Kia Sportage QL GT-Line (2017-2021)
Verified17 reviews
My second and I'd have a third – This is my second Sportage. First was a 2011 Platinum 2.0 CRDI. I did 120k km in it with no problems other than front suspension arms. (My fault for hammering it over dirt "roads" [sic] in the Pilbara and Kimberley in WA while on holiday. Latest is a 2019 GTLine 2.0 CRDI AWD. The 0-speed is a big improvement over the old 6-speed. So is the… Read more · 1
ability to choose Eco, Normal or Sport. The latter certainly does make a difference! For long distance country running I use Eco or Normal for best mileage, which is often under 6L/100 km. Performance is more than adequate with 400 Nm of torque almost from idle. The adaptive cruise control can often be a PITA when the car "thinks" it sees a problem and jumps on the anchors. I rarely use it around town. Similarly, I turned off the lane centring and leave it turned off. It's quieter than my previous model, but certainly not a quiet car. Much of the noise is, admittedly, tyre noise ... but not all of it! Ride is probably on the harsh side, but not overly so. Seating is quite comfortable, CarPlay is fine (especially with a wireless dongle added for cable-free connection), the JBL music system is above average, although the "auto increase volume as speed rises" doesn't seem to work. The car is mainly used for metro commutes, but I am very conscious of DPF requirements and will try to get a high-speed country or freeway run at least once a week. So far (touch wood), I have never had a DPF problem in either car. To me, it looks good, it's fun to drive, adequately powerful, comfortable and not overly expensive to own. Neither car has ever let me down in any way, shape or form. For the price, what more can you ask?
Value for money, and a great drive! – Over 45000km in, and the Sportage is still comfortable, quiet, and going strong! -60km round trips to work 4 days a week -3 round trips from the NSW Hunter to Qld Gold Coast -Numerous trips to Sydney -Plenty of shopping centre trips It's not only easy to park, but also stable at freeway speeds. The Turbo Diesel also manages between 6.1 to 8lt per… Read more
100km, depending on the traffic. It's pretty rare to get over 7 on my commute though, which is nice. 700km per tank (50ishl refuel). The sunroof is an added bonus, and makes it feel lighter and more open, especially for my 6ft4 frame! Scheduled service comes in just under 12 months at my usage, and is every 15000km. Prices are fixed, and not too bad.
Overall, VERY happy with the purchase!
Edit: 2025 update, and it's still going strong. Some small issues with the USB disconnecting, which haven't been solved by a replacement stereo. Apart from that, some minor creaks over poor quality roads if nobody is in the back, and the occasional reverberation from the engineer bay when accelerating slowly up hills. All in all, drives and handles well, and fuel consumption is unchanged. Still happy!
I Bought a Lemon – We purchased a new top of the line Kia Sportage 2016, we had the car for four years & had no problems with it at all. In 2020 we purchased another Kia Sportage G line. A year into it we have been experiencing ongoing issues with the car. The car has been towed many times & has been examined by Kia numerous times. Kia consistently says they are… Read more
unable to pinpoint the issue. However, they have acknowledged & confirmed there is an issue. On occasions whilst driving the car stops to a holt. The car seems to think it’s been in a collision & I’m unable to drive forward or reverse. I’m also unable to push the car to a side street & the handbrake won’t release. The error seems to resolve after 2 to 5 hours, then I’m able to keep driving. This has now occurred approximately 17 times since Oct 2021. There are multiple warning messages that appear on the dash board on each occasion. Forward collision avoidance assist system, electronic stability control, all wheel drive lock indicator, Auto hold indicator light, Downhill brake control indicator. It’s extremely unsafe & dangerous when driving on the M5 middle lane at 110km’s & the car comes to a holt, we could have been killed by a truck. Feb 2022 discovered the issue was coming from the ABS, it was replaced. They had also re-calibrated the system, however 3 months later same issue would occur. The car was back at Kia service centre for 3 months, they have replaced the gear box. We have spent approx $1700 on Ubers, as Kia is unable to provide courtesy cars for more than 3 days. We bought the car with seven-year warranty to have peace of mind that if anything was to go wrong, we would be covered. However, this has not been our experience. The Kia service centre is appalling, I even called Kia head office, they said their hands are tied & unable to assist us.
Excellent Car Powerful Economical Great Drive – Love this car 8 speed turbo diesel check out its power to weight .. Real grunt pulls my 5 metre boat like its not there. Great around town --pleasure to park --it can do it itself . Packed with all the good bits Show details
Perfect family car – I use this car everyday and have done since our toddler was a baby. It fits a capsule really well with room to move still and plenty of boot space for a stroller and shopping. We get our yearly service and although it is part of a recent recall, we have found Kia to be very helpful. I would highly recommend to a family. So much so 2 of my friends now own one. Show details
If only it would stay on the road and not wander off - I wish Kia treated me like a person and not a moron – I use this car every single day and drive at least 1000Km/week. Mainly for work on sealed and unsealed roads. Car is serviced every 15K and wheels rotated, aligned, balanced at most every 10K - usually at less than 10K due to the issue with pulling. Car constantly pulls to left. Kia service have noted at every service about wear on tyres… Read more
-resulting in driving on metal wires 5K after a service - nothing was said to me. They keep messing with alignment etc. Just rubbish. My mechanic told me the Kia AWD have issues as they are not designed for roads with camber where we also drive on the left side - they are designed for flat roads - hence why they want to wander off the road. Disappointing treatment from service manager - treated me like a dumb woman every time I went there. I want a refund on this car - I don't feel it would be right to pass the problem onto someone else. Geez I can't even take a sip of water while driving as the car pulls that much. 94Km and looking at getting my 3rd set of tyres. Buyer beware
Love the car, like the GPS system, but – I’ve only had the vehicle a couple of weeks and I love everything about it except the maps. I like the system itself, I didn’t even mind having to pay close to $300 a week ago to get the latest maps update, but I do mind the fact that the latest maps are still years out of date here in Newcastle. It renders the system useless to me. I’ll be… Read more
investigating spending more money ripping Kia’s system out and installing something else that will work with the Sportage and give me accurate, up to date maps. Lift your game, Kia. Those of us who bought our vehicles three years ago deserve better. After all, our vehicles are still covered by your warranty, too.
High spec and great value for money – The medium sized SUV market has lots of options. When I purchased this car, I also considered the Peugeot 3008 (small steering wheel was I just found too weird), Hyundai Tucson (price would mean a need for me to down spec), Nissan X-trail (didn’t like the CVT gearbox), Mitsubishi Outlander (had a CVT and was a good drive, but looks were getting… Read more
dated), Honda CRV (didn’t really enjoy the CVT gearbox and drive even though they little 1.5l turbo had lots of power)
The Kia Sportage is excellent value for money, and with 20,000 kms on then clock no issues have been encountered yet.
It has a very high spec with panoramic sun roof, heated and cooled front seats, Sat Nav, Android auto and Apple car play, wireless phone charging, blind spot detection, front collision avoidance, rear parking camera, electric tail lift, proximity sensed opening tail lift, puddle lights, proximity based auto retracting electric mirrors, full leather seats, cross traffic rear detection, parking sensors, hill descent, auto wipers, auto headlights, LED driving lights, auto dip high beam, 4wd diff lock, electric park brake, hill start assist, driver/passenger climate controls, steering wheel controls which are easy to use, tire pressure sensors, cruise control, lots of USB ports for charging, and much more. As you can see, it is well spec’d with plenty of good stuff.
Best bits The factors that particularly attracted me to this car and model: 1. A true automatic as opposed to a CVT gear box. The six speed is smooth and can be operated like a tiptronic, basic auto, or using the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel (although as an SUV, were these really necessary?) 2. Transferable service plan and warranty. It has a great warranty and service plan, and a real bonus is that it is transferable if the vehicle is sold. Mitsubishi has perhaps the best warranty plan, but Kia is the only I’m aware of that enables transfers after private second hand car sales. 3. Spec. Against the competition, this car really has a lot of bits and pieces. 4. Looks. Some love them, others hate them. With the side rails and tow bar, I think the Sportage looks great with a fat and squat look. 5. Huge wheels and brakes. These have great stopping power and handle very well. This doesn’t seem to affect the nice ride either when travelling off sealed roads.
Less than best bits The factors in my view that are a little annoying 1. The rear seat belts. the middle seat belt comes down from the roof which is a bit annoying. In addition, as the buckle can get a bit buried in the seat, it can be a bit hard for the kids to plug it in. If putting the rear seats down, you move the seat belts out of the way. However, then putting the rear seats back up the seat belts can get trapped if they are not pulled clear first. Finally, when the kids get out car, if the seat belts aren’t left back across the seat, they tend to rattle a bit or have the door close on the buckle. 2. Fuel economy. The 2.4l petrol is good with plenty of torque and power. There are three driving modes (Eco, normal, Sport) which actually make quite a different in the responsiveness. None, are particularly economical and I have found the 2.4l a bit more thirsty than expected. In fact, if driving in the city I have found the normal mode to be more economical than the Eco mode. However, once on freeway/motorway, the Eco mode being slightly overdriven is cheaper. By choice, I think the diesel turbo is probably best pick of the engine options in Sportage range. 3. The drive in Eco mode. In Eco mode, the acceleration is slightly stilted and stuttered. It does some smart economical wizard art to smooth out the acceleration to reduce fuel use, but this also gives a sense that when the lights turn green, a bit of a delay in anything happening and then a big surge of power. In other modes, Kia have shown how smooth and well tuned the gear ratios are, and this feels undone in this particular driving mode.
