How many of you remember when the original Sportage came to the US market? I certainly do. Originally the Sportage was a small SUV that barely has space for four people to ride and offered very little in the way of cargo space. This was an SUV made for the bargain shopper to give them a low-priced but enjoyable SUV that could be imaginative. No longer do you need to use your imagination to think of this as a great SUV, the Sportage has grown up and is ready to be one of the best sellers on our market.
For 2017 the Sportage is new and shows up with an attractive style that you just have to enjoy. The athletic stance that was part of that original model still shows up today, but the body and the appearance of this SUV are more grown up than we have ever seen. This SUV offers a fresh front end with the new Kia “tiger-nose” grill and gorgeous headlights flanking on each side. The rear taillights have sweeping effect to them and the vehicle rides on a set of attractive wheels that will capture and keep your interest while you inspect the outside of this popular SUV.
What is the new Sportage? This is the small SUV you want to drive because of the high style, great warranty and the safety features that make it the vehicle that should be part of your driving arsenal. You could enjoy items such as climate-controlled seats or an amazing stereo on this new SUV. For 2017 we see the Sportage begin its fourth generation in existence as a compact crossover SUV that offers a larger size than before, making for a more comfortable interior which gets filled to the brim with some of the most impressive technology.
Speaking of the interior, you will see the familiar setup of a two-row, five passenger setup that has more space than ever before. There are several storage compartments throughout the vehicle to offer you what you want along with two 12-volt ports for charging your electronics. This SUV can give you the look outside from the panoramic sunroof or you can enjoy the ride with items on top as you head out on a great adventure. The cargo space is generous at 30.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats that can be increased to 60.1 cubic feet when the seats are folded down.
The drive in the Sportage will feel familiar if you have ever driven one before. That is due to the powertrains being carried over on this new model. The steering has been improved to give you a better response from the electric power system and the suspension has been upgraded to allow for little to no harshness on the road. You will love to drive this SUV on any road and it can even head out to the lighter trails to be a vehicle that is confident in heading to the lake for the weekend or for going to the beach.
For 2017 we see these two familiar faces under the hood of the Sportage. That makes for a great way to enjoy the SUV when it’s one you have loved in the past. The base model uses a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine that puts out 181 horsepower and 175 lb.-ft. of torque. This is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and gives you a fuel mileage of 23 city/30 hwy mpg for the FWD LX, 22 city/29 hwy mpg for the FWD EX and 21 city/25 hwy mpg when the AWD is installed.
The second engine for this SUV is one that gives you the power you want to enjoy from the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine. This engine puts out 240 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. While using the same six-speed automatic transmission this powertrain is capable of towing up to 2,000 pounds, which is enough to get a few of the fun toys you want at the lake while giving you a fuel mileage of 21 city/26 hwy mpg for the FWD and 20 city/23 hwy mpg for the AWD making this the more enjoyable version of the Sportage for you to choose.
As a smaller SUV from Kia you expect the price to be reasonable. The base LX trim gets things started with a price of $23,885 while the EX trim gives you more features and begins its pricing at $26,395. When you move to the top trim, the SX Turbo you will have a jump in price to $33,395 and the AWD can add $1,500 to the price of any of the models. These prices make the Sportage one of the least expensive SUVs on the market and with the features Kia loves to put in their products you will have a vehicle that has everything you want for a reasonable price.
Speaking of features, the Kia Sportage offers you the base trim with a five-inch touchscreen display, a rearview camera, a six-speaker audio system with USB input, Bluetooth connectivity, three drive modes (Sport, Normal, Eco) and automatic headlights. Moving up to the EX model you will enjoy the UVO infotainment system with a seven-inch capacitive screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a power adjustable driver’s seat, leather upholstery, dual zone climate controls, roof rails and solar control glass. All models enjoy the 10 year/100,000 miles powertrain warranty to give you the peace of mind you need when buying this awesome SUV.
The options for the new Sportage start with the AWD system that offers a locking differential to give you improved traction and move on to include the more powerful engine, a navigation system, an eight-inch touch screen, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alerts, lane departure warnings, automatic emergency braking, a panoramic sunroof, a power liftgate with programmable height adjustments, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, an auto dimming rearview mirror and the 320-watt Harmon/Kardon sound system. With the easy to live with price and a large menu of amazing features this new Sportage is certainly an SUV you can enjoy once you visit your local Kia dealership.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.
