Kia Sportage review

You don’t always need a dramatic name change to turn around your fortunes. Sometimes, the answer is a simple one; just look at the history of the Kia Sportage as an example.

For years, it was part of a line-up that featured very worthy cars with admirably lengthy warranties but precious little to get excited about. And the Sportage was part of that breed until it was drastically reimagined for the third generation, back in 2010.

Predictably, that meant the Sportage flew out of showrooms, helping Kia more than double its sales over the following years. However, as striking as that version was to gawp at, it wasn’t particularly great to drive.

Then along came this fourth-generation model. It continues to get pulses racing by dint of still delivering its brand of SUV eye candy, but with the added promise of being sharper to drive. And is it? Well, let’s see as we disseminate all its intricacies – not just how it drives, but also what it’s like from a usability and practicality standpoint.

We'll tell you how it compares with key family SUV rivals, such as the Skoda Karoq, Nissan Qashqai and Seat Ateca, as well as the smaller, premium competitors that you can buy for around the same price, such as the Mini Countryman and Audi Q2.

Read on to find out whether the current Sportage deserves a place on your SUV shopping list, and if so, which version you should spend your money on. Of course, we can also help you buy a new Sportage or pretty much any other new car if you visit our New Car Buying site. There you’ll find great, hassle-free deals.