Overall, it is a great car and I’m very happy with it. The paint and build quality is great. Its really easy to get comfortable with the tech, and get used to living with car. It looks good (in fact looks great), and I really like the amount of stuff on it. Accessories are reasonably priced (like a tow bar and side rails) compared to some other brands.
It is a bit curious and has some unusual aspects, such as huge wheels with low profile tires, yet is equipped with 4WD tools like down hill descent and diff lock (would you really take it off road with 30 profile tires?). On tarmac, its a nice quiet drive with a good feel of the road.
Advances that I think were around and this model was released and should have included (even as options) would have been: 1. Auto close sunroof (in the event of rain and sensing for this) 2. Radar/adaptive cruise control 3. Heating/cooling rear seats 4. Heads up display 5. 360 degree cameras
Kia has come a long way, and by looks of their current offerings are here to stay for a fair while.
I would certainly buy another one when I look to replace this one.
Under the shadow of hyundai, Kia makes the mark to prove its worthiness – 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… Read more
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.
Great car, excellent fuel economy, love it – 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… Read more
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.
Kia Sportage GT Line 2018 – I absolutely love my new Kia. It drives so smooth & has many safety features like parking assist. There is always room for improvement no matter how good you are at reverse parallel parking. I also enjoy the auto hold brake so you can take your foot off the brake at stop lights. So much room in the front & back. Just love love love it. Show details
Great car make sure you get Sat nav update info in writing – I have the current model(2017)sportage GT Line and am really happy with it I love the ventilated seats,wife loves the heated seats.( update July 2019 Make sure you get sat nav info in writing at the time of purchase I was told 2 free updates but they had changed this sometime before my purchase something I didn't realise they had removed from… Read more
their website anyway now they want to charge nearly $300 for every up date ( I originally thought this was to update to the new system but it's not it's an every update charge so approximately an extra 0.7% profit is more important than a happy customer will now definitely look at other brands ) I can think of is the cruise control isn't adaptive, and while it has multi-point seat adjustment it doesn't have memory so if more than 1 person drives the car the ability to adjust it in so many ways is a bit pointless unless you want to go to the trouble of adjusting it every time someone else drives it and adjusts it then the other person(wife) has to adjust it again when they want to drive it,not a big problem just annoying and probably a cheap fix for Kia. so far 9 months in I can say I would recommend 1 and will definitely look at Kia when it comes time to update again brands before next purchase
Great car with all the features – I am driving Gt line diesel model with with apple car and android play, sunroof leather seats, heated seats, you name it and this car is loaded with features. Beak assist, Exterior Mirrors - Heated, keyless entry Park Assist,Parking Distance Control Rear,Parking Distance Control Front all this with 7 year factory warranty and price tag of $45k. Show details
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Great Car but poor audio head unit! – Hey,,, Have had this car for a little over 2 weeks now & love almost everything about it!,, Drives very well, comfortable, love the tiger front grill, big panoramic sunroof, great options....... BUT!!!! my biggest gripe is the the multimedia head unit that is offered, to put simply it is CRAP!! Cheap & Nasty. Not very user friendly, VERY POOR… Read more
Radio reception & sound?. does not even come with DAB radio? In this day & age it should be standard on all vehicles or at least on this model being the top of the line.. overseas models come with Dab radio so I don't understand why Kia skimped out on us here..
Great car... buy one you won't regret it! – I had planned on buying a Mazda 6 but ended up in the Kia dealership. After a few weeks of research and spec comparisons I purchased a 2017 Kia Sportage in the GT-LINE Spec (Top model in NZ). I opted for the 2.0L Turbo Diesel which is a great engine. It has more than enough power and low end torque for everyday motoring and open road driving. The… Read more
fuel economy is what I would expect from an engine and car this size at around 7-8L per 100KM. The AWD has proved useful in icy and muddy conditions and tyres provide a smooth quiet ride. Interior wise it feels like a more upmarket Audi setup with nice to touch buttons and surfaces. Plenty of storage and cupholders along with 2x charge points and a wireless charge pad for your smartphone. The leather seats are soft while offering good support on long trips. The heating/cooling function has to be one of the best features of the car. One area KIA did cheap out on was fitting LED bulbs to the Vanity Mirror lights. These are the old yellow bulb type and don't fit with the other LED lighting of the interior. Otherwise the interior space is comfortable and enjoyable. The safety features are good in the top spec with the Collision Warning System being the best. This should be standard on all cars I think. Rear seat passengers have plenty of leg room, head space and also reclining seats with middle arm rest and cup holders. The huge panoramic sunroof is my favourite feature with a tilt or open open even rear seat passengers can enjoy some open sunroof space.
