MODEL TESTED 1.6 HEV 2WD GT-LINE S
Price £38,655
Power 226bhp
Torque 258lb ft
0-60mph 7.3sec
30-70mph in fourth 9.1sec
Fuel economy 40.1mpg
CO2 emissions 132g/km
70-0mph 45.7m
We like
- Unusual exterior design is nothing if not bold
- Neatly laid-out and appealing interior
- Broad engine range offers something for everyone
We don't like
- Doesn't deliver the family-friendly occupant space typical of an SUV
- Hybrid powertrain gets noisy and coarse when worked hard
- Ride and handling aren't representative of Kia's better efforts
The Sportage lived a fairly quiet life to begin with as a car known to few outside of Asian markets. But ever since it became one of Kia's first European-built models in its second-generation form, and then led its company's transformation into a design-centric brand in its third, the Sportage has taken on special status for the company that makes it. Peter Schreyer's distinctive 'tiger nose' third-generation design drove the car to a level of UK- and European market popularity unknown to Kia in the early 2010s, which the subsequent fourth-generation version built on.
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