GT Line reveals true character of the Kia Sportage

Believe it or not, the Sportage is already 27 years old and has sold more than five million units around the world.

It had very modest beginnings, borrowing its platform from the Mazda Bongo (van), including its engine, transmission, and even the differential.

Some of the nameplate’s highlights include being the first model in 1998 to offer knee airbags and the first as well to ever complete both the 1993 Paris-Dakar rally and the 1995 Baja 1000.

With that kind of background, it shows that this humble Korean compact SUV is now more than just a fancy, French-sounding name.

Kia Philippines offers it in three trims, the LX AT (automatic transmission) Gas, LX AT Diesel, and the top-of-the-line GT Line AT Diesel. We’ll focus today on the last and see if it can live up to its heritage.

It’s taller compared to the other two trims as it is the only one that gets silver roof racks. Full dimensions are 4,480mm in length, 1,855mm in width, 1,655mm in height, and the wheelbase is 2,670mm. It has a 172mm ground clearance but a very good turning radius of 5.3 meters.

The diesel variants weigh more than the gas trim at 1,593 kilograms.

Carrying all that weight a MacPherson strut and stabilizer front suspension, and a multi-link rear suspension. It comes with four-wheel disc brakes and 245/45 R19 tires on 19-inch alloy wheels.

Powering it is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder CRDi (common rail direct injection) E-VGT (electronic variable geometry turbo) diesel engine that optimizes combustion by raising the turbine’s power at all engine speeds through the precise control of exhaust flow. Kia vehicles powered by these diesel engines have 20-30% higher fuel economy and around 20% lower CO2 emissions than their gasoline counterparts.

Output of 185hp and 400Nm of torque is sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed AT with Shiftronic (allows the driver to override the automatic transmission and manually shift gears to gain more control over the car's performance). Three drive modes are available: Eco, Normal and Sport.

The Peter Schreyer-designed body comes with all the frills and thrills of a range-topping unit. It comes with automatic LED (light-emitting diode) headlamps with auto-levelling feature, LED DRLs (daytime running lamps), LED position lamps, LED front fog lamps, GT-Line front and rear bumpers, electronically adjustable exterior rearview heated mirrors, a fin-type antenna, rain-sensing wipers, a glossy black grille, body color door handles with chrome trim, automatic rear window defogger, a rear spoiler, LED high mount stop lamp, and LED rear combination lamps.

The cabin sports a mainly black motif in varying texture but most of the surfaces, from the glossy black dashboard all the way to the door panels, are supple and feel pleasant to touch. Like the exterior, there are silver trims to highlight items like air vents, gear shifter booth, audio and cruise controls plus the vertical spoke of the flat-bottom steering wheel that sports the all-important GT-Line badge.

It has a 3.5-inch LCD (liquid crystal display) multi-function display, illuminated vanity mirrors on the visors with ticket holders as well, an electro chromatic interior rearview mirror, a sunglass case, an overhead console lamp, a room lamp (second row), a three-spoke leather steering wheel with paddle shifters and audio + Bluetooth controls, leather gear shift knob, foot-operated parking brake, power door locks, a smart entry system (unlock the doors by clicking a notch on the door handle as long as the key fob is in your pocket or bag), illuminated push-to-start button, power outlets on the front and rear console, and scuff plates with an aluminum finish.

Leather seats are good for five. The driver’s seat is eight-way power-adjustable with two-way lumbar support, while the passenger’s seat is eight-way power-adjustable.

It comes with seat back pockets (driver and passenger), front and rear armrests, 60:40 split-folding second-row seats, dual zone automatic climate control system with rear vents, and the luggage area can accommodate 491 liters worth of cargo.

Pedals strictly keep with the overall color scheme as well with a metallic finish and black non-slip pads.

The layout is very good, plus the contrast between the blacks and whites make the whole cabin very easy on the eyes, and also helps to make alphanumeric markings stand out and be easily seen.

There’s a built-in air ionizer and it’s marked by the words “Clean Air.” What it does is negatively charge ions as air passes through the system. This process removes pollens and other allergens, including odors, in the air.

For entertainment, it sports an 8-inch touchscreen with AM/FM radio, a CD and MP3 player, USB and Aux-in ports, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Audio is routed to four speakers and two tweeters.

Driving assistance features include cruise control, a rear camera display with parking guides, and front and rear sensors.

For safety and security, it comes with front + side + curtain airbags, ABS (anti-lock braking system), electronic stability control, downhill brake control, hill start Assist, anti-theft system with immobilizer, two three-point ELR (emergency locking retractor) with dual pretensioners, three three-point ELR with pretensioner in the second row, Isofix child anchors, and a child lock system.

The Kia Sportage 2.0 Gas GT Line AT Diesel is priced at P1.820 million.

Photos from Kia