2011 Kia Sportage SX Review

“Turbo” is a word that has fascinated me from my earliest years as a young car-nut buying his first car magazines in the mid-eighties. By then, I was 8 or 9 years old and heavily favoured the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo, the Nissan 300ZX Turbo and, by 1986, the Mazda 626 Turbo. The first car that I bought was a 1989 Mazda MX-6 GT Turbo and I loved it.

The matter at hand is a Kia Sportage, Auto123's and my personal favourite compact crossover of the moment. Late last year, I reviewed the Sportage EX AWD, essentially the trim level below of the SX I recently spent a week with. As I performed that road test, a few things became very clear to me where the Sportage is concerned.

Primo, there isn't a bad trim level to be had. Every Sportage is given the same attention to detail, careful assembly and high-end presentation that are crucial in today's increasingly demanding market. Basically, if you can't over-deliver your products, you will under-perform.

Duo, the Sportage remains one of the most attractive offerings, whether opting for a base LX all the way up to my fully-kitted SX. This way, irrespective of the money spent, be it $21,000 or $35,000, you will not feel as though you bought the “cheap” one in the line-up.

Trio, Kia has and is demonstrating an open-minded approach that has rarely been seen in the auto business. They are ready and willing to give existing and potential new customers a wide range of options in order to keep them interested and coming back for more.

This is what I would like to tap into in this story. I would invite you to click on the link above that will send you to my already published article on the Sportage.

Granted, that story features the 2.4L 4-cylinder engine, which consists in the major difference between the EX and SX. Here's what you need to know:

The 260 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque generated by the turbocharged 2.0 Theta II 4-pot will have you wanting to go for a ride for any and all reasons. Nasty turbo lag is kept in check and never rears its ugly head, looking to kill your fun like a hall monitor. Boost builds up nicely and in no time, you're flying. The extra power does not come at the expense of fuel economy. In fact, I managed the same 11.5 L per 100 km median with both vehicles. As you may now know, I was born with lead in my right foot. This then means that the average average will be roughly 10% less.

The remainder of the differences are all kit and accessories-based. The SX gets dual tailpipes, which I like, but carry no real importance. Other aesthetic touches such as the sport grille, front and rear fascias as well as exclusive wheels are nice, but not entirely necessary. The EX and its 18” alloys are fine. The same goes for the Supervision instrument cluster and cooled glove box.

The Sportage has few real-world application limits. Some friends and colleagues have shopped for a new family vehicle recently and most noted that the trunk will not hold a baby carriage and few day-bags worth of baby gear. Others, including myself, mentioned that they found the ride to be a tad on the rough or stiff side.

Otherwise, all praised the vehicle's handsome looks and well laid-out cabin.

Where I want to go with all this is that I would like to see Kia be the first to offer a premium engine like the 2.0T as an option on a base product. I can understand that product planners would need to dress up the powerplant's extra cost with a few extra goodies. Fine, it'll include AWD and the 6-speed autobox.

One point that lingers on is the perceived value of the brand. To my great disappointment, a far too large number stated that Kia is “only a Kia” and not a brand that can rival the likes of Honda or Volkswagen. This is no longer true.

This is my plan then: Kia, be different. More so than you already are. If it makes for better business sense, get Hyundai to join in as well. I'd like to see a basic EX have the 2.0T as an option without having to get and pay for a ventilated driver's seat, navigation, a sunroof or other typically useless equipment. I'm thinking that emulating many western-European markets and the way they select vehicles could help Kia further stand out from the crowd. I understand there are costs involved. Consider it an idea.

The current Kia Sportage is a definite winner, equalled by none but closely trailed by the Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan. Notables include the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, however both are of an older design.

As far as market segments go, this one has the greatest potential for growth in the short and medium term. As the cost of life continues to climb, right-sizing will become a key factor in people's shopping habits. This category fits the vast majority of our needs.

By Mathieu St-Pierre
Auto123