Kia Sportage 2021 Review

The all-new 2021 Kia Sportage has landed in Australia, and it could well be the most important release from the Korean car-maker this year.

Lobbing into the most competitive new vehicle segment in the country, the mid-size SUV category, the fifth-generation Sportage is tasked with taking on the Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4 and Volkswagen Tiguan, to name just a few of its key rivals.

Larger inside and out, and filled to the gills with new technology, the Sportage also seeks to emulate the success of the one-size-larger Kia Sorento, our reigning carsales Car of the Year.

From afar, it seems the Sportage has been injected with the same sprinklings of success. So let’s now get up close to discover whether that’s really the case.

New-car buyers know the drill. The 2021 Kia Sportage range has gone up by between $1710 and $2410 in price across the board – including a $1995 increase at base level – but the sweetener is more standard equipment and safety.

All told, there are four grade levels (S, SX, SX+ and GT-Line) to choose from across three drivetrains and manual and automatic gearboxes – so 11 derivatives in total.

Kia says its Australian dealers will offer S and GT-Line trims initially, with SX following in late November and SX+ arriving in early January. Officials are confident of being able to fulfil the bulk of orders and avoid lengthy wait times that already apply to the Sorento.

The entry 2.0-litre petrol-powered S anchors the line-up at $32,445 plus on-road costs in six-speed manual guise. Auto adds $2000.

A superior turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol/dual-clutch auto combo kicks in at SX+ level (from $43,500), while the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine on test here starts from $39,845 plus ORCs and is available across all four grades.

We’re driving the flagship GT-Line diesel, which crowns the line-up at $52,370 plus ORCs.

See our pricing and specs story for full details, but it’s worth noting that standard equipment highlights on the base S trim include 17-inch alloy wheels (with full-size spare), multi-connection Bluetooth compatibility, an 8.0-inch infotainment touch-screen and LED headlights.

Larger wheels, hard-wired satellite navigation, a larger 12.3-inch display, dual-zone climate control and heated seats are among the niceties added as you move up through the model range.

The flagship GT-Line adds a curved 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, genuine leather-appointed seats with heating and cooling in the front, wireless phone charging, ambient lighting, 360-degree camera and a sunroof, among other things.

On the safety front, all Kia Sportage models now have autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with junction turn assist as well as car, cyclist and pedestrian recognition.

There’s also adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, blind spot collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, safe exit warning, driver attention alert, speed sign recognition, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and full airbag coverage (including front centre airbag).

The Sportage is yet to be crash tested in Australia, but we’re expecting a high result.

As ever, the range is backed by Kia’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Twelve-month/15,000km service intervals apply to the 2.0-litre engines – that is, the naturally-aspirated petrol and the turbo-diesel – which cost $3479 and $3571 respectively over seven-year/105,000km terms.

The 1.6-litre turbo-petrol models are covered by shorter 12-month/10,000km intervals that cost an estimated $3988 over seven years/70,000km.

It might be classed as a mid-size SUV, but there’s a new-found size and interior space for the fifth-generation 2021 Kia Sportage.

Based on the brand’s latest ‘N3’ platform architecture, the Sportage’s overall length has extended from 4485mm to 4660mm. To put that into context, the larger Kia Sorento is a mere 150mm longer.

Wheelbase has grown by 85mm to 2755mm – the same as its twin sibling, the Hyundai Tucson – which enables additional legroom in the second row.

More rear seat headroom is likewise designated by a 15mm increase in overall vehicle height, now at 1660mm. The new Sportage is also 10mm wider at 1865mm.

As we mentioned earlier, Kia is currently offering three different engines for Sportage, and there’s more to come, including a petrol-electric hybrid due in 2022.

The two petrol engine options are a front-wheel drive 115kW/192Nm 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, or an AWD 132kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder matched standard to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

Both vehicles are compatible with regular unleaded fuel and offer combined efficiency claims of 7.7-8.1L/100km for the base 2.0-litre and 7.2L/100km for the 1.6-litre.

In this test, we’re driving the flagship 137kW/416Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder. It too apportions drive to all four wheels as standard, but shuffles via an eight-speed automatic. Fuel consumption is rated at 6.3L/100km claimed.

All Sportage models ride on MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension. The SUV has undertaken a tough six-month Australian tuning program designed to tailor its ride and handling for local conditions.

Arguably the best demonstration of the 2021 Kia Sportage’s evolution is its interior.

The soft-to-touch, cosseting cabin environment of our flagship Kia Sportage GT-Line diesel is an absolute treat, and a pleasant yardstick for the car-maker’s latest design and attention to detail.

The new curved interior displays offer excellent ease of use and present cleanly, while the switchable digital centre fascia interface handily converts between infotainment and climate control functions at the press of a button.

The native touch-screen is a cinch to navigate, as is the digital instrument cluster via steering wheel-mounted buttons.

Our only real tech complaint is the Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration, which requires a wired connection – and not just any USB port, it must be USB-A (as opposed to USB-C).

Arguably the biggest boon families is the additional interior space and the thoughtfulness around how it has been packaged.

Soft-touch materials adorn the front-row contact points, while slightly harder-wearing materials are introduced at the rear without overly detracting from the upmarket theme. Everything feels well presented, with no obvious costing-cutting at play.

There are USB-C ports cleverly dotted around the cabin, complemented by a sound selection of open cubbies, hidey holes and cavernous, bottle-friendly door pockets. Tablet holders have been cleverly integrated into the rear of the front head restraints.

The Sportage’s extended length has liberated more second-row legroom, bolstering a space that is easily accessed by wide door openings and offers relative seat comfort and support for longer journeys.

Little ones are easily accommodated via ISOFIX attachment points on the rear outbound seats, as well as three top-tether points. About the only gripe is a high-set window line, which obscures the outward view.

Further back, the 543-litre boot (with rear seats upright) offers broad, practical dimensions suitable for a full-size designer pram or a couple of full-size suitcases.

Handy boot-mounted split-folding levers offer fast and easy second-row stowage, while the full-size alloy underneath doesn’t compromise the space.

From the outside, the Sportage’s tough new face gives rise to a new-found attention to detail for the Korean brand.

Look closely and there are subtle design touches like the rear windscreen wiper being hidden behind cladding at the top of the rear glass, cleaning up its appearance and offering a more open rearward outlook.

The 2021 Kia Sportage demonstrates yet again the importance of Australian suspension tuning.

Without sounding as though we’ve slurped the Kool-Aid, the fifth-generation SUV feels a winning match with Australia’s varying network of roads, offering sporty, competent passage that is underlined by an inherent suppleness.

In short, it’s sporty yet compliant enough for all scenarios.

Settling into the Sportage GT-Line’s low-slung driver’s seat, which offers umpteen adjustment, the outward view is considered and unobscured.

And despite the larger dimensions, spatial awareness is easy to come to grips with, and it is seamless as ever to navigate through tight spaces.

The diesel engine makes light work of everyday conveyance, devoid of obvious turbo lag and finding peak 416Nm from just 2000rpm.

When the quick-thinking eight-speed automatic is factored in, the real-world translation is a smooth, useable power curve that sidesteps typical diesel clatter.

The engine’s broad torque wave facilitates overtaking manoeuvres, mountain ascents or high load scenarios with aplomb.

The automatic ensures the oiler spends most of its time in the adequate mid-range cadence to bring excellent real-world fuel consumption. We managed 6.6L/100km on test.

On the open road, the diesel-automatic combination is unstressed, the tacho spinning at about 1500rpm – again, right in the engine’s sweet spot.

The Sportage’s ride and handling mix supports the all-rounder theme. While there is a sporty premise to the controls, including meaningful weighting and modulation to the steering and brakes, the Sportage always has enough compliance in hand to take the edge off bumps in the road.

As such, pitter-patter imperfections are ironed out while larger obstacles never manage to crash or thud their way through the chassis. When there is a larger, drawn-out compression, the Sportage recovers itself quickly and always manages to uphold an excellent connection with the surface underneath.

The Sportage offers excellent body control through changes in direction, plus faithful levels of grip and poise during headier driving. It’s no sports car, but it is a surprisingly willing accomplice when required and makes for an enjoyable tourer.

Well-tuned driver aids and all-wheel drive smarts underline the planted driving experience to help cultivate confidence behind the wheel.

About the only annoyance on this front is an at-times pedantic lane keep assist function; at least it’s easy to turn off.

Kia is clearly onto something with its latest generation of SUVs. Just like the larger Sorento, the 2021 Kia Sportage is considered, refined and, above all, competent – with excellent interior space to match.

Even in isolation, our first drive is enough to confidently thrust the Sportage to the pointy end of the mid-size SUV brigade.

Time will tell whether it has the same award-winning DNA as the Sorento, but the potential is clearly there.

How much does the 2021 Kia Sportage GT-Line diesel cost?
Price: $52,370 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 137kW/416Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 163g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested