Kia Sportage Road Test

Kia Sportage

Build Quality

We were pleasantly surprised - everything was screwed together well and the paint finish was very good. The choice of materials worked well and in some areas it exceeded our expectations. The seats were well trimmed with leather faces, which were of a high quality.

Value For Money

Currently a V6 2.5 litre - HSE 5-door Land Rover Freelander costs £26,595 on the road, the comparable V6 2.7 litre XS 4-door Kia Sportage costs £18,495 or a difference of £ 8,100. Of course the Land Rover is a more capable vehicle off-road, and will command a higher percentage of its price when resold, but we feel that the Sportage is better equipped (where are the Freelander' s curtain airbags?) and overall is better to drive on-road.

The Sportage comes with a 3-year unlimited mileage warranty, 3-year roadside assistance package covering the UK and mainland Europe and 6-year anti-perforation warranty.

Overall Opinion

Kia markets the Sportage as 'the thinking person’s 4x4' - we understand their philosophy why pay more for a brand? Land Rover market the Freelander as an aspirational vehicle and as good as the Sportage is we cannot see many Land Rover owners swapping their Freelander for a Sportage.

We see the Kia Sportage appealing to people who are more careful with their money and don’t have their head turned by designer labels.

If you are looking for a compact 4WD then we recommend that you take a closer look at the Sportage. Kia Motors brand slogan is 'the power to surprise' and we certainly were surprised and impressed with the Sportage.

Kia Sportage