Kia Sportage EX FWD 2011 SUV Car

Over the last few years Kia has im proved its product, becoming com petitive in many segments of the auto industry. The Sportage is an example of that attempt. While the Sportage design is great, it gets lower marks in torque and handling.

At 4,440 millimetres, the 2011 Sportage is 89 millimetres longer than last year’s model. While that provides extra interior room, it does nothing to improve the power of the engine (0 to 60 in 9 seconds). The lack of sufficient engine power, while a yawning situa tion, may even take the pleasure out of the Kia’s excellent gas mileage. For a sports type of car, Kia loads the Sportage with features usually reserved for the more traditional luxury sedan.

A leather wrapped steering wheel, AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio with six speakers, power lock windows and doors, Sirius Satellite Radio, tilt wheel, and Bluetooth (phone and sharing audio) are examples. Roof rails, fog lamps, and chrome door handles and accents make the exterior the major strength of the Sportage. These features are part of the base price. Sirius radio and heated front seats are standard features across the trim levels, but leather trim, air cooled seats, sun roof, and rear view camera are only available on the $33,195 EX Luxury model. The primary disappointment I had with the vehicle was the poor driv ing quality. It simply did not drive smoothly. The vehicle seemed to roll when taking a curve or a sharp cor ner, making the suspension appear frail.

The steering was too tight, es pecially on uneven paved roads and on unpaved roads. The vehicle just felt uncomfortable. But Sportage has an upscale interior and is pleasing to the eye in design. But overall, it came up short in what I expect in a Kia automobile. Base Price: $26,995 Engine: 2.4 L 16 Valve DOHC 1 4 Transmission: 6 speed automatic Gas Consumption: 9.5/6.3 L/100 km (city/highway)