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EXPERT RATING
8.0
Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist
26 Sep 2014
4 min read
3 Comments

Peter Mifsud wants to buy a 4WD wagon and he’s confused by the many choices available. He’s not a serious off-road enthusiast and says his old VY Commodore has got him to where he’s needed to go, but he wants a car that will tow his 1000kg campervan and he’s got around $20,000 to spend.

NEW

The new Sportage released in 2011 was a revelation. No one saw it coming, but they should have, as Kia has been a make on the move for some time now.

No longer the poor cousin of the car business, the brand you bought if you couldn’t afford anything better, Kia is now a well-respected maker of cars that deserves a place on our shopping lists.

The new Sportage of 2011 was one of the models that signalled the arrival of the Korean brand as one to be taken seriously.

A compact SUV, the 2011 Sportage boasted a new body with smart looks, new engines, much improved on-road manners, and five-star safety.

The range boasted three models, the two-wheel drive Si and the four-wheel drive SLi and Platinum. It’s the four-wheel drives we’re looking at here given our reader’s started preference for a four-wheel drive.

Two engines were offered. One was a 130kW 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, the other a 392Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel.

There was only one transmission, a six-speed automatic and that fed into an on-demand four-wheel drive system that in essence drove the front wheels until it was deemed necessary for traction to send some of the drive to the rear wheels.

Although it wasn’t a traditional four-wheel drive system as fitted to a heavy-duty off-roader it was surprisingly competent in the bush.

The cabin had seating for five, it was quiet and comfortable, and in the Platinum you got everything you could wish for, from an eight-way power driver’s seat, adjustable steering column, leather trim, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, a decent sound system and a reversing camera.

Kia’s fit and finish has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and it now compares favourably with any other brand in its class.

Safety was also on the money as ANCAP recognized when it gave it a five-star tick. With six airbags, ABS brakes, and dynamic stability control it has quite an arsenal of safety gear.
 
NOW

Sportage 4WD models are rated to tow up to 1600kg with trailer brakes, so they should comfortably tow the Mifsuds’ campervan weighing just 1000kg.

With its high riding stance and ground clearance, along with its on-demand four-wheel drive system it should also be capable of handling their limited off-road needs, provided they don’t want to go rock climbing or something like that.

Owners generally praise their Sportages, they rarely criticize them.

They are not only well built, they are reliable and few problems of a serious nature crop up with them. We hardly ever hear of issues at CarsGuide, which suggests they are getting the job done for their owners in the field.

Kia issued a recall notice in January 2014, which related to an issue with the seat belt pre-tensioner. Check the owner’s manual to confirm the recall rectification has been carried out. If you’re in doubt about it speak to a Kia dealer.

Also check the service book to make sure all recommended servicing has been done. Missing services is a recipe for disaster, a failure to change engine oil regularly is just asking for trouble.

Even though few Sportages will have seen duty in the rough going inspect your potential purchase carefully, particularly underneath where any damage as a result of off-road is likely to be readily seen.

Kia Sportage 2011: Platinum (AWD)

Engine Type Diesel Turbo 4, 2.0L
Fuel Type Diesel
Fuel Efficiency 7.5L/100km (combined)
Seating 5
Price From $9,680 - $13,200
Safety Rating

Verdict

SMITHY SAYS

A pleasant surprise that should be at or near the top of your SUV shopping list.

Kia Sportage 2011-2012

Price new: $32,490 to $39,720
Engine: 2.4-litre, 4-cyl, 130kW/227Nm; 2.0-litre, 4-cyl, turbo-diesel, 135kW/392Nm
Transmission: 6-speed auto, 4WD on-demand
Economy: 9.2L/100km (2.4), 7.5L/100km (TD)
Towing: 750kg (unbraked), 1600kg (braked)
Body: 4-door wagon
Variants: SLi, Platinum
Safety: 5-star ANCAP
 
Expect to pay:
Pay $18,000 to $25,000 for the SLi petrol
Pay $20,000 to $29,000 for the Platinum petrol
Add $3000 for the diesel engine

Pricing Guides

$11,754
Based on 81 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months.
LOWEST PRICE
$7,888
HIGHEST PRICE
$17,990
Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist
With a passion for cars dating back to his childhood and having a qualification in mechanical engineering, Graham couldn’t believe his good fortune when he was offered a job in the Engineering Department at General Motors-Holden’s in the late-1960s when the Kingswood was king and Toyota was an upstart newcomer. It was a dream come true. Over the next 20 years Graham worked in a range of test and development roles within GMH’s Experimental Engineering Department, at the Lang Lang Proving Ground, and the Engine Development Group where he predominantly worked on the six-cylinder and V8 engines. If working for Holden wasn’t exciting enough he also spent two years studying General Motors Institute in America, with work stints with the Chassis Engineering section at Pontiac, and later took up the post of Holden’s liaison engineer at Opel in Germany. But the lure of working in the media saw him become a fulltime motorsport reporter and photographer in the late-1980s following the Grand Prix trail around the world and covering major world motor racing events from bases first in Germany and then London. After returning home to Australia in the late-1980s Graham worked on numerous motoring magazines and newspapers writing about new and used cars, and issues concerning car owners. These days, Graham is CarsGuide's longest standing contributor.
About Author
Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication. Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.
Pricing Guide
$7,888
Lowest price, based on third party pricing data.
For more information on
2012 Kia Sportage
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