2018 Kia Sportage Review
Car Tested: 2018 Kia Sportage GT Line; Road Test No. 978; Test Location: Delhi, NCR
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 30 – 35 lakhs (est.)
The design language of the Kia Sportage is very youthful and attractive
Kia Motors is the sister concern of Hyundai and is all set to storm into India next year. The carmaker showcased almost a dozen cars at the 2018 Auto Expo earlier this year and almost every other car seems to be of interest. However, we’re still not sure how many of these will be launched in India but their global best-seller is the Sportage SUV and that’s the car we’re driving today as well. This is an international-spec model and we believe if this vehicle is introduced in our market, it could very well start off Kia’s innings with a bang.
Motor Quest: The Kia Sportage is currently in its fourth-generation avatar and was launched globally in 2015. The SUV is expected to be launched in India in late 2019 or early 2020 and considering that the facelifted version of the SUV was showcased at the 2018 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show recently, we are most likely to get the Sportage facelift.
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The Kia Sportage looks striking in person
Exteriors – The Kia Sportage is equivalent to Hyundai’s Tucson and what that means is that the former is more or less similar in terms of the dimensions to the latter. However, the Sportage comes across as a more stylish car all thanks to the company’s signature Tiger Nose grille and the quad fog lamps setup up front, the huge 19-inch dual-tone alloy wheels (which we don’t think will make it to the India-spec model) and the classy-looking LED tail-lights. The massive front-end and the silver skid plates give the SUV a butch appeal while the rising shoulder line and the spoiler at the rear make the vehicle look sporty. Overall, the Kia Sportage is definitely a head turner and is bound to be in many prospective buyers’ lists just because of the way it looks.
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The all black theme for the interior looks sporty, in line with the car’s exteriors
Interiors – This is the international-spec model and gets an all-black interior with subtle piano black and aluminium finishes. To start off with, the first and foremost thing you will notice is the quality of materials used inside the cabin. The leather and the plastics seem to be of the best quality. The 3-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel gets a plethora of buttons and although the instrument dials are similar to the ones in the Tucson, the MID display looks different. Since this is the international-spec car, the touchscreen infotainment screen is smaller in size but when coming to India, expect the automaker to offer a larger touchscreen infotainment system with all sorts of connectivity options.
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The rear has decent legroom with nifty storage places
A lot of parts in the Sportage are shared with the Hyundai Elantra
The front seats are very comfortable and offer great support. Meanwhile, the rear seat also has good legroom, headroom and shoulder room. Since the cabin is wide, three occupants can sit comfortably at the rear and for more comfort, you have a rear AC vent and the rear seat can be reclined to a certain degree as well. The boot is generous and can easily swallow a family’s weekend luggage. In terms of features, the Sportage comes fully loaded. You get dual-zone climate control, cruise control, steering mounted audio controls, electronically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate and an electronic parking brake.
