Kia Sportage

Purchased new SLi 2 litre petrol model in Jan. ‘19 . Have traveled 13000 km in 6 months (50% expressway use and 50% on suburban and city roads)
Car seems to have been thoughtfully designed and built to last. My impression is that the designers have attended to every detail and used the best quality fittings in putting the car together. Everything works exactly as you would expect. Auto wipers cope with all situations perfectly. The auto high beam works to the millisecond - should be standard on all cars. One thing I can’t tolerate is the auto lane keeping feature, luckily it’s easy to turned off. Sound system is great , as is the navigation system with its sensible commentary - top marks so far.
On the road all is OK , ride comfort and road noise is well done. Steering and handling is exceptionally good. (Hard to believe it’s an SUV)
My only reservation is that power in all but “sports mode” is only just adequate, however in “sports mode” - plenty of power for all occasions. Another thing is the lack of storage spots for small items such as phones etc ., this is typical of most cars I’ve looked at and driven and is a personal thing I guess.
Kia have a reputation for delivering a good car and my experience over the last 6 months certainly confirms this.
Sales people at the distributor were fine and I’m hoping this will carry over to the service people , with our first service due shortly.
All in all a car that I can recommend without hesitation.
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I have bought this Kia sportage GT line as a second car and I am impressed with the workmanship. The features are really advanced and useful. It's another smart car under Kia branding where u donot pay extra for the loyalty. As a user of hyundai and Kia I will definitely recommend Kia over my hyundai by its extra features and interior looks. B4 buying any car just test drive one of the model. Use brain not heart when buying a car ..... hope u will enjoy the drive if u choose wisely.

This vehicle is the best value with a 7 year warranty and capped priced servicing.top quality fittings.very comfortable to drive.plenty of power and very responsive. Great handling. Beats more expensive vehicles in all aspects couldn't rate it more highly.

I drive my car regularly to commute. From the start the inbuilt Sat Nav hasn't been reliable no matter what the weather is. I took it back at least three times under warranty but gave up in the end. It is not a quiet or smooth drive. Also, not as economical as others (diesel).

I use the car every day, for shopping which is very short drive, it is a bit thirsty, 12 litres/100km, but when I drive to Melbourne, I sit on 100kph an it used 7.2 litres/100km. going to an from work an every day driving I get a ave 9.2 litres/100km. It is a 2 litre 4 cylinder an 114 kw/154bhp, an it has plenty of getup an go, (torque) with 18 inch wheels, it has a very good ride, There is me and my wife up front an my 3 adults kids in the back, My two boys are over 6 feet tall, plenty of head room an plenty of leg room, no problems. People say to me how nice the car is both inside an out, an how nice the ride is. being a S.U.V, it is very easy to get in an out. An with 7 years unlimited km warranty. I have never look back. But not a big boot, but S.U.V don,t have big boots/luggage space. with all the sits up.

I've done 30,000kms now, in all sorts of situations including 2 trips from Qld to SA.

Looks - always subjective, but in my opinion the best looks and styling of any medium size SUV.

Power - startlingly quick, gives v8s a hurry up around town, gets past B doubles and caravans easily on the highway.

Handling – like it’s on rails, little or no body roll.

Steering – quick, sharp and accurate. Good feel through the wheel. The wheel is also adjustable for reach as well as height so it’s easy to get comfy.

Gearbox – has a standard torque converter auto, not a useless CVT, and its excellent, no sudden unexpected sudden down changes, smooth on the upchanges.

Ride comfort – I have a bad back and this is without doubt one of the most comfortable cars I have ever ridden in. The ride is easy on my back but it still handles like a sports car, smooth and supple.

Warranty, roadside assist, fixed price services – 7 years, industry leader.

Economy - Excellent, the car provides economy figures automatically after every trip. Averages 5 – 6 litres/100kms (39 – 47 mpg).

Build quality - Amazingly good. Fit and finish is excellent, quality of materials is good, paint is good, feels and looks like a much more expensive car.

Features - Surprisingly well equipped. My previous car was a 120 series Toyota Prado GXL which was a bit of a luxury car. This car has all the little luxury touches of the Prado and then some. And they all work well.

A/c - Works well, very effective. Rarely have to go beyond 1 on the fan in summer in Qld.

AWD - This car doesn’t have the ground clearance to be a fair dinkum 4wd, but the AWD system works well. I have used it on Kangaroo Island on wet greasy tracks and it is silent and effective, engages imperceptibly.

