A great vehicle, but the range-topping Sportage is marred by a finicky transmission … and its price.
Coming in a fair chunk more change than the 2,0 CRDi SX we’ve already tested, Kia has attached quite a price-tag to this 1,6 GT-Line range-topper. And, while price is not something we would generally talk about at the start of a road test, in this case it is the proverbial elephant in the room. And elephants are hard to ignore.
With your hard-earned cash on the table, then, let’s see what it buys you. Naturally, being a Kia, you get quite a lot and, this being the only GT-Line model in the range, over and above the SX’s extensive offering, as standard you also receive LED headlamps with a dynamic-bending function, blind-spot detection, a wireless phone charger, driver and passenger seat ventilation and a panoramic glass sunroof.
As we mentioned in that earlier test, every aspect of the new Sportage’s interior represents a further improvement on Kia’s already shining reputation for design. The company’s interior designers have the knack of creating tactile surfaces and interfaces that give the impression of quality and durability without having to use too many superficial luxury materials. And the GT-Line’s additional features only reinforce this impression of high quality.
Perhaps the more significant feature your money buys is a modern drivetrain. This Sportage has the Hyundai/Kia group’s 1,6-litre T-GDi turbopetrol that transfers its 130 kW and 265 N.m of torque to the road surface via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Although it is new to the Sportage range, it’s the very same drivetrain used in the Hyundai Tucson 1,6 Turbo Elite. All-wheel drive is standard, too, with Kia’s Dynamax on-demand system that anticipates traction requirements and apportions torque accordingly.
Looking at the stats, it is a drivetrain that works rather well. It scampered to 100 km/h in a best of 9,48 seconds and the 265 N.m of torque delivered between 1 500 and 4 500 r/min meant our acceleration runs indicated an average of 3,86 seconds to go from 100 to 120 km/h and a further 4,89 seconds from 120 to 140 km/h.
For the most part, Kia’s new dry-clutch dual-clutch performed well, moving swiftly and comfortably between its seven speeds. There were some niggles, though, and, interestingly, ones we didn’t pick up in the Tucson. Firstly, there is a slight vibration when you come to a gradual halt into first gear, or if you’re crawling along in traffic. It feels like there’s a degree of tension between the engine and the clutch, with the former wanting to engage but the latter unable to make up its mind. Then it overheated while being driven up the Mother City’s admittedly steep Kloof Nek Road during rush-hour traffic. Given that the CAR staffer behind the wheel was one of the most mechanically sympathetic drivers on our team, we were surprised to hear his report of transmission warning lights that required him to stop.
A subsequent visit by one of Kia’s technicians revealed no damage and we were told it was the result of left-foot braking causing drag on the drivetrain – something this transmission, we were told, is particularly sensitive to. There were several raised eyebrows around the office.
The Sportage also comes standard with eco, normal and sport driving modes, and while that doesn’t change any suspension dynamics, throttle response and steering weight are altered. As is usually the case with this kind of setup though, we did almost all the driving in normal mode which, for daily driving, strikes a good balance.
Worth noting was the braking performance, with the 1,6 GT-Line registering an average time of 2,91 seconds and a stopping distance of 39,35 metres. Echoing that of the 2,0 CRDi SX, it rates as “excellent” on our scale.