So attractive, so appealing, so stylish, you’d think Chrysler Corp., the industry’s reigning design guru, shaped the sheet metal on the Kia Sportage, one of the few affordable, small, sport-utility vehicles on the market.
The lines are clean and crisp, yet bold. The Toyota RAV4 looks plump and the Honda CR-V looks sterile by comparison.
The Sportage offers four-wheel-drive for all-season motoring yet delivers more than 20 m.p.g. so you don’t have to spend most of those seasons visiting your local Amoco. Or is it BPmoco?
And with all the goodies except automatic transmission (better sit down for this: automatic is a $1,000 option) and anti-lock brakes ($490), the sticker still is about $1,500 short of $20,000.
What’s not to love about the Kia Sportage?
Well, after the styling and ability to maneuver through the snow, there’s not much to write home about.
To put it kindly, the South Korean-built Sportage is a Third World machine. The RAV4 might not win many beauty contests when marching down the same runway as Sportage, but the RAV4 at least will win the congeniality award. Sportage won’t.
Now, you might argue, hasn’t the media been filled with stories about Kia being one of the industry’s fastest-growing companies? Haven’t sales been going through the roof when compared with a year ago?
Sure, and the reason is that Kia initially was found only in a few West Coast states and has just started moving into the Midwest. (The automaker had its Midwest coming-out party at the Chicago Auto Show in February before opening a handful of stores in the area.)
Sales growth is a result of dealership openings. With each new store comes an upward blip on the sales charts as the curious–and those seeking a lower-cost alternative to a $30,000 sport-ute–welcome the vehicle.
When the novelty wears off–and it will; just ask those who sold the Yugo and the Hyundai Excel–good looks and low price no longer draw people into the showrooms unless those attractions are teamed with top quality. Sportage has a way to go to roam with the big boys.
The 2-liter, 130-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine makes quite a racket and the noise filters back into the passenger cabin. The industry watchword is that “Quiet is the sound of a well-made car.”
The 2-liter is also a bit slow when leaving the light.
Our test vehicle came with the standard 5-speed manual, which wasn’t as slippery smooth as that in its chief rival, the RAV4. The 5-speed is a Getrag. Remember when GM used Getrags, the balky and hesitant and most unpleasant German-made 5-speed used in the 1980s, sending motorists to chiropractors to straighten out their arms? Nuff said.
Basically the Sportage felt as if a few nuts and bolts had been left out. Sportage comes with a swing-out spare tire on the hatchback lid, a location that frees interior space for more cargo. On our test vehicle, the swing-out spare rig would swing out and close easily on one oc casion, but the next time it would take more than a try to close.
When the rear seats are folded, Sportage offers added cargo capacity, but the seats don’t fold flat, which limits what you can do with the space.
Another Sportage shortcoming is that to keep the sticker price down, four-wheel anti-lock brakes are a $490 option–this in a vehicle aimed at youth, and one that will be used extensively in foul weather. At least optional four-wheel ABS is better than the optional rear-wheel ABS Sportage had been offering before this year.
Sportage is offered in two- or four-wheel-drive. Prices range from $14,895 for the base 2WD model to $17,295 for the 2WD EX, $16,395 for the base 4WD model we tested and $18,495 for the 4WD EX.
Standard equipment includes dual air bags, driver’s side knee air bag (to keep you from submarining in a collision), 15-inch radial tires, power locks/windows/steering, dua l power mirrors, rear-window defogger, intermittent wipers, passenger-side visor va nity mirror, tachometer, tilt steering and digital clock.
New for 1998 are automatic locking/unlocking hubs when engaging/disengaging 4WD using the transfer case.
But since Sportage wasn’t sold in the Midwest in ’97, few here knew that you used to have to get out and lock/unlock hubs manually.
Our test vehicle came with air conditioning at $900, AM/FM stereo with CD player at $545, roof rack at $195 and carpeted floor mats at $69. Add $425 for freight.
If ABS at $490 and automatic at $1,000 were added, the sticker would have gone $19 over the $20,000 mark. However, had the roof rack been left off, the sticker would have stayed $176 under $20,000.
Very good idea: a low-cost, high-mileage, well-equipped, 4WD sport-ute for those who don’t want to be indebted for life for purchasing the current fashion trend.
Now that Kia has captured the public’s attention, it needs to capture their respect by assigning wrenches and pliers to its engineers and having them give the machine reliability and durability–along with a quieter engine and smoother transmission.
Kia needs to learn the Yugo/Excel lesson: Even consumers short on funds have long memories.
>> 1998 Kia Sportage 4×4
© 1998 Chicago Tribune Wheelbase: 104.3 inches Length: 170.3 inches Engine: 2-liter, 130-h.p. 4-cylinder Transmission: 5-speed manual Fuel economy: 19 m.p.g. city/23 m.p.g. highway Base price: $16,395 Price as tested: $18,104. Includes $900 for air conditioning; $545 for AM/FM stereo with CD player; $69 carpeted floor mats; and $195 roof rack. Add $425 for freight. Pluses: Stunning styling fit for Chrysler. Four-wheel-drive for all-season motoring. Good fuel economy. Priced as an economical alternative to the $25,000 to $30,000 rivals. Minuses: A Third World machine. Must carry pliers in glove box. >>
