KIA SPORTAGE 1,6 T-GDI GT-LINE S

Despite fierce competition, the Kia Sportage continues to impress as a one-size-fits-all family SUV

- Damian Adams

During the brief time I have experienced our long-termer, the Sportage went from being one of my favourite family SUVs to arguably the champion of the class. It’s for good reason, then, that it’s been named as a finalist in the 2023 South African Car of the Year competition. It boasts an impressive breadth of ability and an exceptionally long list of standard features for the money. Sure, R749 900 is an eye-widening amount of money for a vehicle in this segment; however, this places it squarely in the realm of the popular Volkswagen Tiguan. The flagship Kia slots in between the R-line badged 110 kW (R722 300) and 162 kW (R795 900) models of the Tiguan, and offers a handy 132 kW to bridge the gap.

For me, the interior is a real highlight one of the best in this class, regardless of price. It looks terrific, feels well made and is remarkably user-friendly, although I did still occasionally find myself wishing that the switchable controls for the audio and air-con were just a little bit larger, to make them easier to operate while driving. You feel like you're sitting quite high, with fantastic all-round visibility, and the seat is at the ideal height for sliding in or out easily, exactly what you want in an SUV. The infotainment system software is hard to fault too; despite being touch-only in operation, it's snappy and easy to use.