2017 Kia Sportage vs Volkswagen Tiguan

What's the difference?

Stop thinking of Kia as 'cheap and cheerful', because it doesn't apply any more. It's selling a lot of cars thanks in part to an industry-leading seven-year warranty, but they're also selling cars because they look good, they're well-specced and they're well priced.

The Sportage line is front and centre of this strategy, with smart specs and pricing right across the range. We'd like to see more driver aid safety systems added, while the update for the 2.0-litre petrol engine will also be welcomed. If you can stretch, the GT-Line is the pick for value and safety.

The Tiguan 162TSI Highline with the R-Line pack is consistently excellent across the board from value, features and practicality, to ride, performance and handling. The only area where it loses ground to its rivals is in ownership because, going by Volkswagen’s price guide, it may cost you more to service . Still, this is very possibly the best mid-sized SUV on the planet in this price range, and it would certainly be a huge mistake not to consider the Tiguan 162 TSI Highline (and the R-Line package) if you’re hunting for a sporty mid-sized SUV.

Kia's exterior design has come into its own in this current generation of models, with its designers adopting  the same large, hourglass-style grille across the range.

There's a deferential nod to the Sportage's SUV intentions, with thin black plastic overfender liners and covers, while the nose offers good clearance for cityscapes and parking blocks.

The Sportage is among the sharpest looking medium size SUVs out there at the moment, and the Si and SLi models don't let the side down. They do miss out on the distinctive quad LED driving lamps of the top grades, but the single halogen foglights still look okay.

The GT Line stands out even further, with concept car-like 19-inch rims, a body kit, blacked-out exterior and an unusually cool headlight/LED driving lamp arrangement.

As the interior photos show, it's quite dark throughout, thanks mainly to its GT Line status. Various shades of grey and black dominate, with a lighter roof liner adding some ambience to the interior.

Right from the entry level version of the Sportage, this SUV is spot on for everyday practicality.

When it comes to colours, 'Clear White' is available right across the range, along with 'Clear Silver', 'Sparkling Silver' – more of a grey, really - and 'Fiery Red.'

The range-topping petrol can also be had in 'Snow White' or 'Cherry Black', while 'Mercury Blue' is available across most of the range. Brighter hues like orange and gold aren't offered.

The previous generation Tiguan was quite small and curvy. This new one has grown so much in size that it’s been bumped up into the mid-size SUV class. The Tiguan has gone all angular, with crisp paper crease-like lines down that broad bonnet and along its sides.

Show me the dimensions, you say. Okay, the Tiguan is now 4486mm long (60mm more than the old car), 1839mm wide (+30mm) and 1658mm tall. But even then it’s still smaller than the CX-5 (4540mm long) and RAV4 (4605mm long).

You can spot a 162TSI Highline from other Tiguans by its trapezoidal exhaust tips and the darkened head and tail-lights. The R-Line package adds a front bumper with gloss black air intakes and a rear bumper with a diffuser that also gets the same gloss black treatment. The pack also brings side skirts, a rear spoiler, chrome tailpipes and 20-inch alloy wheels.

It’s a handsome, prestigious, solid looking beast, and wearing that 'Pure White' paint with gloss black bits it looks more than just a bit like a storm trooper helmet.

Then there’s all the R-line badging which is not just on the grille but also on the steering wheel, the headrests, and the illuminated door sills. The R-Line pack gives the interior leather upholstery and stainless steel pedals, too. 

This stylish cabin has a high quality feel and the fit and finish outshines even the best of its rivals.

Right from the entry level version of the Sportage, this SUV is spot on for everyday practicality, with a load of features that will be used regularly – and a lack of gizmos that will be ignored.

The 7.0-inch infotainment screen is one of the standard features across the range, and can be controlled either by a touch or via a clear, concise and easy-to-operate line of buttons on the centre console – though the deep-set screen means it can be a stretch to reach it.

A pair of traditional dials brackets a small digital screen in the centre of the dash. Again, it's a real nod to simplicity and ease of use. The steering wheel controls are comprehensive, even on the base Si, but again they are simple to understand and use.

Storage spaces are plentiful and clever in the Sportage, too. Two cup holders are in the centre console, there's room for larger bottles in all four doors, as well as a pair of (slightly small) cup holders in the centre rear armrest.

There's 466 litres of boot size with the seats up – more, in terms of boot space dimensions, than the Mazda CX-5.

A pair of ISOFIX baby seat mounts are fitted on the rear outboard seats, but the centre rear sash belt is mounted in the ceiling. It needs to be disconnected if you want to make the most of the large cargo space, which is a pain, to be honest. It diminishes from the car's otherwise good practicality.

If you're running a kid's sport team, there's one question you'll undoubtedly have; how many seats does a Kia Sportage have? Just five, and there's no option for a third row.

The 60/40 split rear seats flop down quickly and firmly with the pull of a lever on the sides of the seats. There's 466 litres of boot size with the seats up – more, in terms of boot space dimensions, than the Mazda CX-5 – and 1455 litres of luggage capacity in the down position.

One small annoyance is a lack of auto-up on the passenger side front window in the entry-level Si, but it's common across a lot of Kia and Hyundai cars.

There are plenty of places to charges phones and tablets across all Kia Sportage models, with a pair of 12 volt sockets for rear-seat passengers and a pair for the front, as well as USB and auxiliary in ports.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is coming for the Si, we're told, and will be able to be retrofitted by dealers with a simple software upgrade. This allows you to use your phone like an MP3 player, amongst other functions.

There's no CD player or digital radio for the sound system, though the standard speakers are surprisingly impressive. The GT Line also gets an inductive phone charging tray.

Despite the Sportage being a medium SUV in size, it fits four adults in absolute comfort and ease.

A cargo net and tie-down hooks are included in the cargo area of SLi and above models, and there's a full-sized spare underneath the boot floor. There are also LED lights throughout the cabin.

Despite the Sportage being a medium SUV in size, it fits four adults in absolute comfort and ease, and five when required; three kids across the back is no problem. The driving position is slightly higher than expected, but it's still perfectly suited to both small and tall drivers.

The full-length glass sunroof of the top-spec GT Line doesn't affect head height, but it also doesn't slide back; it only tilts up.

Controls in the GT-Line for oft-used switches like lane departure and blind spot warning systems, and even the illumination controls for the dashboard are well placed, rather than being buried in the multimedia system menu. The top-spec car also gets an electronic handbrake.

The new Tiguan’s 2681mm wheelbase is 76mm longer than the previous one – that’s a decent upsize and means more cabin space. I’m 191cm, which means I shouldn’t dance unless I have sufficient space around me, and also means I can’t sit behind my driving position in many of the cars I test. But I can in the Tiguan with about 3cm of air between my knees and the seat back. I have about the same amount of headroom back there, too.

Storage is excellent – the luggage capacity of the Tiguan’s boot is 615 litres (VDA), which is 200 litres more than the CX-5’s cargo room, and 30 litres more than the RAV4’s. The boot also has built-in plastic tubs on each side for wet clothes; there are similar moulded tubs on the outside seats in the back row, two cup holders in the centre fold-down armrest and two more up front. 

There are gigantic bottle holders in all the doors, a drawer under the front passenger’s seat and a net pocket on that side of the centre console. The driver has a pull-out tray nearest their door on the dash and there’s also the centre console storage bin, two overhead drop-down boxes, and a dash-top bin with a pop-up lid.

There are tray tables with pop out cup holders on the backs of the front seats and map pockets below them. 

There is a spare wheel, but it’s a space saver.

The Tiguan 162 TSI Highline lists for $48,490, the $4000 R-Line package and $2000 Driver Assistance Package bring that up to $54,490, while our car's non-metallic 'Pure White' paint doesn’t cost extra. 

The 'Driver Assistance Package' swaps the traditional speedo and tacho for a virtual instrument cluster, able to transform into your navigation map, among other things. It's as pretty as it is useful.

The pack also brings the excellent adaptive cruise control, which takes care of all the tedious stopping and starting in heavy motorway traffic, as well as rear cross traffic alert and lane keeping assistance.

We’ve been through what the R-Line package brings in our chat about the design of the car including the leather seats with embossed R-Line logos, but looks aside it also adds 'Adaptive Chassis Control' which is normally only on Volkswagen’s GTI and R models.

Being the top grade, the 162TSI Highline has pretty much Volkswagen’s entire inventory of features thrown at it. There’s the 8.0-inch touchscreen with the top of the range 'Discover Pro' media unit with voice control. It’s also ready for Apple Car play and Android Auto, plus there’s an excellent eight-speaker sound system. 

Add in a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, auto parking, an automatic tailgate with kick open function, three-zone climate control, proximity unlocking, LED headlights and DRLS, and tinted rear windows.

Three engine specifications are available across the Kia Sportage range, with a six-speed automatic transmission standard on all models. Manual variants were discontinued late in 2016.

The engine specs of the base 2.0-litre MPI petrol engine in the Si and SLi are starting to show their age, with a more modern direct-injection unit likely to power the car in the near future.

The current motor pumps out 114kW at 6200rpm and 192Nm at 4000rpm, and is backed by a six-speed automatic that drives the front wheels.

Kia's common rail direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is a willing performer with excellent manners.

Kia's common rail direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo-diesel specs, meanwhile, are 136kW at 4000rpm, with 400Nm of torque available from as low as 1750rpm. Its horsepower is available across the range, and is a willing performer with excellent manners.

The top grade GT's engine size is a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol, and sports ratings of 135kW at 6000rpm and torque specs of 237Nm at 4000rpm, and is only available as an AWD. It's not offered with an LPG conversion, in case you're wondering.

Towing capacity of the 2.4-litre is 1500kg, the 2.0-litre can tow 1600kg, while the diesel can lug 1900kg of braked trailer; we'll bring you a towing review soon.

Kia's common rail direct-injection 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is a willing performer with excellent manners. Its 136kW peaks at 4000rpm, while its 400Nm of torque is available from as low as 1750rpm.

Its six-speed auto is linked to a front-biased all wheel drive system that can send 40 per cent of torque to the rear wheels for extra 4WD traction. There's also a remote button to lock the centre diff, while a drive-select switch allows for Eco and Sport modes for gearbox and throttle.

The 162TSI Highline is powered by a 162kW/350Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. That’s a lot of power - as much as a 5.8-litre Ford Falcon V8 from the 1970s. This is the same engine which is in the current Golf GTI (although the new GTI, due here by the middle of 2017, will have a smidge more power).

It’s an excellent engine, and even though the Tiguan is about 300kg heavier than the Golf GTI it has the same 0-100km/h time of 6.5s, which is quick for a hatch, and unmatched for a mid-sized SUV in this price bracket.

The most powerful engine in Mazda’s CX-5 range is 138kW/250Nm 2.5-litre four, while the best a petrol RAV4 can do is 132kW/233Nm. The 162 TSI would leave both in its rear vision mirror. 

The transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, called a DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) by VW.

Oh, and it’s all-wheel drive.

The R-Line package doesn’t add any extra grunt, but it does give it better handling.

From a claimed combined fuel economy figure of 7.9 litres per 100km, we saw a best combined fuel economy figure on the dash of 9.1L/100km over 350km in the 2.0-litre petrol Si.

Our diesel test, meanwhile, returned a best combined fuel economy mileage figure of 7.9L/100km over 350km, versus a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 6.8L/100km.

The 2.4-litre engine is claimed to return a combined fuel economy figure of 8.5L/100km.

All Kia Sportage models have a fuel tank capacity of 62 litres.

The 162TSI Highline is the most powerful Tiguan and also the thirstiest. Volkswagen says it will need on average 8.1L/100km. After a week, according to the car’s trip computer it was sucking 95 RON premium unleaded at an average rate of 13.6L/100km. I do drive like I eat though, and I wolf my food down… it’s not pretty.  

A stop-start system will also save you fuel, although it is quick to kill the engine, and that takes a little getting used to.

The Sportage is built for a life around town, and the lighter front-drive petrol powered Si is perfect for it.

The 2.0-litre engine gets thrashy and noisy when acceleration is needed up hills, though, with the automatic occasionally confused by which ratio to pick and hold. Despite its age, it's still a very smooth and tractable unit when coasting around on light throttle, even though its 0-100km/h performance figures won't worry even a warm hatch.

The Sportage GT Line diesel is light on its feet, even with the addition of the heavier AWD/diesel drivetrain.

The 2.4-litre engine fares much better, although its AWD drivetrain takes the edge off its ability to nip up hills.

The Sportage GT Line diesel is light on its feet, even with the addition of the heavier AWD/diesel drivetrain. It's also impressively quiet, letting minimal road noise into the cabin, despite larger, wider and lower profile 19-inch tyres.

All Sportages benefit from a localised tuning program for the MacPherson strut front suspension and multilink rear suspension that imparts a ride and handling set-up that leans towards firm and supportive.

With a few bodies and a bit of gear aboard, the occasionally sharp edges of the ride are nicely rounded out. A tight turning circle of 10.9m is also useful.

The Sportage is a predictable, stable and simple car to drive.

This is not an off-road review; after all, the capability of a crossover in the rough stuff is minimal at best. The ground clearance of 172mm, for example, is about 50mm less than that of a Subaru XV, and it doesn't suggest a safe wading depth.

Overall, the Sportage is a predictable, stable and simple car to drive, without the compromises that sometimes come with a taller SUV.

I put more than 350km on the clock of our test car and spent hours at a time in the driver’s seat, and here’s want I learnt. 

The 255/40 R20 Pirelli Scorpion Verde tyres on our car are far more cushioning than the 235/55 R18 Continental ContiSportContact 5 rubber on the 140TDI I tested recently, even though they’re much lower profile. 

Combine this with well sorted suspension and you’ve got a comfortable and composed ride, that feels reassuringly firm and not floaty.

Handling is excellent for a mid-sized SUV in the price bracket, thanks to the MQB chassis and the R-Line package’s drive modes which allow you to firm up the suspension. It’s agile and changes direction superbly, but cornering at higher speed does reveal a bit of body roll, and with that comes some tyre squeal. But that's normal for an SUV, which has a high centre of mass and suspension with more travel than a 'normal' car.

Forward and rear visibility is excellent, although the window sills in the back row are too high for my toddler in his car seat to see out.

The front seats could be more figure hugging – and if at 80kg and 191cm I’m moving about a bit in the corners, somebody leaner and littler would definitely not be supported much. 

The all-wheel drive system is spot-on. Some of the roads I tested this SUV on had a worrying amount of moss making a home on them and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have made it through those bends in the same controlled fashion if there wasn’t a computer adjusting traction and drive to the four wheels. 

Steering is light in Comfort mode and is given more weight in Sport mode. There’s such great feel and communication through the steering wheel. The steering wheel itself is small and fitted my hands perfectly. 

A quiet cabin with almost no wind or road noise finding its way in tops off a driving experience which is well above the norm in this segment.

The Tiguan has the maximum five-star ANCAP rating. AEB is standard on all Tiguans, but the Driver Assistance package on our test example brings adaptive cruise control, 360 camera, blind spot warning with lane changing assistance, and rear cross traffic alert.

There are three top-tether anchor points and two ISOFIX mounts for child seats. 

Kia's seven-year warranty is the best in the automotive business at present, and includes roadside assist and a free first service at three months.

Capped-price servicing covers the warranty period, too, with $419 the lowest and $726 the highest service costs over four years for the diesel powered cars, with a seven-year total of $3695. That's an average of $528 per service.

The petrol service program costs between $306 and $711 per service. The majority of services are under $400, with seven years of maintenance costs equalling $2942. Don't forget to get your owners manual ticked.

When it comes to diesel problems, clutch problems or transmission problems, the new Sportage has shown no dramas.

If you are wondering if the Kia Sportage uses a timing belt or chain, all variants of the engine use the latter. A chain is preferable to a timing belt as it gives a longer life.

When it comes to diesel problems, clutch problems or transmission problems, the new Sportage has shown no dramas. A JD Power reliability rating study ranks it well, with few problems, complaints, issues or common faults.

Resale value for most Korean brands is still not as good as some of their Japanese rivals; a 2015 Sportage Platinum diesel, for example, will have lost about 30 per cent of its new value if trading in, or about 12 per cent on a private sale.

Waiting time on new cars is minimal, according to Kia.

The Tiguan 162 TSI Highline is covered by a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. 

Servicing is recommended at 15,000km/12 month intervals with the first costing $417, the second will be $606, the third is $674, the fourth is $1183, and the fifth is back to $417.