2015 Kia Sportage Road Test and Review

2015 Kia Sportage ・ Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Variety is the spice of life, and no other area of the auto industry has more to tickle the tongue than the SUV segment. The 2015 Kia Sportage is a shining example of just how many different options are presented to families seeking a practical daily driver, as even this small-in-stature people mover presents a surprisingly high level of available luxury and power at an affordable price. It's also a further indication of just how slick Kia's entire line-up has become ever since style-on-a-budget was put back on the menu by Peter Schreyer, the company's design chief for the last nine years.

The 2015 Kia Sportage delivers power and utility wrapped in a smart, compact package. While it might not reach to the same heights as segment leaders like the Ford Escape in every single department, nor have the same reputation for reliability as the Toyota RAV4 or the Honda CR-V, it's a stand-out choice in an overwhelming sea of similarly-sized options.

Models and Prices

The 2015 Kia Sportage can be had in LX, EX, and SX trim levels, with the entry-level Sportage LX starting at an MSRP of $21,900. For your money you get alloy rims, keyless entry, cloth seats, air conditioning, tinted windows, Bluetooth connectivity, a CD player, satellite radio, power windows and door locks, and 17-inch alloy rims. Moving up to the Sportage EX (MSRP $25,300) introduces a trip computer, the UVO telematics system, a rear spoiler, larger 18-inch rims, dual automatic climate control, a power driver's seat, a cooled glovebox, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a louder stereo system, and a refrigerated glovebox, while choosing the Sportage SX (MSRP $28,100) nets you the most powerful engine in the SUV's line-up, HID headlights, LED tail lights, keyless ignition, and a navigation system (with a touchscreen infotainment system to match).

The vehicle I drove for a week was a Kia Sportage SX that was outfitted with the SX Luxury package (panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, leather upholstery, auto-dimming rearview mirror) as well as all-wheel drive. The total price of my tester came to $32,950.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Design

What’s New:

The 2015 Kia Sportage does not introduce any new design cues.

The 2015 Kia Sportage looks like a much more expensive SUV than it really is, with its chiseled lines calling to mind the more dramatic elements of vehicles like the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque (albeit without the sloping roof). It's not easy to make a small crossover look muscular without resorting to caricature, but Kia has done a fine job with the Sportage's buff body. The LED tail lights and HID headlights that come with the SX trim further add to the vehicle's 'class-above' looks, and there's none of the anonymity that one sometimes encounters at the more affordable end of the family spectrum.

Opening the door to the Kia Sportage's cabin starts to dispel some of that near-luxury image. While there's nothing terrible about the Sportage's dashboard, switchgear, or general presentation, it doesn't quite live up to the promise of its well-sculpted sheet metal. The passenger compartment of the small crossover feels more practical than prestigious, and although I would have liked a little more attention to detail inside the Kia, it's really hard to fault the useful character of the Sportage given its reasonable price point.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Comfort and Cargo

What’s New:

The 2015 Kia Sportage does not introduce any new comfort or cargo features.

Despite its modest exterior proportions, the 2015 Kia Sportage offers acceptable amounts of passenger and cargo room. The second row will be fine for most adults, although as with any compact SUV you'll want to be sitting up front on longer trips. There's just a hair more than 26 cubic feet of space between the second row seatback and the Sportage's hatch, and that number expands to almost 55 cubes with the seat folded forward. It's a 60/40 split, so the Kia remains versatile when you need to haul both people and over-sized items at the same time, but keep in mind that there are other crossovers in the Sportage's class that hover around 70 cubic feet of hauling space.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Features and Controls

What’s New:

The 2015 Kia Sportage does not introduce any new features.

Despite their simple nature, the 2015 Kia Sportage's control set is quite effective at keeping you warm, toasty, and entertained out on the road. I particularly liked the ability to 'de-list' satellite radio stations that I never listen to, which meant skipping past them while scrolling through the channel list using the rotary knob under the Sportage's LCD touchscreen. I also found it easy to sync my phone with the Kia using Bluetooth, allowing me to stream music and access hands-free calling almost immediately upon entering the vehicle. If I were being critical, I would say that the sound quality of the stereo system itself wasn't all that impressive, but that's true of most vehicles in the SUV's class. Finally, it's worth nothing that the Sportage makes use of hard buttons for its dual climate controls and its seat warmers, which means you can use them while wearing gloves and not have to futz around with an unresponsive touchscreen.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Safety and Ratings

What’s New:

The 2015 Kia Sportage does not introduce any new safety equipment.

