Kia Sportage SX delivers sporty compact value

BY ANDY MIKONIS For Sun-Times Media September 30, 2011 5:06PM

2011 KIA SPORTAGE SX

ENGINE: 260-horsepower 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder

TRANSMISSION: six-speed automatic

DRIVETRAIN: all-wheel drive

FUEL ECONOMY: 21 city/25 highway

BASE PRICE: $27,295 plus $695 destination

AS TESTED: $32,565 including destination

WEBSITE: kia.com

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The SX engine is actually smaller than the base and EX engine but achieves higher performance with the aid of turbocharging. Both engines offer gasoline direct injection, a more precise system for fuel metering. Many of the automakers using gasoline direct injection believe DI is most optimal for a turbocharged engine due to its piston cooling effect.

The 2.0-liter is impressively quiet and refined, and the extra punch makes this a lively little crossover to drive. City mileage is the same as the base engine, though you give up three miles per gallon on the highway according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

I did repeatedly experience a quick surge at part throttle in city driving; I couldn’t pinpoint whether it was a throttle calibration issue or the six-speed transmission hunting between gears. It left me thinking the engine may not be completely integrated into the vehicle yet. As a side note, I did not notice this on Sorento SX or Optima SX vehicles I tested previously.

At highway speeds my only complaint was that it was difficult to keep the Sportage precisely tracking on a straight path. This isn’t the first front-wheel-drive-based all-wheel-drive vehicle in which I have experienced this, but the Sportage’s twitchy steering made subtle course corrections nearly impossible.

Otherwise, I found the steering feel and overall handling agreeable. The SX lists high performance shock absorbers as additional equipment. I liked the firm ride on smooth surfaces, but its bump absorption lacks sophistication. Even modest bumps were jarring. The body structure feels rigid but unforgiving; a hard hit “rings” through the body.

While this SX came to me in fair weather, I tested the Sportage EX right after the blizzard earlier this year, so I can attest that the all-wheel drive handled the aftermath well. The traction control helped me out of one spot I thought I would need a shovel for, and that was before I noticed the differential lock, which helped even more.

While the Sportages of old suffered from mundane styling, the 2011 is a knockout. It’s a contemporary look and incorporates a family resemblance with newer Kia products. I like it better than its larger stablemate Sorento. The 18-inch alloy wheels with black accents really set off my Signal Red tester, as did the panoramic sunroof, the latter included in the premium package.

In terms of utility, accessing the tailgate requires a low grab of the handle, probably placed there so as not to break up the lines. It was a wet and dirty handful in inclement weather and sometimes wouldn’t unlock on the first try.

Cargo room is modest, but let’s not forget this is a compact CUV. The rear seat is cozy as well. The folding rear seat back splits 60/40 for flexible cargo-carrying options and there are some token tie-down rings that might accommodate a loop of twine.

The interior styling looks great. The shape of the signature Kia grille is echoed in the instrument panel. The layout is clean and it hides some-less-often-used buttons low and out of the way. Nice, simple gauges have orange pointers and chrome accents. Dual climate controls are distilled to a reasonable eight buttons and two knobs.

The screen for optional navigation and radio has a quality-looking display and stays readable in sunlight. However, I did find it too bright at night; trying to turn down the brightness proved fiddly and ineffective, though turning it off and back on was easy enough. Switches on the steering wheel were a mix of shapes and textures – perhaps to differentiate by feel – but with eight of them it may take a while to learn which is which.

Seat heat is effective, even with optional leather. An odd choice is air cooling on the driver’s side seat only. Must be a cost-saving measure, but it would cause marital strife in my household.

Kia has made great strides in quality and refinement in a relatively short time. My criticisms show some areas where it has not yet equaled its most renowned competitors, but Kia is closing in fast.

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