A Sportage chance of market dominance for Kia

FOUR of the top contenders in the rapidly expanding, wildly popular crossover segment are essentially two pairs of cars which are very closely related to each other.

Sat, 14 May, 2016 - 01:00

The Nissan Qashqai and the Renault Kadjar are so similar as to be inbred, as are the Hyundai Tuscon and the Kia Sportage.

The Qashqai is the daddy of the crossover (Nissan cheekily claim to have invented the breed, but they didn’t) and, with it, Nissan has persuaded a generation of drivers that a vehicle that looked like an SUV, but which drove like a saloon, was the way to go. The massive success of the Qashqai meant that every other manufacturer has had to follow suit.

Thus, Renault (Nissan’s sister company, remember) has gotten in on the act with the Kadjar, and both companies also exploit the ‘junior crossover’ segment, with such as the Juke and the Captur.

Similarly, over in South Korea, where corporate partners, Hyundai and Kia, respectively, produce the Tuscon and the Sportage, we have two cars with many common elements.

The thing about the Koreans, though, is that despite their cars’ commonality, they are vicious rivals and, here in Ireland, will go head to head in a battle for sales, which will probably be decided by the size of Kia’s and Hyundai’s marketing budgets.

For now, Hyundai is winning the battle, as the Tuscon, with the benefit of an earlier arrival on the market here, has established itself as the best-selling car in the country, ahead of staples such as the Golf, Focus, and Corolla. The Kia has ground to catch up, but, on the evidence of our recent test of the Sportage, is well-capable of doing so.

Between the Tuscon and the Sportage, the cage of the Qashqai is being rattled and the once-predominant force in this market segment is no longer having things all its own way. And the Sportage is one of the main reasons why.

Not yet having driven the Tuscon — although I will in a couple of weeks’ time — there’s no point in comparing the two.

So, I will be sticking with the Sportage. Kia is on the brink of something big with this car.

The last Sportage was hugely popular and the new one will be even more so, because Kia has kept all the good bits about the previous one and has attended comprehensively to the aspects that were not so good.

Accordingly, the car’s already attractive design has been made more endearing; it has an engaging new face and, from every angle, is very easy on the eye, although the rear-end is a touch derivative, with more than a few hints of the BMW X4.

Every aspect of the new car reflects Kia’s aim to make the brand more upmarket than ever before.

We saw the benefits of those efforts recently in the Optima, and we are now seeing them in the Sportage, with upgrades in terms of technology, drivetrains, safety, interior décor and in pretty much every other aspect of the car.

The Sportage is based on an all-new platform, which is stiffer and stronger. The car is longer, the cabin bigger, and the suspensions have been dramatically revised to improve driving dynamism.

There are new engines, too, although the existing, 1.7 turbodiesel (albeit heavily revised, too) will continue to be the big seller here on the Irish market.

Although the 115 bhp output of the engine will not inspire many boy-racers, it is very acceptable. You will not get blackouts, as a result of the blood in your brain being drained by the accelerative forces (11.5 seconds 0-100 kph) and 176 kph top speed, but you will live comfortably with the 4.6 l/100 km (61 mpg) consumption rate and the 119 g/km emission level (for a €200 annual tax bill).

The improvements to the suspension make for a much grippier driving proposition and handling is much-improved, although the trade-off is a ride that is not quite as cosy as before.

It is a trade-off that I, for one, would gladly accept. It removes that constant understeer feel, which was both tiresome and annoying.

In mid-grade trim, the car comes with plenty of kit, not least the ubiquitous touchscreen and infotainment/connectivity systems, which are so vitals these days, but the overall layout is simple and easy to use, and the chrome elements in the cockpit neatly break up what would otherwise be a drab, if well-appointed, design.

There are bags of space throughout the cabin — and in the boot — and the powered driving seat will appeal to many.

The last Sportage was Kia’s biggest seller across Europe and, understandably unwilling to jeopardise the car’s popularity, the manufacturer has gone to great lengths to ensure it continues.

On the evidence of what I’ve seen, the company has achieved that and, with the cost being kept very competitive, with specifications boosted, with practicality levels enhanced, and with the seven-year warranty remaining a big draw for people, the new Sportage has more than fulfilled its design brief.

This is a car which — for very good reasons — will enjoy broad support from the driving community and will further chip away at the dominance of other models in the segment. Another positive move forward from Kia, and one which may well water down the sales volumes its Hyundai relative has been enjoying.