Problems - Only one – an intermittent rattle from somewhere near, on, in the hatch. Kia Morayfield and I haven’t found it yet. Noticeable because the car is so quiet inside.

Kia support - I haven’t had any serious problems and Kia has answered any email enquiries within 24 hours, but the people providing the support are not knowledgeable about the product.

Improvements - Ball weight. Although Kia says the car can tow 1900kg, it has a ball weight limit of 100kg.
This seems inexplicable; the industry norm for ball weight is 10% of tow capacity. In my view Kia needs to work on this.
All Wheel Drive. Although the AWD system used by Kia works well, it will only engage up to 35km/hr.
I think it would make a great car even better if Kia used a constant AWD system like the Subaru Forester or Toyota Prado.

Safety - Because it’s a 2017 model, my car doesn’t have most of the annoying, ineffective and sometimes dangerous electronic ‘safety’ features that now seem to be mandatory, like pedestrian detection, lane keeping assistance and auto emergency braking.

It does have all the useful safety features like airbags, ABS, a reversing camera and rear parking warnings and they all seem to work well.

But if you were to buy this car new today, you would have to accept all the annoying electronic rubbish. Most unfortunate.

Other than that, probably one the best cars I have ever owned, and I have owned a lot of cars.

Well done Kia.

This little car is spacious reliable comfortable and economical You can fit a bath tub in the back not just a kitchen sink.Its not a Mercedes, but its practical sensible and economical. I will definitely buy another Kia which is a BIG surprise.

Perfect car. bought the 2010 SL platinuim full option 3 yrs ago from used car garage. ac compressor replaced last year. Apart from that it has served us since 2016 to date. still going. always answers us each time we call on it. Now looking forward to a 7 seater bc of growing family. will dearly miss the sportage. i am looking forward to another Korean car like Hyundai santa fe.

Over 50k done on this SUV and still running strong.
Diesel Fuel economy around 8l/100km mainly city driving.
Has a good acceleration curve, plenty of punch for highway overtaking.
Not one sign of a leak or problem with the car.

Cons:
Missed out on the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on this years model.
No car lane monitoring in side windows for preimium model.
Paint seems to scratch easily.
Can't set North to top on Map.
Pretty limited audio and map settings for being a premium model.

I love my new Kia Sportage its been amazing to drive with all the standard tech and safety for a suv under 31K. The car is 3 months old I have done 6500km so far it’s been great I love the big touchscreen, the automatic brake system and the lane keep I do turn the lane keep off around town but on the highway it’s great. Going to be doing a brisbane to Sydney road trip at the end of February this year with myself, wife and son (2.5 years old ) so that will be a good test.

Thought I'd write a review after 2 years of ownership, as it provides a good overview rather than just after a couple of months. I purchased the Sportage Platinum diesel. It is great, one of the best cars I've owned (I'm 62 and have owned heaps of cars). It is easy to get in and out of, fits my golf clubs easily. Features are endless, love the cooled seats in summer. Haven't used the heated seats as we live in Queensland. I haven't had any issues with it, just a slow leak on a tyre which the auto sensor picked up, took it to dealer as I couldn't clear it and was fixed in 5 minutes. The service dept. try and recommend 6 mths services, but I just ignore that and get it service annually. When I want a bit of grunt off the lights, just put it into Sport mode and very few will beat it. Its economical on fuel (even if diesel is dearer) I get very good economy around town and about 6.5 on the highway. I had 5 adults and a boot load of gear in it yesterday and it gets along really well. I recommended it to 3 others at my golf club and they bought one and none have any regrets.

I purchased the Sportage Premium Si to replace a Mitusbishi Outlander. On my first drive, I decided to buy it. It has low level road noise, good fuel economy and very comfortable seating. The steering is light and positive, with no effort it follows the curves as it is on railway tracks.I have not regretted my decision.
The driver's seat seems to wrap around me, giving good back support.
Plenty of sound proofing, even to the point of rubber seal between the bonnet and the front panel. I do not recall seeing that on a car before.
I have done some day trips, I get out of the car as fresh as when I left.
Initially I was told to set the engine to eco setting, but I switched it to Normal, definitely runs smoother with better gear changing. Fuel economy on a trip is about the 7 l/100k
On the highway with 2 people, heaps of luggage, it sits on 100 kph no effort at all
However there is always a but. Just after I purchased it, I was told about a review by a News Ltd paper casting doubt on the wet weather ability if fitted with Nexon tyres.
I wrote to Nexon about the report and I was assured that the newspaper report was not accurate. I was happy with this until it finally rained in Brisbane. There is a right turn lane which I use regularly and in the dry weather, no problems. However, with only light rainfall, the left hand front front wheels spins when I drive off. No heavy accelerating. So my concern is if the wheel spins from a stop at a set of lights, what will happen at high speed on a highway.
I have been asking around the motor trade about my concerns and it seems car retailers can order vehicles specifying the tyre brand. The general comment is that Nexon equipped vehicles come at a lower buy price because they are of a lower quality.
One comment was to replace the tyres at my cost, 4 months and 7000 klms later after I purchased the Sportage. No a good idea.
The difficulty I face is putting the claims about the Nexon tyres to the test, I cannot test the tyres on the highway in wet weather at 100kph.
So the present situation is that I will be concerned about our safety in wet weather. It will not be helpful if the claim about the Nexon tyres, supported by my experience in wet weather, is true as I slide into a road side ditch.
This is the link to the comment on the Nexon tyres
https://www.couriermail.com.au/motoring/new-cars/best-midsize-suvs-tested-updated-mazda-cx5-hyundai-tucson-and-kia-sportage/news-story/ccdc78891be33a4033272cf036bc513b
So in summary, I am really pleased with my Sportage, comfortable, very quite, and good to drive. Could be classified as a poor Man's Rolls Royce. Peace of mind in wet weather would be a bonus.

Used for,
Family, Camping, Towing boat and trailer.

Pros'
Diesel is fairly quiet, very powerful / torque for it's size.
Tows a 1500kg boat with ease.
140,000 kms and runs perfect.
Good on fuel.
Comfortable on longer trips and doesn't hurt my back.
Honest vehicle, doesn't pretend, just does what it needs to well.
Zero DPF Issues. Perhaps it doesn't have one.

Neutral
Rear switch to turn on / off boot light would be nice.
Reverse camera at night could be better.

Cons
I'm fussy and frankly can't think of a con.

This car has been ultra reliable and taken some bumps along the way.
This can't be said for many newer vehicles.
Keep in mind this is a diesel version.

After driving a well known japanese brand for many years i had a close look at kia and was very impressed. I purchase an my19 sportage and im very happy with. Great car with plenty of luxury and safely features normally found only on European cars. Car looks good, drives great loaded with solid features. Kia saleguy was very good as well. Really happy with the whole experience and can recommend.

I use the car for general commuting to and from work and also for longer family trips on the weekend. It fits the 2 car seats and an adult across the back seat and plenty of room for luggage and a pram in the back.
I have had it almost 1 year without a problem!
A fantastic car and would highly recommend.

I loved my Sportage originally. Then a very loud sound started coming from the exhaust. Several mechanics have told me it’s safe but my car sounds like a loud Datsun! I’ve also had trouble with the brakes, the shift lock getting stuck, and now I’m pretty sure the CV joint is making a noise. Also the electrics are funny, the doors lock and unlock repeatedly sometimes

Use every day about 250 km a week, never had a problem since purchase, fuel consumption good between 8.5 liters per 100 km. The quietest car I have driven for a long time, lot of standard features. Like automatic brake function and forward collision warning, very comfortable and plenty room for back passenger

This car presents as a premium quality vehicle and well above average for its price. Cabin comfort is very good and instrumentation is more than adequate. With rear view camera housed in the mirror and knobs on the radio (not press control) and comfortable seating with good upholstery - it has the attention to detail that you expect to find on a better than average car. The All Wheel Drive (AWD) feature provides excellent road holding. The driver's highway view is excellent due to the vehicle's higher positioning than i.e 'closer to the road' smaller family cars. As an SUV its overall presence on the road is excellent (not easily 'bullied' out of the way by large trucks or impatient road hogs).

Great car, feels like a spaceship with lane keep (steers itself to stay in lane) and adaptive cruise control (auto breaks and automatically takes off again).

It's brand new and been waiting for the latest MY19 to have these new features, well worth the wait.

The GT version has everything so no need to option anything, the option lists on others is mind blowing but this has everything no need to option up at all. Australian tuned suspension apparently done in SYD, feels great on the road.

Could not fault this car, 2007 model, 11 years old and hasn't skipped a beat. Looked at other cars like rav4's tucsons and cx7. Drove this, yes the power isn't mind blowing but it's got a great interior faux leather and cloth stands up great to everyday wear an tear. Rear seats fold down flat (like actually flat, can chuck a mattress in and its still level.

No oil leaks, have done a major service and new tyres no issues at all to note, have taken it 4wding in 2wd and it's really capable. Strongly recommend for a safe reliable first car