2014 Kia Sportage - Review and Design

The Sportage is a car that delivers the best of all worlds. Buyers who want a stylish, sophisticated, fuel-efficient crossover with all the advantages of an SUV, but none of the disadvantages, will find in it all they are looking for. But there are people who need to tow trailers or caravans, who occasionally venture off-road or who live in areas prone to extremes of weather. So, the range also includes KX versions with the Dymax intelligent all-wheel-drive system, ensuring the Sportage can meet all their requirements.

Kia has added a package of styling and equipment upgrades to its sporty crossover, the Sportage, to keep it at the forefront of its booming market sector. The Sportage is Kia's best-selling model in the UK, claiming around a quarter of the company's sales. That success is set to continue with the enhancements added for the 2014 model year.

Two new variants become available to further broaden the appeal of the range, which offers two-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models to suit every requirement. The 2.0-litre 134bhp turbodiesel engine is now offered with the all-wheel-drive entry-level 'KX-1' grade, while the 114bhp 1.7-litre turbodiesel engine is now an option with the range-topping two-wheel-drive '4' grade.

The 2014 range is based on '1', '2', '3', '3 Sat Nav' and '4' trim designations, with all-wheel-drive versions given the KX preface. In addition to the 1.7-litre diesel and the 134bhp 2.0-litre unit, Kia also offers a 1.6-litre direct-injection petrol engine and a high-performance 2.0-litre diesel delivering 181bhp. This is reserved for the flagship KX-4 variant.

The 1.6-litre petrol and 1.7-litre diesel models drive through the front wheels, while the 2.0-litre versions are exclusively all-wheel drive and are available with a six-speed automatic transmission as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual. Intelligent Stop and Go (ISG). Kia's fuel-saving, emissions-reducing engine stop/start system, is standard on 1.7-litre models and also fitted to the 1.6-litre Sportage '2'. It shuts down the engine when the car is stationary in traffic and restarts it instantly as soon as the driver is ready to move off again.

Under former Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer, now Hyundai Group President of Design, Kia has shown a remarkable ability in recent years to be ahead of the game when it comes to spotting changes in buyers' tastes and needs.

So, when starting work on Sportage, Schreyer and his design teams in Europe, Korea and the United States identified that the old school of compact SUV would play an increasingly small role in the years to come, and that a crossover would best meet the needs of buyers of the future.

The car they created, combining the higher-than-average ground clearance, raised seating position and command view of an SUV with the high shoulder line and fast windscreen angle of a coupé, has been a phenomenon around the world and is Kia's best-selling model in the UK. Buyers cite the car's stunning looks as one of the principal reasons for their choice. That design has been honed even closer to perfection for the 2014 model year.

All versions have improved exterior styling and lighting. There are new versions of Kia's 'tiger-nose' grille across the range. Sportage '1' and 'KX-1' grades now have a chrome grille surround in place of the previous silver-painted edging, while for the rest of the range there is a new black gloss arrow-shaped mesh grille pattern, also with a chrome surround.

The rear combination lights are an evolution of those on the previous model, offering enhanced illumination and, therefore, improved visibility to other road users. The whole unit, including the section mounted on the boot lid, is now lit through the tail-light functionality. Sportage '4' and 'KX-4' grades have LED lighting to further enhance their night-time presence and premium appearance. Sportage '3' models upwards now have a shark's-fin antenna mounted on the rear of the roof, another small but important addition for raising perceived quality.

There are new-style 16-inch, 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheels for all trim grades, complete with locking wheel nuts. The Sportage comes as standard with a full-size spare wheel. The choice of paint colours has also been revised, with the addition of new Space Blue (from the Venga) and Fusin White (from the cee'd and pro_cee'd GT models) to the range.