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| Road Test Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi XS |
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Manual, This Time
The version we're looking at on this occasion is very similar to the last one. Both have the two-litre turbo diesel engine and have the mid-range XE trim level. But there are two major differences - for a start, this one has four-wheel drive, whereas the last one had the front-drive only set-up which has just been introduced to the Sportage. Against all apparent reason, the 4WD is only £200 more expensive, and has superior performance, fuel economy and CO2 emissions. The solution to this conundrum is that the front-wheel drive car is available only with a four-speed gearbox, while this one has a six-speed manual. It still seems strange to me that there isn't a 2WD manual option, but that's how it is, at least for the moment. Unless you really want the automatic transmission, this car makes a lot more sense, mostly for financial reasons. Mind you, I've been surprised to find that the Sportage can give the impression of being substantially more expensive than it really is. A friend who saw the test car immediately assumed that it cost about the same as her Land Rover Freelander, which is very far from being the case: the cheapest Freelander costs more than £20,000, significantly more than even the 2.7-litre V6 petrol Sportage (which, whatever its merits, is unlikely to be given a second glance by many potential customers in the UK).
That friend lives on a farm a mile or so up a steep and horrendously rough track. She likes the Freelander, but on that track she would do as well with the Sportage, which can easily cope with that sort of thing and more, if not as much as a Land Rover. When I visit her in most cars it takes me several minutes to get to her front door, but the Sportage zipped up in about half the usual time.
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