Kia's all-new compact crossover is better than the previous model in just about every way.
Pros:
Smoother ride
Improved steering feel and feedback
More interior room
Cons:
Average fuel economy
Modest performance
Below average cargo space
2017 Kia Sportage EX
Although it's been around since 1994 - about the time Honda came out with the CR-V and Toyota began marketing its RAV4, Kia's compact Sportage crossover never experienced the early sales success of either of those two nameplates.
Things began to change in 2010 when the third-gen model, penned by Peter Schreyer, was unveiled in March at the Geneva Motor Show.
We had a chance to evaluate a 2012 Sportage SX and came to the conclusion that, although it certainly looked the part of a small, contemporary crossover, its styling wrote a check that the chassis couldn't cash. The ride was on the stiff side, which was fine when the pavement was smooth, but potholes and irregular road surfaces caused the suspension to get jittery. We also experienced numb on-center steering feel as well as a definite lack of feedback through the steering wheel.
So how does the all-new Sportage stack up?
Exterior
We realize that styling is very subjective. To that end, unless a design is as bland as colorless as white bread, we try not to pass judgment. So trust us when we say that, while we're sure it won't be everyone's cup of tea, the new Sportage is definitely anything but bland.
Up front, the lower air intake has been eliminated, while a larger, more vertical and rounded "tiger nose" grille is now positioned in the center of the fascia. The vertical fog lamps on EX models have been n replaced by smaller round units that reside in oblong pods that flank the grille. Meanwhile, the headlamp enclosures (housing an outboard low beam projector lamp, inboard parking lamp and mid-mounted high-beam projector lamp with a wild-looking "X"-shaped guard across the front) have been moved further up the fascia to the point where they're nearly a part of the hood. Their leading edge is close to the leading edge of the hood, while their trailing edge reaches more than two-thirds of the way to the hood's trailing edge, a' la the upper front lights of the Nissan Juke. The hood, itself, features two short outboard and two long inboard deeply sculpted character lines.
Along the sides, the prominent wheel arches remain, while the lower character line is more deeply sculpted, while its hindquarters are dominated by a larger upper spoiler and narrower taillamp housings.
In back, slimmer taillights are tied together by a narrow light band that spans the width of the tailgate. The upper spoiler is larger and is now painted to match the body color, while the rear center whip antenna has been replaced by a sharkfin.
Interior
Inside, the materials, fit and finish are near the top of the class. All surfaces are soft touch and the dashboard features a clean-sheet design with the central instrument cluster angled 10 degrees toward the driver.
Both the driver and front passenger have plenty of leg, hip and headroom and the soft, leather-covered seats (the front seats and steering wheel in our tester were heated, thank you very much) are very supportive with just the right amount of side bolstering. The instrumentation, as well as the various knobs and buttons were easy to read, backlit at night and within easy reach of the driver. Driver visibility is good out the front and sides, but that swoopy exterior styling compromises visibility out the rear three-quarters and is also hindered by the large C-pillar.
Since our tester was equipped with the EX Technology Package, it came with an 8-inch touch-screen display with navigation and rear view camera as well as large, redundant buttons that handled many of the infotainment system's major functions. Infotainment features included Kia's UVO telematics system, premium audio with subwoofer and SiriusXM satellite radio as well as Bluetooth connectivity for phone as well as music streaming.
There is more than enough room in the back seat for two adults – although three might be a squeeze on longer trips. The wide rear doors allow for easy ingress and egress but, despite the fact that the wheelbase was extended by 1.2 inches (to 105.1) and overall length is up by nearly 2 inches (from 174.8 to 176.4), cargo volume (despite the fact you can lower the cargo floor by 1.6 inches) behind the second row, at just 31.0 cubic feet, is still on the low side for the segment.
The only nit we had to pick was with its plain, monotone interior. In fact, with the sunroof sunshade closed, it was nearly like sitting in a cave it was so dark. The materials that Kia uses are nice, but there's very little imagination to the way the interior surfaces are shaped. The styling of the interior, in fact, is in sharp contrast to that of the Sportage's exterior. They just don’t seem to go together.
Under the hood
Both engine choices carry over from 2017. The top-shelf SX Turbo comes equipped with a direct injection 2.0-liter aluminum inline-4 equipped with producing 240 horsepower (down from 260) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque (down from 269).
The base LX trim and models like our EX tester come equipped with a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated, direct injection inline-4 that generates 181 horsepower and 175 lb.-ft. of torque (both unchanged from last year). Both engines are matched to a conventional six-speed automatic transmission.
The EPA estimates fuel economy for the AWD EX at 21/25/23 city/highway/combined mpg – certainly nothing to brag about in the segment. Our own observed fuel economy was just 22.5 miles per gallon in primarily suburban driving.
On the road
On the road, the new Sportage has a noticeably softer ride than the outgoing model. The good news is that the new suspension setup is also more compliant, soaking up all manner of road imperfections, both minor and major, including pavement strips and even smaller potholes.
On the freeway, the ride at times feels a bit floaty, but at the same time it cruises along smoothly with not a lot of wind, road or engine noise making its way into the cabin. On the other hand, while merging and passing is never a problem, you get the feeling that the EX could use a few more ponies under the hood.
Although there wasn't a lot of initial bite to the pads, the brakes felt solid, they were easy to modulate and feedback to the driver through the brake pedal was very good. The steering also had a nice weight to it. Unlike the outgoing model, not only does it exhibit good on-center feel, again, feedback to the driver was very good.
Equipment
Our Mineral Silver EX came with a plethora of standard equipment including LED daytime running lights, fog lights, roof rails, auto on/off headlights, leather-trimmed seats (heated in front), dual-zone automatic climate control, power windows, locks and mirrors, proximity key with pushbutton start, satellite radio with USB and aux inputs, Bluetooth iPhone connectivity with streaming audio, a cooling glove box and a leather-wrapped steering wheel that also contained controls for Bluetooth, audio and cruise control functions.
Our tester featured the optional Premium Package that includes a panoramic sunroof, LED interior lighting, heated steering wheel, blind spot detection, lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert.
It was also equipped with the EX Technology Package which includes a Harmon Kardon audio system, navigation, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, high beam assist, ventilated front seats, power front passenger seat, front and rear park assist, smart "hands free" tailgate and a real compact spare tire.
Safety equipment includes a full complement of 6 airbags, ABS, traction control, electronic stability control and downhill brake/hill-start assist control.
2017 Kia Sportage prices
2017 Sportage pricing start at $24,985 for a base front-wheel-drive LX model and can top out at over $36,000 for a fully optioned and accessorized all-wheel-drive SX. Our EX tester had a base price of $27,000. Adding the premium package ($1,900), technology package ($2,800) and inland freight and handling ($895) brought the suggested retail price to $32,595.
The Bottom Line
The new 2017 Kia Sportage brings even more to the table than its predecessor. It has more interior space, the ride is much smoother and more controlled, while steering feel is nearly at the top of the segment.
On the other hand, it still comes up short on cargo volume, performance from the 2.4-liter four is nothing to write home about, while its fuel economy numbers are well below the best compact CUVs.
While the new Sportage is an improvement over the outgoing model in practically every way, the competition has also gotten better – most notably in handling and fuel economy. So despite its in-your-face styling, we still see Kia's compact crossover as looking at an uphill battle for market share.
