High Expectations of the Kia Sportage 5th generation
From when the news came out that the 5th generation of the Kia Sportage would be entering the South African market in 2022, it became one of the most anticipated cars in 2022. The fact that there was going to be a facelifted model and that the Sportage is Kia’s fastest selling model globally, there was high expectations of this Sportage. I am happy to report that the high expectations were met and what a stunning vehicle this is.
Kia Sportage Test Vehicle
Halaal Travels was provided with a test vehicle over the December ‘22/January ’23 period. The model we tested was the EX model being the 2nd model in the range. The 5th generation Kia Sportage comes in 5 variants namely:
Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi LX – R539 995
Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi EX – R593 995
Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line – R649 995
Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line Plus – R677 995
Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line S – R734 995
Is it Affordable?
As you can see from the above 5 models, Kia has something that would suit your budget. Motoring & Tech World has done a full YouTube review of the technical specifications of the EX model which we will link at the end of this article. What we will focus on here is the practicality aspects of this Kia Sportage and tell you why it could possibly be considered among the best family SUV’s currently in the South African market.
How does it perform on the long road
We wanted to see how this Kia Sportage performs on the long road. We have driven it to Paternoster from Cape Town and passed towns like Yzerfontein and Langebaan along the way. When driving on the long road important aspects in the car from the drivers point of view are safety, power and fuel efficiency.
Excellent Safety Features
In terms of safety, no matter which model of this Kia Sportage you purchase you are guaranteed at least the following safety features: Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), as well as Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), Downhill Brake Control (DBC) and Trailer Stability Assist (TSA).
BSM and Overtaking
The EX model we drove also has blind spot monitoring which I believe is quite essential on a car you would be using frequently for road trips with your family. In terms of power, even if you are driving on Eco mode, it is quite effortless to overtake. Ease of overtaking is very important as you want to make sure you pass those trucks as quickly and as easily as possible.
Fuel Efficiency
On the long road, the fewer stops you make at the gas station, the better on your timing and on your pockets. This 5th generation Kia Sportage 2022 has a dual-clutch transmission which works seamlessly. It gets you into the highest gear very quickly and you are cruising at well below 2000rpm which is really amazing for your fuel consumption.
Does it pass as a big Family SUV?
Other important aspects of a family SUV are rear space and boot capacity which the Kia Sportage caters for very well. There is more than enough rear space for your kids to sit comfortably without being on top of each other. The 591 litre boot of the Kia Sportage will be able to fit all kinds of luggage required for your road trip or even a camping trip as well.
Value For Money
With all the above you can set your foot in the EX model for under R600k which makes it a very good value for money prospect. In summary, I would put the 5th generation Kia Sportage among one of the best family SUV’s currently in the market. It is futuristic in its appearance, luxurious in its drive and efficient in its fuel consumption and would make for many epic family adventures.
YouTube Video
To see a visual representation of this Kia Sportage, Motoring & Tech World has done a full YouTube review of the EX model which you may access below: