Posh family hauler

After enjoying to a half a year worth of testing Kia's flagship turbo petrol Sportage confirmed its place as one of the segment's most accomplished offerings

- Damian Adams

Seven figures. That's what you'll pay for a mid-size premium badged SUV. The new Mercedes GLC for example was just launched from R1 211 220. This certainly isn't good news in cash-strapped times. The one option is to scale down to a smaller, premium version (like the BMW X1 tested on page 76) to retain the badge but relinquish some practicality. Or you could opt for a more mainstream badge and potentially forsake some perceived kerbside appeal. As if to make an anti-shrinkflation statement, the current Kia Sportage arrived at our offices sporting a classy exterior and high-end features. With a price tag of R762 995, is it possible for consumers to have their cake and eat it? We've had six months to find out. The Kia has quite a lot to offer, not only in terms of spec but also in size; it measures 4,51 metres long and 1,87 metres wide. Legroom in the reclining second row is plentiful and the boot offers a claimed 591 litres of packing space. This can expand via a folding 40:20:40 rear bench to reveal 1 780 litres of utility space accessed via a powered tailgate. With this appreciable amount of space the Sportage proved an ideal family companion on weekends, offering ample comfort to the in-laws seated at the rear, and the deceptively roomy luggage compartment that swallowed all that was thrown its way. With 170 mm of ground clearance it'll keenly park on your curb or little one's school field and even tackle the odd well maintained gravel road. It didn't put a foot wrong when entrusted with weekly shopping trips, either.