Kia Sportage: Our Fleet Test Drive - 7th Report
Date:
23 June 2011
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Author: Tony Rock
Side view
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Category: | Small 4x4 | P11D price: | £20,300 | Key rival: | Nissan Qashqai | |
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I, along with other members of the BusinessCar team, have noticed some build quality and design quirks on the Sportage, some of which are less noticeable now than when I first took delivery of the car.
For example, it took me a little while to work out how to engage reverse at the first attempt, and while it seems that I was alone in having this difficulty, other drivers have commented that the gearbox in general isn't as slick as it could be. Other initial minor - and it appears, personal - issues I've become accustomed to are rear doors that need a bit of extra momentum to shut, and a rear seat that requires a wrench to click into place after it has been folded down.
One thing I haven't become used to is the wind whistling through gaps around the sunroof's seal on the motorway, which sounds terrible on breezy days - in fact it's so noisy it might necessitate a visit to a dealer to see if there's a problem. Similarly, I'm still not keen on the size of the pedestrian-blocking A-pillars (mentioned in a previous report), although I don't think a trip to the dealer will solve that particular issue.
Kia Sportage 1.7 CRDi 2 | Mileage | 3336 | Claimed combined consumption | 54.3mpg | Our average consumption | 40.4mpg | P11D price | £20,300 | Model price range | £17,015-£25,745 | CO2 (tax) | 135g/km (19%) | BIK 20/40% per month | £64/£129 | Engine size/power | 1685cc/114PS | Top speed/0-60mph | 107mph/11.9secs | Why we’re running it | Can it genuinely take on Nissan’s Qashqai? | Positive | Still liking it despite the tiny moans above | Negative | Wind whistling through the sunroof |
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