Some bugs and fixes I have experienced to watch out for:
- Headunit freezing or no audio intermittently (Dealer replacing unit, said they are having some failures)
- I had engine hesitation and transmissions shudder intermittently (Dealer fixed with a software update, drives better then ever and holds gears better going up hills!)
Top 5 Likes:
1. Panoramic Opening Sunroof
2. Heated and Cooled Leather Seats
3. Collision warning System
4. LED Front Fog Lamps
5. 2.0L Diesel Engine
Top 5 Nit Picks:
1. Lack of Radar Cruise Control as a feature
2. Use of regular bulbs in the LED Spec'd interior (Vanity Mirror Lights)
3. Exclusion of the Park Assist Feature here in NZ
4. Headunit backlight is too bright for night driving
5. Plastic petrol cap door
My 22nd new car...Things have changed – Not a brand snob anymore...Being a formally very biased Holden, Ford, Toyota man all my life (HD Holden ute my first new car in 1965) I was given stick by my old mates 11 years ago (they remember I owned 6 Monaros!!) when I bought a Kia Cerato for the wife as a run about after all the kids had moved out and taken their cars...Then in 2012 one of… Read more
the daughters bought the Cerato off of us, and to this day it is still going strong..only had a new battery and annual oil/filter changes (on its 4th set of tyres)...never broken down or had a call back notice ever....
We replaced that with an SLI Optima and after 130k we have just traded that for a small SUV.
We tested many sedans of many brands but finally decided on a small SUV (easier to get in and out of at our age!!)
..after testing nearly all of the available small SUVs (Including Mazda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Subaru etc) we kept coming back to a new Kia Sportage GT line (Grey interior), we took delivery of one only 4 weeks ago...It is a great car, they are getting better all the time. (Hyundai Tuscon was runner up, but was noisier on our coarse bitumen roads)
This is our 22 new car (a Land cruiser is our main vehicle for towing the caravan) and as I service our own vehicles in our workshop, without a doubt the Kias have been the most reliable cars we have ever owned (Yes even more than our Land cruisers..no crap, as I have had a few dramas with them over time), so don't worry about getting a hard time (What!! a Kia!!!) from your mates, if you want to have reliable, well built well equipped and hassle free motoring, you cannot go wrong with Kia... (Toyota don't give you 7 year warranty!)
Obviously some of the 1 star comments on this site are from people who have never owned one (not in the last 15 years anyway) or work for some other brand....I'm a retired farmer and work no more for anyone!!
Happy motoring guys..
Best value luxury SUV with 7yr warranty, European class without the high price – Styling like the Germans, but at a fraction of the cost. Has all "options" as standard, unlike the competition. Love the self parking, reversing camera and wireless phone charging. Android Auto and iOS CarPlay are both supported as well as USB charging ports front and back. I can play music off my phone or USB, with control via the 7" central LCD.… Read more
Ultra bright Bi-Xenon head lights and LED rear & driving/fog lights. Diesel economy provides up to 800km per tank and 400Nm torque means effortless pulling. I found the auto very smooth, having driven now 3,000km from new.
Inside the electrically adjustable seats are leather covered and have heating and forced ventilation - most welcome in Sydney's hot and humid climate, or going to the Snowy's ski-ing. Rear seats have individually rake adjustable backrests and plenty of leg room (I am over 6' and even with the front seat set for me, I can easily fit in the back too). LED interior lighting is plentiful and comes on automatically when switching off the engine or opening the doors. The roof is made of carbon fibre and has a huge opening sun roof as standard. In fact everything is "standard" on the GT-Line. The only extra that I specified was a tow bar to carry my bicycles.
Lockable, on-demand AWD provides grip in slippery condition, but this is not an off-roader, rather a "soft roader". Automatic Hill-hold is a welcome option, even in city driving when stopping at lights on an incline.
Instrumentation is clear and a digital speedo option can help keeping one's license.
The car drives sure footedly absorbing road irregularities, while still maintaining its composer and driver involvement. Having 7 years warranty provides confidence that the makers are behind their products.
My only gripe: The cruise control is not the "adaptive" kind.
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