Pros: Excellent all-around ride and handling refinement; broad selection of available comfort, safety, and technology features; peppy acceleration with turbocharged engine
Cons: Styling is a bit too radical for some tastes; less cargo room than some class competitors
CG Says: The Kia Sportage is redesigned for 2017 on a slightly larger platform, gaining more interior room, new styling, and an expanded selection of safety and connectivity features. Kia says the new Sportage’s body structure is stiffer than the previous generation and steering and suspension have been revised for better ride and handling qualities. As before, the Sportage lineup ascends through LX, EX, and SX models, all of which are available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The LX and EX’s 181-horsepower, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine carries over largely unchanged from the previous Sportage; the SX’s turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (which puts out 240 hp with front-wheel drive and 237 with all-wheel drive) is down 20 horsepower from the previous version but has improved midrange performance. Available safety equipment includes blind-spot alert, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-departure warning. Tech features include Kia’s new UVO3 infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality; telematics services; and Wi-Fi tethering capability. The redesigned Sportage’s aggressive front-end styling may not be for everyone, but this is a thoroughly impressive compact SUV that stacks up very well against the best in the class. Base prices (at least in top-line trim) have crept up noticeably with the redesign, but even if a Sportage is no longer the value proposition it once was, it’s still in line with the competition.
| Class | Compact SUV |
| Body Style(s) | 4-door wagon |
| Passenger Count | 5 |
| Drive Wheels | front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive |
| Manufacturer | Kia |
| Nation of Manufacture | USA |
| Base Prices | LX: $22,990 AWD LX: $24,490 EX: $25,500 AWD EX: $27,000 SX: $32,500 AWD SX: $34,000 |
| Base Engine 2.4-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower 181 |
| Std. Transmission 6-speed automatic |
| Avail. Transmission NA |
| EPA City Range (mpg) 21-23 |
| EPA Hwy Range (mpg) 25-30 |
| Optional Engine turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower 240 (237 FWD) |
| Std. Transmission 6-speed automatic |
| Avail. Transmission NA |
| EPA City Range (mpg) 20-21 |
| EPA Hwy Range (mpg) 23-26 |
