2021 Kia Sportage

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 2021 Kia Sportage adds new Nightfall Edition and Nightfall Edition Premium packages, but is otherwise unchanged. The Kia Sportage was redesigned for 2017 on a slightly larger platform, gaining more interior room, new styling, and an expanded selection of safety and connectivity features. The Sportage lineup ascends through LX, S, EX, and SX Turbo models, all of which are available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. LX, S, and EX are powered by a 181-horsepower, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. The SX Turbo has a 240-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. Both engines are paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Safety features include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, blind-spot alert, driver attention monitor, and adaptive cruise control with stop and go. The 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, but even if a Sportage is no longer the value proposition it once was, it’s still in line with the competition.