Kia strikes the right balance for technology, comfort, performance and amenities to create a segment leader
For
Android Auto support
Harman Kardon Clari-Fi technology
Hands-free smart trunk
Against
No adaptive cruise control
Apple CarPlay not supported yet
As a 90s kid, I watched Kia grow up and have worse commitment
problems than a teenager, at least when it came to model names (anyone
remember the Sephia, Spectra or Amanti?). The heart of Kia is the
Sportage, which has been around since Haddaway asked us "What is Love?,"
and the perfect embodiment of how far it has come.
When the Sportage first launched, it was a traditional sport utility
vehicle that shared a platform with a Mazda van and didn't stand out
from Japanese competitors. Even the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine the
Sportage used was a Mazda design. Kia was the last amigo standing,
because Isuzu and Suzuki are shells of its former self.
The latest (fourth generation) Kia Sportage made its North American
debut at the 2015 LA Auto Show, with a fresh face that reminds me of a
Porsche Macan – certainly not a comparison I ever expected to make in my
lifetime, and at half the price, no less.
I flew out to San Diego, Calif. to sample a pair of top-end Kia
Sportage SX Turbo, in front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD)
configurations. Pricing for the Sportage SX Turbo starts at $33,395
(£24,350 for the similar GT-Line and AU$47,992 for the Platinum trim)
for the FWD model, while AWD is an extra $1,500.
On the outside, the Sportage sports a smiley face that's grown on me
since its LA Auto Show debut. It's an aggressively happy-looking car,
like the grin of an evil genius, but incorporates Kia's trademark tiger
nose grille and ice cube LED driving lights. The Sportage SX AWD features a unique front fascia.
Kia treats the AWD models to a unique front fascia that provides a
greater approach angle of 28 degrees, compared to the 16.7 on FWD
configurations, for the illusion of off-road capability. AWD models have
an extra 0.4-inch of ground clearance, but the breakover and departure
angles only differ by less than a degree.
Around back is the sexiest stance on the Sportage, with full LED tail
lights and rear skid plate, finished with dual exhaust tips. I find the
new design striking, but the best part is Kia's minimalist approach to
chrome use. The navigation system helped us find the TARDIS
There's a little chrome detail in the headlights and the strip at the
center of the tail lights, but the rest of the car's brightwork is
satin silver. Chrome on modern cars isn't my forte and I always thought
it was a cheesy way to dress up a car.
Interior
Step inside and you'll find a driver-focused interior with
high-quality materials. The entire top half of the dash consists of a
single form-fitted soft-touch piece, which is unusual in this segment.
Its competitors typically have a piece of hard plastic to transition to
the windshield, but Kia extends the soft-touch material all the way.
Everything below the infotainment display is hard plastic, but the
texture and feel disguises it nicely. The armrests are wrapped in vinyl
with padding that makes it comfortable to rest one's elbows on.
Kia sticks to good ole-fashioned physical buttons that click, which I
prefer because each click corresponds to a command. There's no
second-guessing if you pressed the button correctly or not, like with
capacitive touch buttons. The one thing I don't like is the use of gloss
black trim in the most frequently touched locations – smudges galore,
you know?
Kia did a great job with the interior of the Sportage. Before flying
to San Diego for the Sportage drive, I was testing a RAV4 Hybrid Limited
(review coming soon), and the Sportage interior is leagues ahead of
Toyota and could almost pass as a Lexus.
Grab the steering wheel and you'll feel like Speed Racer thanks to a
sporty flat-bottom wheel with thumb grips wrapped in leather. Look ahead
and you'll find analog gauges for the tachometer, coolant temperature
sensor, speedometer and fuel level.
A 4.2-inch LCD display is sandwiched between the gauges and provides
turn-by-turn navigation, trip information, driver assistance
information, music information and access to vehicle settings. As much
as I love technology, I still prefer analog gauges for traditional
functions, because it's simple and works without any visual lag like
budget LCD cluster implementations.
Infotainment system
The infotainment system in the Kia Sportage is quite familiar and essentially the same system as the Hyundai Tucson, with a user interface that is identical to the Kia Optima,too. Kia uses the same 8-inch 800 x 480 resolution screen as the Tucson, but tilts it towards the driver.
There is one major difference, however. The Kia Sportage supports
Android Auto from the get-go while the Tucson is still TBD. Onboard
navigation is included with plain flat maps; in case you don't want to
rely on your phone.
The one thing I love about Kia's navigation function is the
ability to enter addresses and search for points of interest when the
car is moving, so my passenger can use it. The car does display a
liability warning each time you start the car, but you're free to do as
you wish when the car moves.
I like the Kia infotainment interface a lot -- it's simple
and easy to use with a mix of on screen and physical buttons. My primary
annoyance is the lack of a physical home button that takes the system
to its split-home screen. There's an onscreen button in the top left
corner, but tapping items near the edge of a recessed touchscreen is
pretty much the worst.
Music playback is available via USB, Bluetooth, HD Radio and
SiriusXM. A single USB port is located in a cubby above the shifter,
with plenty of space for large phablets like my Nexus 6. SiriusXM
playback supports time-shifting on the first six presets so you can put
Adele's Hello on repeat to your heart's content.
In case you only needed a USB port to charge your phone, Kia
installs a USB charging port inside the center console. Rear passengers
have a USB charging port of their own, too.
Android Auto & Apple CarPlay
Kia supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
in the Sportage, but only Android Auto is ready at launch. Apple
CarPlay support is promised in April via a software update, but we're
still waiting for Kia to deliver on its promise with the Optima as well,
so it might be a long wait.
Nevertheless, Android Auto works great in the Sportage. I tested it with my Nexus 6 and my driving partner's Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.
The Nexus 6 worked perfectly upon first plug-in, but the S6 Edge Plus
required some finagling within settings to get the Android Auto prompts
to show up on the phone.
Android Auto in the Sportage is very good: it lets you use
simultaneously use your phone and native infotainment features. You can
listen to music via Android Auto while using the onboard navigation or
listen to SiriusXM while using Google Maps. The interoperability is
seamless.
By Tuan Huynh Car tech
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