2017 Kia Sportage Road Test and Review

The compact crossover market is difficult to crack. Although it might seem like new entries are guaranteed some level of success in this popular category, it’s not that simple. Earning a spot among the established class leaders is a considerable challenge.

Kia knows this better than most. Over the years, it has carefully shed its reputation as Hyundai’s cheaper, "iffier" little sibling and managed to cultivate a reputation worthy of respect. Further helping Kia in this regard is the fully redesigned 2017 Sportage. We test drove this compact SUV, a top-of-the-line Sportage SX Turbo, to see just how well it will fare in the hyper-competitive compact crossover category.

The SX Turbo is the top-of-the-line model in the 2017 Kia Sportage lineup, featuring a premium engine and a long list of standard features. The SX Turbo is priced at $32,500, and all-wheel drive adds another $1500. The sticker price on our test vehicle was $34,895, including an $895 delivery fee.

The base Sportage, the LX, starts at a modest $22,990, so you can see that the SX Turbo is quite a splurge, relatively speaking. The Sportage EX splits the difference somewhat, starting at $25,500 and offering several packages of high-end options. These options packages all come standard on the SX Turbo.

At the entry level, the redesigned Kia Sportage effectively competes with value-oriented models such as the Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, and Honda CR-V. At the high end, the Sportage starts encroaching upon entry-level luxury territory.

The 2017 Kia Sportage SX Turbo is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that comes paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and is rated at 237 horsepower (front-drive Sportages make 240 hp). The base engine, a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter inline-4, produces 181 horsepower.

During our week with the Sportage SX, we found that, while the vehicle can be a little slow to accelerate off the line, it travels smoothly and pleasantly once it’s reached the desired speed. Passing power is readily available, and the transmission feels like a good match for the engine.

Over 105 miles of combined city and highway driving in moderate traffic, the Sportage averaged 23.3 MPG. This is better than the official EPA ratings of 20 MPG city, 23 MPG highway, and 21 MPG combined, and about average for a compact all-wheel-drive SUV.

While the fully redesigned Kia Sportage SX retains traces of the previous generation, it’s also a considerable departure in a lot of ways. The thin black cladding remains along the car’s perimeter, and the side panels and back look similar, although the LED brake lights now extend in a thin line across the liftgate. The most significant differences are in the front. The HID headlights sit higher (and feature Dynamic Bending Light technology at the SX trim level), the LED foglamps are bigger, and the overall effect is slightly more aggressive, yet stylish. Nineteen-inch alloy wheels come standard on the SX trim level, which complemented the glittery Pacific Blue finish on our test vehicle.

We really liked the illuminated door handles and power-folding mirrors included on the Sportage SX. Both were convenient features that we were a bit surprised to find on a vehicle at this price point.

The Kia Sportage SX has impressive interior accommodations, especially for the price. Our Sportage was outfitted with black leather upholstery, and the front seats were heated, ventilated, and power adjustable. It was easy to settle into a comfortable and natural position behind the wheel, outward vision is great, and not a single complaint came from the front passenger. LED ambient lighting is convenient and comforting.

In back, there’s plenty of room for passengers. The rear bench has a spacious and airy feel, especially when the panoramic sunroof is open. The rear seats also recline, a standard feature across all trim levels.

The Sportage offers above-average cargo space for the class, 30.7 cubic feet. However, when the 60/40 split rear row is tucked out of the way, some competitors offer more total cargo capacity.

The Sportage SX has an infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a Harman Kardon 8-speaker audio system. Kia’s website says the infotainment system includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but our tester’s window sticker cites only Android support. We opted not to connect our iPhone, but otherwise, the system was generally easy to use.

One gripe: The front passenger is not allowed to use the navigation system unless the Sportage is in Park. Though we understand Kia doesn’t want the driver to take eyes off the road to fiddle with the nav, there's no reason the passenger shouldn't be able to operate the system. The Sportage can tell if there're a front passenger thanks to the airbag sensors, so what’s the problem? Even more frustrating, the system allows the user to navigate almost completely through the menu, and then displays the “Sorry, can’t use this right now” message. If we can’t use nav when the vehicle is in motion, Kia should gray out the option on the main screen, not several commands deep.

Every 2017 Sportage, from base model on up, includes a rearview camera, USB port, Bluetooth, satellite radio, and an infotainment system. These basic features are about on par with what shoppers in this class, and at this price point, would expect. Kia bundles most of the Sportage’s options into packages; in the base trim, these would be LX Popular and LX Cool & Connected. Such options include a power driver’s seat, heated side mirrors, dual-zone climate control, and a better infotainment system with a bigger touchscreen.

The midlevel trim, EX, comes with an upgraded charging port, pushbutton start, and leather upholstery. Options in the EX Premium and EX Technology packages include the panoramic sunroof (highly recommended!), a heated steering wheel, an upgraded Harman Kardon audio system, a hands-free power hatch, front seat upgrades, and many of the active safety features described on the next page.

As the top-of-the-line trim level in the 2017 Kia Sportage lineup, the SX Turbo includes all of the model’s available features. The only option for the SX Turbo is all-wheel drive.

With the introduction of the latest generation Sportage, Kia’s demonstrated a commitment to safety. The 2017 Sportage has earned a 5-star overall rating from the NHTSA, as well as the coveted Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

All trim levels of the 2017 Kia Sportage come standard with a rearview camera. To get the most up-to-date safety and driver assistance features. However, buyers need to step up to the EX trim level and add a couple of packages. The Premium package comes with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, among other features. The Technology package adds front and rear parking sensors, lane-departure warning, and automatic pre-collision braking among its high-end equipment options. In other words, it's a little bit expensive to get a Sportage with the most modern safety features, but they are available.

The 2017 Kia Sportage SX comes with a panoramic sunroof that adds ambience to the vehicle’s already upscale interior. Though the Sportage in no way feels cramped, the panoramic sunroof has a way of opening up the vehicle, making it feel lighter, brighter, and more spacious.

Another interesting feature on the Sportage SX is its hands-free power liftgate. Supposedly, it’s superior to other proximity-key hands-free liftgate systems, or those that require you to wave your foot under a sensor to activate it. Interestingly enough, we didn’t even realize the Sportage had this feature at first. The times we used the rear cargo area, we awkwardly waved around the key fob and squeezed buttons trying to get the hatch to open, which it seemed reluctant to do. Not the car's fault, mind you; next time we promise to read the window sticker a bit more carefully.

If we were in the position to spend $34,000 on a small SUV, it would be a tough call. On one hand, that’s a reasonable price to expect to pay for, say, a Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, a BMW X1, or an Audi Q3. On the other hand, the Sportage SX is more powerful and much better equipped than those entry-level luxury options, and it’s got that class-leading 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty that Kia and parent company Hyundai talk so much about. 

With a hypothetical 34 grand, perhaps it would be best to buy a less expensive configuration of the Sportage. Or maybe move up to a midsize crossover or SUV, rather than a compact.

But if you still find yourself drawn to a fully loaded 2017 Kia Sportage SX, we can’t really blame you.