Kia Sportage (2016 - 2021) 3 1.7 CRDi 114bhp ISG (11/16 on) 5d Owner Review

My 67 plate Sportage ISG3 1.7D has just 1500 miles and I’d like to share some initial thoughts. Due to the 7 year warranty I doubt I will have cause to complain regarding any component failures – or at least complain at the cost! The car rides very well and is a comfortable companion for 150-200 mile slogs, and it handles better than the rivals I test drove, despite its height. Fifth and sixth gears seem high and acceleration is sluggish from 60-70mph but probably aids fuel consumption. The Honda HR-V seems to be a logical competitor but the Sportage’s larger size means increased practicality and at a significantly lower price point (£25k). The ISG 3 includes an excellent panoramic sunroof, auto high beam (doesn’t work well with cyclists but they’re usually on the footpath anyway!), the heated seats warm up quickly and Apple CarPlay means podcasts and audio books are much easier to play and swap between. JBL speakers are a little tinny but voice control works surprisingly well. Too early to tell if the leather seats will hold their shine for 50,000 miles but the bolster is not prone to being rubbed when entering or exiting the vehicle. From previous cars and similar cars tested I do miss a few things: one-shot on anything other than the driver’s door, key fob opening closing of windows (press and hold etc.), front parking sensors (would forego rear sensors given the reversing camera is included), the cruise control doesn’t show the speed set and cancels when changing gear, my iPhone sometimes says connected but audio only plays through the ‘phone (a reconnection or two usually cures) and the dipped headlights seem to be set high, but I’ve had no complaints (via furiously flashed headlights) so they’re probably OK for other road users. Mine is in the ‘free’ bronze colour that I was OK with as it’s a leased car and I don’t have to worry about trade-ins, residuals and dealers sucking air through teeth when considering P/X values, but it works well on this size of car and I haven’t seen another to date. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this car as although some plastics feel a little cheap it is stupendous value, great on per month lease costs, spacious and individual. Hopefully the next few thousand miles will loosen up the engine, improving efficiency and acceleration, but I am more than happy with it. So far.