All versions of the 2015 Kia Sportage come with dual forward airbags, seat-mounted side airbags up front, and side curtain airbags that deploy along the entire length of the passenger compartment. Electronic traction control and stability control are also standard, but if you're looking for active safety gear such as a blind spot monitoring system, you are out of luck - the Sportage doesn't offer any high tech equipment. This puts it at a disadvantage when considering competitors from both domestic and Japanese SUV builders.

2015 Kia Sportage Crash-Test Ratings: The Kia Sportage has been awarded a rating of 'Good' in each major IIHS crash test with the exception of the small-overlap frontal offset test, where it scored 'Poor.' The NHTSA scores the Sportage four out of five stars for overall crash safety.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Engines and Fuel Economy

What’s New:

The 2015 Kia Sportage carries over last year's engine options.

The 2015 Kia Sportage is initially outfitted with a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder motor that delivers 182 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. Fuel mileage for this unit - which is matched with a six-speed automatic transmission - is listed at 21-mpg in city driving and 28-mpg on the highway. Moving up to the SX trim installs a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that can be counted on for a beefier 260 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque, enormous numbers for a small four-cylinder SUV. Efficiency takes a bit of a hit with the more robust turbo option, checking in at 20-mpg around town and 26-mpg during highway cruising (a six-speed autobox remains standard with this mill). All-wheel drive is available across the board for the Sportage, which further impacts fuel economy figures that are already not quite at the same level as the Kia's peers.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Driving Impressions

The 2015 Kia Sportage SX that I drove had power to spare, as the turbocharged engine's 269 lb-ft of torque were more than willing to proceed forward at a rapid pace regardless of what gear the six-speed automatic transmission found itself in. It was remarkable how much quicker the Sportage SX felt compared to the larger and much more modestly endowed Toyota RAV4, as its brawn put it near the level of the six-cylinder Chevrolet Equinox and the also-turbocharged Ford Escape 2.0-liter EcoBoost in terms of acceleration.

There's something about the Kia Sportage's drivetrain, however, that isn't quite as refined as most of its compact SUV rivals. The way the throttle hung after lifting off the go-pedal, the slight harshness of the six-speed's shift points, and the noisiness of mechanical cacophony occurring under the Sportage's hood all contributed to an experience that was out of character with the vehicle's premium styling. The Kia is similarly a step behind in the fuel mileage department, as I saw a dismal 17 miles per gallon overall during a week that included very cold weather but also significant stretches of highway driving.

Moving past those unfortunate mechanical blemishes, the Kia Sportage did prove to be a comfortable road trip companion, as well as one whose all-wheel drive system reliably steered me away from traction loss and bravely conquered the slippery parking situation in Montreal after a major snowfall. Handling for the Sportage SX was confident and composed, with not nearly as much roughness being transmitted through the chassis over broken pavement as one would expect from such an affordable vehicle.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Final Thoughts

The 2015 Kia Sportage presents an appealing package to value-conscious compact SUV shoppers, especially if you avoid the SX trim and stick with the affordable, but still well-equipped EX model. If you do go all in on the order sheet you'll enjoy the Sportage's turbocharged power, although you might lament its coarse feel and thirstiness at the fuel pump. Either way, every edition of the Kia comes with the knock-out exterior styling that helps push the Sportage ahead of some of its dowdier rivals, even if its interior doesn't quite match the same level of design (and is a bit small when hauling cargo). 

You'll notice that the above paragraph is full of given and take, what with the Sportage's more outstanding attributes being balanced by its somewhat less impressive aspects. To be sure, Kia's small crossover isn't the perfect people mover, but as the old saying goes 'perfect is the enemy of good.' The Sportage's is an appealing, and affordable SUV, and it's worthy of a test drive for anyone shopping at the entry level.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Premium exterior styling Easy-to-use infotainment system Affordable Available turbocharged power Optional all-wheel drive Comfortable ride  

Cons:

Not all that fuel efficient in turbocharged form Small cargo area compared to class leaders Drivetrain feels unrefined No advanced safety equipment available  

Kia Canada supplied the vehicle for this review.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting