- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
114kW, 192Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 7.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
7 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2016)
2018 Kia Sportage SLi (FWD): owner review
The Kia Sportage is a handsome, reliable and well-thought-out car. We picked up our new Kia after having 11-and-a-half months of absolute pain and horror with our Haval H6 Lux.
- Nicely built car
- Seven-year warranty
- Seven years' roadside assist (if you get the car serviced at Kia)
- Smooth drive
- Lane-keep assist
- No blind-spot warning
- Lacks wireless charging in this variant
It was love at first sight when we picked up our new Kia: the presentation of the vehicle, quality of the build, and smooth handling helped form an instant bond with this car. This was a very different feeling and connection than we had with our Haval 11 months earlier.
Kia has developed a vehicle that is comfortable and reliable. This is clearly demonstrated by the smooth drive on local roads and highways. The Sportage handles extremely well around corners and in the wet; the lane-assist feature helps you take corners with ease. It is notable that the suspension has been finally tuned to local conditions, which assists with the overall comfort of this car. Even with its 2.0-litre engine, the Sportage is able to pick up speed quite easily when needed with little effort.
Inside the new Sportage, there is a fresh look to the dash and entertainment systems. The dash and features have been laid out in a way to give it a premium feel and make the systems easy to use while driving. The new larger and flat screen in this car helps prevent reflection from the sun, and makes it easy to see and navigate in bright conditions. The SLi variant also comes with an electronic handbrake.
The only notable downsides to the new Kia Sportage SLi is the lack of blind-spot warning and no wireless charging in this variant. These two features would help the Sportage compete in the medium-SUV market. Blind-spot warning is almost seen as a basic inclusion these days, but Kia only offers it in the top-of-the-range GT variant.
I highly recommend this car to anyone who is looking for a medium SUV. Kia has provided an awesome product that is jam-packed full of safety, entertainment and comfort features. Top these features off with the seven-year warranty and roadside assistance – you can't go wrong.
A Note from the Editor: A stock image has been supplied with this review