[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/30093288818/[/flickr]
Performance from the 2.0-litre diesel mill is quite punchy
Performance – The Kia Sportage GT Line we drove draws its motivation from a 2.0-litre diesel engine which belts out 185 HP of power and 400 Nm of torque. Performance from the oil-burner is good. There is some lag initially but after the turbo spools up, the car really takes off well. The 6-speed automatic gearbox is slightly slow to respond but there are steering-mounted paddles for you to take control of things manually and make the drive more engaging. Refinement is very good and there are 3 drive modes on offer, Normal, Eco and Sport. In terms of fuel efficiency, one can expect 10-12 km/l from the diesel-powered Sportage.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/43961842001/[/flickr]
Performance from the 2.0-litre diesel powertrain is just brilliant
Driving Dynamics – Based on the Tucson platform, the Sportage’s suspension is slightly set up on the stiffer side. It wasn’t that compliant, especially, on our road conditions. However, when launched here, it could get smaller size wheels which is bound to improve the ride quality. In spite of the stiffer suspension setup, the car drove well and it did have some eagerness. Body roll is minimal but the steering did not have any feel or feedback. Stopping power is phenomenal and the tyres offer plenty of grip. High-speed stability is supreme and that’s thanks to the stiffer suspension setup. This variant was equipped with All-Wheel Drive and though we did not take the SUV off-road, it did seem very capable.
