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Kia Sportage SL, the aspirational SUV for aspirational people. Kia Sportage SL, the sort of cross-over that is bought by the kind of person who is interested in color and looks and not technical gibberish.

I say this because the original of Sportage was a compact, agricultural SUV. Big, cheap to buy and maintain, excellent on rough terrain, but which was as equipped as a dorm room. 

Then came about the Nissan Qashqai in 2007 and showed the world that people want to buy a car that looks like an SUV, but they don't want to take on the running costs of an SUV. So Hyundai and Kia understood this and launched the ix35 and Kia Sportage SL, both being identical mechanically and on the inside, but with different coats.

And this is how these cross-overs represents for the automotive world what Jersey Shore represents for the TV world: Everything that is wrong. Big cars, that look aggressive and that give you the illusion that they are capable of off-road, but if you pull down their pants you find out that they are just taller hatchbacks. Small engines, manual gearbox and front wheel drive. Imagine a bodybuilder who has taken so many steroids that his heart is enlarged. Imagine that if Kia Sportage SL was a bodybuilder, he would be the type who brags about his muscles all day long and who constantly does lives on tiktok, even if he is aware of the fact that those muscles are only for show.

But at least I have that 7-year warranty, correct?

Yes and no. Kia offered a 7-year warranty, but in order to benefit from it, all servicing must be done at the dealership, and the wear and tear parts are not covered by the warranty. What is included in the wear and tear category? In civilized countries, consumables are brake pads, brake discs, flywheel, clutch, tires, battery etc. In other words, even if you find someone who was dedicated enough to service the car only at the dealership, with dealership prices, for 7 years straight, the chances are that the asking price will be as big as buying new. But good luck finding such person in the first place.

Kia Sportage SL Engines

Petrol

• 1.6 G4FD of 132 horsepower – The most popular petrol engine on the Kia Sportage SL, this petrol engine is simple, efficient, reliable and emotionless. Unfortunately, it is also at the base of the list of options, so it also lacks all-wheel drive, automatic transmission or many other toys. The only engine more aspirational than this is the 1.7 diesel, but at least the petrol engine has no notable problems. It is a direct injection engine so it's not 100% LPG compatible, and it's prone to oil burning but that can be said about any direct injection petrol engine really. 


• 2.0 G4KD and G4NC of 163 and 166 horsepower – Loud as a diesel, this petrol needs spark plugs and coilpacks changed regularly. Whether you like it or not, it's the only european petrol engine on the Kia Sportage SL with all-wheel drive. Also, it's VVT so it needs the VVT timing to be replaced once every 100,000 miles but most people neglect it and so it starts to rattle like a diesel, until it finally gives up on life. Much like how I did, 2 weeks into my new job. 


• 2.4 G4KE of 176 horsepower - Available outside of Europe, this engine is fine to buy as long as it's not built in the Alabama plant. Yes, it's that infamous Theta II engine. If it's not assembled in Alabama, it's a decent engine to buy. If it's Alabama sourced, avoid it like I avoid water. Or work. 

Diesel

• 1.7 CRDi D4FD of 117 horsepower – The most aspirational engine of all. It doesn't have any sort of power, but at least it's economical, because that's what matters to you in a Kia Sportage SL. It should look like an SUV, but have the running costs of Corsa. You want an SUV, but you can't afford an SUV, so you get something that only looks like an SUV. If you insist on buying this engine however, you get issues with the particle filter that fails in regenerations and contaminates the oil with diesel. Yes, with this engine if the "Cruise Control" breaks down, the car won't start. So definitely check this part. Also, this engine is notorious for the manual gearbox's low biting point so test drive before buying. I meant to say "atleast test drive before buying", but you can't have it all. 


• 2.0 CRDi D4HA of 136 and 184 horsepower – A traditional diesel that comes with traditional diesel issues with the clutch and double-mass flywheel. But at least it's a decent engine for those who really want a capable SUV, with it's only real issue is that some parts can be quite expensive, much more expensive than the industry average for this sort of engine.

Kia Sportage SL Reliability Issues

• The rims scratch and peel off more than the make-up of a typical partygoer on every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. In particular, the 18" rims are targeted.


• I mentioned it already but I will say it again, the manual gearbox bites more than Scruff McGruff. As for the automatic gearbox, just be careful with the oil change, which must be done every 37,000 miles / 60,000 km and you'll be ok.


• The panoramic roof was a popular choice, like on the Peugeot 307. The problem with the panoramic roof is that it either cracks or gets stuck and that means your budget will receive a concussion and a kick to the nads.


• Most models on the market have front-wheel drive and manual transmission. Not that it would be a problem, but with a configuration like this, what's the difference between Kia Sportage and a Alfa Romeo 147?


• The door seals are made of chewing gum that has already been chewed and glued to the door. The effects are not serious, except that the doors will no longer close completely and it is possible to experience rain in the car. Basically, the only difference between the inside of the car and the outside is that the wind will won't be blowing inside.

Kia Sportage SL Verdict

It looks good and that's why people bought it more than they bought tickets for Taylor Swift, Snooki, Gloria Estefan, Deauxma, Bjork and Tom Jones combined. However, to buy an SUV with front-wheel drive, manual transmission and an engine from the compact hatchback class, this means that you want to look successful at any cost, even if you are not quite successful. I have no beef with this configuration on the compactcross-over class such as Captur, SX4 or ASX. But if you get a Kia Sportage SL 1.7 diesel with 117 horsepower, front-wheel drive and manual transmission, then you deserve everything that happens to you in life.

Which engines do I recommend? If you don't care about all-wheel drive, then the 132 horsepower 1.6 MPI petrol engine is the one to go for. If you care about all-wheel drive and want the full experience, then the 136 horsepower 2.0 CRDi diesel is by far the most balanced engine for this generation Sportage.