Sportage gen 4 has been a favourite KIA since its launch in 2016.

With looks slightly reminiscent of Range Rover’s Evoque, Sportage looks just as posh. It looks even better now, especially in GT-Line guise.

LED lighting is brand new. There are bejeweled headlamps and driving lights, and an incredibly sexy tail lamp array which make Sportage stunning at night. Auto high beam adds an extra level of convenience and safety.

Alan’s Video Review:

The top model GT-Line has all the delicious goodies including seat heating/cooling, smart entry/start, active lane keeping, and active cruise control. AEB is standard across the range. It operates at multi speeds and has pedestrian detection.

The base model will be a favourite with fleeters, while private buyers will favour more kit and will put a tick against the upper models.

David’s Video Review:

Changes are mainly confined to safety and suspension under the skin, with tweaks to the lights and bumpers the only things obvious outside.

The power tailgate has KIA’s handsfree operation by simply standing at the rear of the car for more than 3 seconds. It can be deactivated if you’d rather press the button.

Sportage was already a good car.

A driver will notice a new steering wheel and subtle changes to the centre console and centre stack. Apple CarPlay/Android Auto was already standard but is worth a mention. It will play your tunes through JBL speakers on all but the base model. It allows complete handsfree operation of music, messaging, and navigation via Apple Maps. The system is listening for “hey Siri” will carry out commands while ever in cell range.

Ride and handling have been given the once over by KIA’s Australian tuning expert, Graeme Gambold. Our drive through the bucolic beauty of an ever-changing Australian countryside showed just how well Sportage handles a variety of surfaces.

As the scenery changed from green to brown, and from town to country, the roads transitioned from smooth highway to potholed lanes. Dirt roads are a staple of Australian car ownership and Sportage took the lot with grace and poise, and asked for more.

Steering was not one of KIA’s strong points in days gone by, but Sportage feels sharp in corners with plenty of assistance at parking speeds.

Handling is nimble with the AWD system (on some models) giving plenty of grip. I’m not a great lover of driving on loose gravel and tend to take things easy in the outback. We stopped to take in the raw beauty of rural New South Wales and I found myself wishing for a picnic basket. Since there was none, we did the next best thing and stopped for lunch at the aptly named Bushranger Hotel in historic Collector.

This coaching in was once on the main road and it looked rather cool seeing a smart row of Sportages parked out front. This is exactly what the little SUV should be doing on weekends. KIA took great care to put Sportage in a plausible ownership scenario, and all was good.

See our FULL REVIEW HERE with Rob Fraser

  • Engines: 2.0 litre petrol producing 114kW/192Nm, 2.4 litre petrol producing 135kW/237Nm and 2.0 litre turbo-diesel producing 136kW/400Nm
  • Transmission: Six-speed auto (petrol), eight-speed auto (diesel)
  • Safety: Five Stars
  • Warranty: 7 Yrs/Unlimited km
  • Origin: South Korea
  • Price: From $29,990