Kia Sportage makes a splash in SUV market

The newest model from Kia handles wonderfully whatever the weather. Photo / Supplied

The new look Kia Sportage has been around since late last year and demand for the SUV is high with up to a three month waiting period.

After spending a week with the very European inspired vehicle I can see why demand is so high.

During my time with the car I experienced very hot days, torrential rain, gravel roads, dust and crazy drivers. The Sportage handled everything with a certain aplomb including getting me out of trouble caused by an inattentive driver who decided to pull out in front of me on a wet day.

The ABS brakes with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution) pulled the car up smartly and also allowed me to turn away from the rapidly approaching other vehicle. In fact, the Sportage has more safety features than you can poke a stick at.

It features dual front airbags, dual side airbags, dual (front to rear) curtain airbags, rollover sensor, child safety rear door locks with key activation, remote keyless entry with alarm, engine immobiliser, front seatbelt pretensioners/load limiters, three X rear ELR diagonal belts, active front headrests, reversing sensors and a reversing camera. You'd have to do something seriously dumb to hurt yourself.

Massimo Frascella, of Kia's California Design Centre, designed it and it appears his passion for the sporty, slightly aggressive look has paid off. The outside detailing is more than matched by the interior appointment that is high spec without being overkill. I especially liked how some controls were actually on the dash rather than part of a scroll through menu on a screen.

What's a much bigger deal though, is the Dynamax AWD (All Wheel Drive) system that has been specially tuned to New Zealand road conditions.

Prior to production, Kia sent a vehicle to Australia where roads representing the surfaces and driving condition in Australia and New Zealand were used to test various suspension set-ups. A New Zealander who now works for Kia in Australia was very much involved in the testing and he says although the fine tuning work was done in Australia, he made sure it would suit New Zealand just as much.

The Sportage is just the start of this localisation process - every new Kia being launched from now on will go through the same process.

Some of the earlier test work on the suspension and the all-new Dynamax AWD system was carried out at the Snow Farm and on roads around Wanaka well before Sportage production began.

As well as testing on snow and ice, they use the roads around Wanaka, Alexandra and Queenstown to hone the handling, road holding and ride characteristics of all Kia vehicles during our winter months. Around 40 per cent of the Snow Farm testing time is actually taken up by the Hyundai-Kia Group and its collective suppliers.

For a big car it's surprisingly well balanced and although there's a bit of body roll - to be expected on a vehicle designed to go off road on occasion - you definitely won't need those sea sickness pills on a long journey.

It came as a pleasant surprise just how well the vehicle handled on gravel roads, some of which were pretty heavily rutted up, and there wasn't a single rattle. The ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) didn't try and take over at the slightest slide, but when things did get a bit too much it kicked in and sorted the balance and direction out quickly and efficiently.

My only gripe, a personal one, is that for short people - and I am one - getting your surfboard on and off the roof almost necessitated using a step ladder. On the other hand the boot is big enough to have a party in the back.

My daughter was suitably impressed that the Sportage came equipped with enough various plug sockets and USB ports to play various music devices.

The Sportage appealed to men and woman alike and those I spoke to said it looked very European and practical and had an aspirational feel about it.

The new Sportage won the International Truck (SUV) of the Year 2011 at the Detroit Motor Show, beating challenges from Jeep, BMW, Ford, GM, Toyota and Hyundai. The Truck of the Year award comes after the Sportage was presented with the 2011 iF Product Design Award and the car also recently received the top safety rating award from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, reflecting its EuroNCAP 5-star rating.

The new Sportage is available in front and all-wheel-drive options and comes with a six-speed automatic transmission as standard and is priced from $33,990 for the 2WD and $42,990 for the 4WD.

For that price you get a lot of vehicle at a high standard.