SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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Enjoy the journey: 2019 Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi EX+

Doing enjoyment well

Pics by Motorpress
Posted: April 19, 2019

The numbers
Price: R559 995
Engine: 1995 cc, DOHC 16-valve, common-rail, direct injection VGT diesel
Power: 131 kW at 4000 rpm
Torque: 400 Nm between 1750 and 2750 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 9.3 seconds
Maximum speed: 201 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7.7 l/100 km
Tank: 62 litres
Luggage: 466 – 1076 litres
Standard tyre size: 245/45R19
Spare: Full-size alloy
Turning circle: 11.0 metres
Maximum towing mass (braked): 1900 kg
Warranty: 5 years / unlimited km with roadside assistance
Service plan: 5 years / 90 000 km

“One Sportage with everything, please.”
“So that would be the 2.0 CRDi EX Plus; with eight-speed automatic, eight-inch touchscreen, 19” alloy wheels, wireless phone charger, extra USB point in the back and the sunroof?”
“Correct.”

You already know that Kia Sportage, the “baby” of the company’s SUV offerings in South Africa and its only exclusively five-seat range, comes in nine configurations. Choices cover three engines, three gearboxes and four trim levels. Only one all-wheel drive is offered, a 2.0-litre diesel automatic, in EX specification.

Even entry-level Ignite specification provides variable ratio electric power steering, disc brakes front and rear, 16” alloy wheels with full-size spare, LED daytime running lights, ABS with EBD and ESC, hill start assistance, cruise control, downhill brake control, rear parking sensors, automatic lights, electric mirrors and windows (auto-down for driver), manual air conditioner, fabric upholstery with height adjusters for both front chairs, six-speaker sound system with Bluetooth, rake and reach adjustable steering wheel with remotes, and six airbags.

By the time you have ticked boxes up to EX level, the TFT display becomes a seven-inch touch screen, wheels grow to 17 inches, outside mirrors fold automatically, the parking brake is electric with auto-hold, front PDC sensors and reversing camera have been added and the car starts with a button. The now-automatic air conditioner offers a defogging function, the Bluetooth system gains voice recognition, front windows have anti-pinch, leather-clad seats are electrically adjustable with lumbar support and wipers know when the screen is wet.

EX+ upgrades to 19” wheels, eight-inch touchscreen with satnav, proximity charger, powered USB and sunroof – all the toppings anyone could want.

The Hyundai-Kia R-family diesel develops 131 kilowatts of power at 4000 rpm with maximum torque of 400 Nm kicking in at 1750. Cruising at 120 km/h in eighth gear requires only 1800 rpm so, by the time you run out of pulling power, you are already deeply into Irresponsibility Territory with Officer Aggro rubbing his hands happily. That isn’t what five-chair family SUVs are about, of course. They’re about enjoying every journey and letting destinations become secondary. And Sportage EX+ does enjoyment well.

Part of that is thanks to the new eight-speed automatic. Developed in-house by Kia, it takes up the same space as the previous six-speed, weighs 3.5 kilograms less, holds 143 new technology patents and uses a smaller oil pump requiring less fluid. Incorporating an additional clutch and gear over Kia’s existing box, the new transmission features a 34-percent wider spread between top and lowest gears, resulting in better fuel economy and improved NVH levels in higher gears. Its solenoid-controlled valves enable direct clutch operation resulting in quicker gearshifts, faster acceleration and improved climbing performance in lower gears.

That’s all very impressive, but at the user interface it means almost imperceptible shifts, an uncanny way of always being in the correct gear and never over-revving. We rather liked it. It was fun in manual override mode too.

Enjoyment extends to its being comfortable over all but the roughest surfaces, its quietness, its stability, its people space and its generous cargo volume. Having a good selection of toys helps too. With satnav, ‘phone charging, CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, aircon that extends to the rear compartment, a low ‘transmission’ hump that means someone can actually use the middle seat and a sunroof that’s usable up to slightly illegal speeds, what’s not to love?

Test unit from Kia Motors SA press fleet

We drove an entry-level Kia Sportage 1.6 GDI Ignite in 2019



What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.