The Kia Sportage is a head turner for 2017 with an all new design that is both cool to look at and to drive. It’s a small crossover, but it’s big on perks and features since the Kia folks get the fact that more is well, more.
The entire interior is roomier for 2017, a big plus for folks sitting in the back seat. The Uvo touchscreen also gets a nod as does the easy, yet sporty ride.
The competition with the Kia Sportage includes the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V and the 2017 Ford Escape.
For the trims on the 2017 Kia Sportage crossover SUV, you get three options in this five seater; LX, EX and SX Turbo.
The LX offers 17-inch alloy wheels, LED running lights, rear privacy-tinted windows, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, climate vents in the back seat and a 60/40-split folding rear seatbacks. You also get a five-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth and six speakers and there is a USB port and input jack.
For the EX, there are 18-inch wheels, fog lights, heated mirrors, roof rails, a more attractive grille, illuminated vanity mirrors, keyless entry and ignition and you get leather upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel on this mid-level trim. The front seats are heated and air conditioned and there is an eight-way power driver seat. For technology goodies, there is a USB charging port in the back seat and also a seven-inch touchscreen with the Uvo infotainment system.
For the high-end Sportage, that’s the SX Turbo, and with this, you get 19-inch wheels, adaptive xenon headlights, LED fog lights and tail lights, sport-tuned suspension, power-folding mirrors and a hands-free power tailgate. The panoramic sunroof is a nice touch here as are the LED interior lights and the auto-dimming rearview mirror. Also take notice of the steering wheel shape, it’s a flat-bottom with paddle shifters. For technology goodies you get an eight-inch touchscreen with a navigation system and eight speakers.
You can also mix and match some of these higher end features on the two other trims as add ons and the LX has a Popular package with heated mirrors, roof rails, a windshield-wiper de-icer and heated front seats. There is also a package called the Cool and Connected and it adds the Uvo feature as well as a seven-inch touchscreen and automatic climate control.
On the EX Premium package, you get a panoramic sunroof, power-folding mirrors, and a heated steering wheel with that cool flat-bottom design element too.
Under the hood, the LX and EX trims are 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines with 181 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque and the SX Turbo has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 240 horsepower and 260 pound feet of torque. Both come in six-speed automatic with front-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is available.
For safety, it is standard Kia on this 2017 Sportage with antilock disc brakes, traction control and stability control, rearview camera, front-seat side and full-length side curtain airbags as well as hill assist. The SX Turbo adds the blind-spot monitoring, forward collision mitigation and automatic emergency braking as well as lane-departure warning and front and rear parking sensors. These latter safety features are also options on the EX trim.
As for the look and feel of the 2017 Sportage, it will impress with good positioning for the knobs and dials and a nice classy feel and look on the dashboard. It’s a nice cockpit type of feel with plenty of extras to play with on the inside including Bluetooth, a USB port and the touchscreen, which gets larger as you go up in trim.
There is also plenty of space in 2017 for the backseat rider both leg and headroom. Cargo space comes in at 30.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats, but with folded down back seats you get 60.1 cubic feet.
The 2017 Kia Sportage has a nice ride; firm and comfortable and it looks good on the inside and outside. While you won’t win any races with the acceleration, it is all you will need for this crossover and the Turbo engine is set to impress.
Smooth ride, control of the road and firm and agile ability to take the turns and bumps — the 2017 Kia Sportage is set to own the road and impress both the driver and the passengers along for the ride
Should You Need to Know: It is not the best fuel economy in its class, but there are other reasons that the Kia Sportage definitely stands out in 2017. For example Kia’s Uvo telematics will give you emergency and roadside assistance, stolen vehicle tracking and smartphone-enabled features.
Miles Per Gallon: I drove the 2017 Kia Sportage SX FWD and it came in at 21 miles per gallon in the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway.
Cost: The 2017 Kia Sportage SX FWD had a price tag of $33,395.
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