, though I obviously did not go out and measure the new body with a micrometer, I still don't see much difference between old and new between the A to the D-pillars. As you note, though, it may take a very discerning eye to pick some of them up.

And, of course, one can get into the nitty-gritty details all day long. The main question, at least in my book is......once you sit down and add up all the changes, is the 2017 actually an improvement on the 2010-1016 model? IMO, both yes and no. Its road manners and refinement have improved just a tad...and it still uses good materials and assembly quality. But I don't see where the new Tiger grille and headlights in front do anything positive for its looks. But in terms of how well the vehicle is built, what kind of good materials it uses, and what you actually get for your money, the old one, IMO, ranked very high, and so does the new one (at least in the LX and EX versions). The SX is a lot more money, for what is IMO a number of unneeded features for most drivers of SUVs/CUVs of this class.

Anyhow, thanks for your input....you brought up a couple of good points.

spwolf

it is obviously all new model - FMC.

outside it looks great and interior is good for base/mid models, i just wish they changed some plastics in top end models since they get expensive. Here in Europe it does suck that they did not improve most of the engines, so we are stuck with high co2 output for the class which makes higher end models way too expensive for what they are.

mmarshall

While there are indeed a number of changes, IMO they are not extensive enough, apart from the new front end, to classify it as "all new". Of course, that is open to one's interpretation.....and I respect your view.

Although the Euro-versions get different drivetrains than in the U.S., sounds like you basically agree with me, then, that the top-line SX version is not the deal that the LX and EX are.