Kia Sportage: The perfect family car

The Kia Sportage deserves to be called the family car of the year.

KIA Motors Windhoek representative Lito Hans says the Kia Sportage’s looks and shape appeal to many buyers.

“They even make the engine smaller with more output than the previous models,” Hans says.

He says the Kia Sportage 1.6-litre engine compares well with the old 2.0-litre engine in terms of performance and capacity.
It comes with both 1.6-litre petrol and diesel turbo engines.

Hans says the smaller engine is more fuel efficient, while delivering more output, compared to the previous generation’s engines.

The new range comes with four different driving modes.

The model adapts to your driving style and every 100km, it recalculates fuel consumption and performance.

The Kia Sportage also assesses the driver’s style and adapts accordingly, Hans says.

“When it comes to the technology evolution of the KIA, it has reached unimaginable new heights and skyrocketed. Some oil features are normally found in premium vehicles like Mercedes and BMW brands,” he says.

Hans says he is excited about the adaptive cornering mode that allows the vehicle to adjust its headlamps for night driving.

“You get a variety of models, for instance from the most fuel-efficient to the most torque to the sportier and flashier versions. You basically have everything for every type of person – from the upcoming professional to the older generation,” Hans says.

The car’s lights literally read the road ahead, and should the driver turn, the headlights follow the bend.

Even when approaching a hill or crest, the lights illuminate the area by moving slightly up or down.

The car comes in various models with the top-of-the-range model featuring a self-driving mode.

The Sportage’s interior is next level – from the well-designed and hyper-modern screen dashboard to the heated electric controlled front seats, multifunctional steering wheel and daytime driving lights.

According to the spec sheets, the Sportage 1.6 CRDi LX’s consumption is 5.0l/100km, with the 1.6T-GDi GT Line S at a mere 6.8l/100km.

The different vehicle classes are quite affordable.

Performance-wise, the intro level model, like the 1.6 CRDi’s 0-100km/h, is just over 11 seconds, with the top of the range able to reach 100km/h in under nine seconds.

In the future, all vehicles will come standard with an automatic gearbox.

Apart from the safety features expected in vehicles in this class, the car has various customised specs to suit your personal preferences.