The small SUV and crossover market has become quite crowded over the past few years. This means that, in order to be successful in the segment, automakers must provide a vehicle that stands out from the crowd. And that was the mission Kia Motors undertook when it first introduced the Sportage many years ago, and they were successful. Even in today's world, with the 2021 Kia Sportage, Kia takes the crossover selection to the next level, offering a great vehicle with exceptional fuel economy, a roomy interior, and a value proposition that should make it appealing to a broad cross-section of drivers. This crossover has something to offer any and all kinds of drivers, which will become only more evident with the following deep dive into the details.
Starting at
The 2021 Kia Sportage has a base MSRP of $23,990, which will put you behind the wheel of a Sportage LX. This trim has 17-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch color touchscreen with a rear-view camera, and rear privacy glass. Unlike most other base model crossovers, the Sportage LX has a great many standard safety features, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability on Kia’s UVO infotainment system. The Sportage LX is truly affordable luxury, but the Sportage has more to offer than just that.
The Sportage S is the next trim level, and it adds 18-inch gray alloy wheels, synthetic leather seat trim, roof rails, skid plates, and projector front fog lamps, as well as a number of additional safety features, all at an MSRP of $26,490. Next, the Sportage EX has an MSRP of $27,290. It adds a smart power liftgate for easier access to the Sportage’s hatchback, Smart Key with push-button start, heated front seats, 18-inch machined alloy wheels, and a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. As expected, the features get better and better as we move up the line, and the top-tier trim is certainly the best.
The top trim, the Sportage SX Turbo, starts at an MSRP of $33,650, and it is the most luxurious of the Sportage models. It has a different engine from the other three trims and larger 19-inch machined alloy wheels. It comes with a panoramic sunroof with power sunshade, LED headlights and front fog lamps, leather seat trim, navigation on the UVO system, and a Harman Kardon Premium Surround Sound stereo system. Clearly, if luxury is the primary concern, the SX Turbo is the best option. However, each trim has something unique to offer; all are worth considering.
The 2021 Kia Sportage features two different engines, which are both equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Sportage LX, S, and EX models all come equipped with a 2.4-liter DOHC 4-cylinder GDi engine. This engine produces 181 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque, which is quite satisfactory for an entry-level option. However, the Sportage does have a bit more power up its sleeve.
The Sportage SX Turbo has the more powerful 2.0-liter DOHC 4-cylinder Turbocharged engine. This utilizes its turbocharger to produce 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. For those in search of a fun, powerful SUV, this engine is the best choice. Plus, with this extra power, the Sportage SX Turbo is strong enough to tow up to 2,000 pounds, if you so desire. This is real power and strength, but how does this impact efficiency?
One thing you are sure to notice with both engines is exceptional fuel economy. The Sportage with the 2.4-liter engine and front-wheel drive provides drivers with an estimated 23 MPG in the city, 30 MPG on the highway, and 26 MPG combined. If you choose the Sportage with the same engine, but with the optional all-wheel drivetrain, you should get 21 MPG in the city, 25 MPG on the highway and a combined 23 MPG. These are fantastic numbers for an SUV that are even comparable to fuel-efficient sedans.
There is a slight drop with the Sportage SX Turbo, but the fuel economy is still above average for this vehicle class. The Sportage SX Turbo with front-wheel drive provides 20 MPG in the city, 28 MPG on the highway, and 23 MPG combined, while the optional all-wheel drive reduces fuel efficiency slightly to 19 MPG in city driving, 24 MPG miles per gallon in highway driving, and 21 MPG combined. With all of that in mind, the Sportage is powerful and efficient. This leads many people to wonder, could it get any better?
There are other pieces that impact your vehicle's performance, and, in this case, all of them will result in you loving to driver your 2021 Kia Sportage. For starters, with a tight turning diameter of 34.8 feet, getting into and out of tight spots a real breeze. Additionally, the Sportage uses independent MacPherson strut front suspension to provide exceptional handling and a rear torsion beam with coil springs to improve responsiveness and comfort regardless of the various road conditions.
Another thing that will impact the overall performance of your Sportage is the wheel size. The SX Turbo has 19-inch wheels, a full two-inches larger than those on the LX trim, which will give the Sportage absolutely exceptional handling, particularly at top speeds. This makes sense since the engine on the SX Turbo will be generally peppier than the standard one on the other three trims. However, this does come at the cost of fuel economy. In this way, Kia allows you to decide which performance feature is more important to you, the driver.
Kia has designed the 2021 Sportage in such a way that you can easily forget that you are in a small SUV when you’re out driving around town. There is no tradeoff between passenger comfort and cargo capacity with this vehicle, a problem that usually exists in this segment. You can hit the road with five passengers in your Sportage and still have plenty of room for everyone’s luggage; let's see how this is true!
There is a full 129.3 cu.ft. of space in the Sportage’s passenger compartment. Kia’s designers have done a wonderful job of apportioning this space, so you don’t run into the problem experienced by many other small SUVs and crossovers of too little room in the rear row of seats. Front seat passengers in the Sportage will enjoy 39.3 inches of headroom, 41.5 inches of legroom, 57.1 inches of shoulder room, and 54.3 inches of hip room. This is in line with many other crossovers.
However, the Sportage gives the rear seat passengers a nearly equal amount of space, which departs from so many other cramped crossovers. Rear seat passengers in the Sportage will appreciate 39.1 inches of headroom, 38.2 inches of legroom, 55.1 inches of shoulder room, and 51.2 inches of hip room. If you opt for the available panoramic sunroof, the headroom will decline slightly to 37.6 inches in the front row and 37.9 inches in the rear. But no matter what, the Sportage provides enough space for every passenger to be comfortable.
The 2021 Kia Sportage also has an incredible amount of space for cargo. The trunk alone has a full 30.7 cu.ft. of space for your stuff. And if you need more room, the rear row seats easily fold down to provide 60.1 cu.ft. of space, which should be plenty of room for even our largest loads. This alone makes the Sportage one of the most versatile crossovers on the road today.
Safety is essential when it comes to vehicles, and that is why Kia has made safety features a priority in the Sportage. The LX trim comes with a rear-view camera, auto emergency braking and warning technology, and lane departure and lane-keeping technology, as well as plenty of airbags, 4-wheel antilock disc brakes, traction control, and a tire pressure monitoring system. These active safety features will help you avoid accidents by alerting you to potential collisions and increasing your braking in emergencies.
The Sportage S trim goes even further, providing many safety features that are often reserved for the top-of-the-line models from other automakers. These include smart cruise control with stop & go that adjusts your speed based on vehicles in front of you, forward collision avoidance-assist with pedestrian detection, driver attention warning, blind-spot collision warning, and rear cross-traffic collision warning, which is especially when you are backing out of a parking spot in a very busy shopping mall parking lot.
Overall, by making so many safety features standard on the Sportage, Kia shows that it places a great deal of emphasis on making sure you and your passengers are safe. And safety is the most important part of a vehicle.
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