Slow and inefficient isn’t a pairing you find often, but our long-term 2017 Kia Sportage EX AWD checks both boxes. Although no one expects practical, compact crossovers to be the quickest cars on the road, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed when the Kia is less efficient and slightly slower than others in this class. As I’ve found during my thousands of miles behind the wheel of the Sportage, however, there’s more to the story than just that.
For one, the 2017 Sportage has absolutely zero turbo lag … and that’s because the crossover’s engine lacks a turbocharger. The Sportage LX and EX models are powered by a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated inline-four that’s good for 181 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque and mated to a six-speed automatic. By comparison, the Hyundai Tucson’s 1.6-liter turbo-four produces 175 hp and 195 lb-ft and uses a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Hyundai’s package sounds impressive, but in the real world, that engine-transmission combo isn’t responsive enough at full throttle from a stop or, as we noted in The Big Test comparison of compact crossovers, when you’re passing a big-rig on a two-lane road.
In that Big Test comparison, our loaded all-wheel-drive Sportage was tested with a 0–60 time of 9.0 seconds, slower than six other competitors, tied with an all-wheel-drive 2016 Rogue, and quicker than an all-wheel-drive 2017 Ford Escape 1.5 EcoBoost (9.6 seconds). What’s unfortunate is that most SUVs in the comparison had a better Real MPG fuel economy combined rating, too. Still, if you haven’t shopped for a four-cylinder crossover in years and haven’t yet driven other new models, you’ll have no problem with the Sportage’s acceleration. Fun fact on automotive progress: We tested an all-wheel-drive 1999 Kia Sportage with an automatic transmission reaching 60 mph in 12.0 seconds. (A ’98 model with a manual brought the time down to 10.9 seconds.)
Much has changed on the Sportage since those late-1990s models were tested, including the automatic transmission’s jump from a four- to a six-speed automatic. The 2017 Sportage’s six-speed is responsive, but I prefer the CR-V’s smooth CVT over the Sportage’s traditional automatic. The effect is subtle, but the Kia exhibits a little shift shock as it moves from one gear to the next, like many other non-CVT automatics. At least the Sportage’s throttle isn’t as sensitive as that of the CVT-equipped Subaru Forester.
The Kia’s dynamics are also adjustable via the drive-mode selector, which is standard on every 2017 Sportage. I use the feature all the time, changing drive modes depending on my mood from Eco to Normal and Sport. I’d use Eco more if the change in accelerator pedal sensitivity were paired with the steering weight of the Sport mode.
The Sportage drives well overall, but the fact that our EX AWD model is a bit slower and less efficient than many others in the class definitely puts it a step behind. Where the Kia makes up ground, not surprisingly, is with features. Stay tuned—in the next update, I’ll discuss what I think of our loaded EX’s features list.
More on our long-term Kia Sportage right here:
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