Kia Sportage 1.7 Ignite – New addition to the family

By Lawrence Minnie

The Kia Sportage has enjoyed much success in the mid-size SUV segment, selling well alongside brands such as Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Qashqai and Honda’s CRV.

Following on the heels of the updated Kia Sportage earlier this year, seven new models have been introduced into Kia’s mid-size SUV line-up, to bolster their offerings to the sports-utility- hungry consumer.

New addition

Our test car would be the latest addition to the Ignite line up, a 1.7-litre CRDi turbo-diesel engine derivative. This powerplant is coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission and will deliver 85kW and 280Nm.

Not much else changes from the launch models (see our launch story here) so the week’s test was mainly to see how easy it would be to live with this new derivative.

The test

In short, the new addition to the range did not disappoint. The 1.7 Ignite fits perfectly into the Sportage-offering, and was a pleasant surprise to pilot around town on the school run and nipping down to the shops. The power delivery was linear and you never felt wanting for get up and go. The 6-speed manual gearbox proved to be a masterpiece with swift, purposeful gear changes keeping the car moving without the often-felt lag that you get from diesel engines.

Fuel economy was also excellent with a full tank guaranteeing just shy of 900km range, while maintaining a very healthy 5.9l /100km.

The ride was very comfortable in the cloth-covered seats and the Bluetooth audio system will make do, but I was a little disappointed in the interior furnishings of the entry-level Sportage. It was fitted with very basic plasticky bits on the contact surfaces and although made to be hard-wearing, it does come across a bit cheap and one might tire of it rather quickly.

Verdict

Kia has unfortunately not been doing as well as their cousins, Hyundai, in the sales line-up, with more mid-size SUV sales heading in the Tucson’s direction.

Hopefully the inclusion of the newly specced and well-priced Ignite Plus models, and now the addition of the 1.7 CRDi Ignite Plus Manual, KIA will see a resurgence of the Sportage in this segment.

Pricing

1.7 Ignite PLUS Manual           -

R406 995