The Kia Sportage It has been one of the most coveted models in our country for some years now. Its massive acceptance dates back at least three generations, and the one currently on sale seems to have added to the previously demanded qualities a modern and technological air that puts the icing on a cake that is most appealing to many.
There are several reasons that explain the success of Sportageamong which the variety of engine options available in its range stands out. The car has combustion versions – gasoline and diesel -, microhybrids also gasoline or diesel, full hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV). All of them have their advantages along with a few drawbacks that cannot really be considered defects: they are, rather, variants that fit – each one – into a type of client and need.
Of all of them, the hybrid is surely the most balanced, or at least the most appropriate to current times for a large part of the population. Because? Because it does not require having a charging point available to the user, like the PHEV, and because its consumption is clearly lower than that of the model. mild hybridwith which it shares the DGT Eco label, given that the electrical part has a greater weight in its case.
The issue of the charging point undoubtedly deserves a separate comment. Many of those who could opt for the plug-in hybrid version surely do not have a charger at home or at work that would allow them to make most of their daily trips in electric mode; that is, with the combustion engine off, which is no small feat.
If we stick to the issue of Spanish housing, the majority – a proportion of 70% is commonly cited – does not and cannot have a charging point simply because they do not live in a single-family home nor do they have a garage where the car can be parked. overnight. For all this, the Sportage hybrid wins many points over the PHEV for a legion of potential buyers.
Its drive system develops a total of 215 horsepower combined, the result of adding the thrust of a 160 HP gasoline engine and another 44.2 kW electric motor powered by a small 1.49 kWh battery. As is easy to imagine, Sportage HEV has plenty of strength to overtake on the road quickly and safely, and the operation of reaching 100 km/h from a standstill is completed in 8.4 seconds.
At the same time, this version allows you to drive around the city in electric mode a significant part of the time, as long as the battery has sufficient charge. Hence, urban consumption is sometimes minimal, of the order of 3.5 km/100 km, and the average does not normally exceed 6.5 liters per 100 kilometers, a figure that cannot be considered more than reasonable for a SUV 4.5 meters long and around 1,800 kilos. Only at very high speed on the highway will we see magnitudes above 8 liters in the computer.
The variant full hybrid It also stands out for the volume of its trunk. With 587 liters, it is the second most capable in the catalog, almost tied with the gasoline one without hybridization, which has 591. The mild hybrid of gasoline it has 562 and the PHEV remains at 540 liters.
Everything in the right proportion
The behavior, both of the hybrid version and the others, is characterized by providing sufficient agility to not miss a more rigid suspension that, in certain circumstances, causes discomfort to passengers, especially those in the rear seats.
Likewise, the Sportage is a very balanced model in terms of dimensions. Its 4.5 meters in length are currently the required for a C-segment SUV, and make it an SUV of contained size that, at the same time, offers notable interior spaciousness – especially notable in the rear seats. , in addition to a trunk ideal for transporting all the luggage of a current typical family of four members.
Finally, the Korean vehicle sports a modern exterior appearance and, if you will, to a daring point, although not so much as to scare away a more conventional user or fall into visual stridency. As for the interior, presided over by a huge screen of type Supervision that takes over the dashboard, is perceived as advanced and technological without, again, being overwhelming. The finish is defined by the presence of good materials and a careful finish.
All of the above is accompanied by a range articulated in well-defined equipment levels that can be described as generous in each of the finishes, three in the case of the HEV —Drive, Tech and GT-Line—.
The first, necessarily associated with a front-wheel drive system, costs 41,590 euros. The Tech costs 44,490 euros in the 4×2 version and 47,390 in the 4×4, while the GT-Line goes up to 49,590 (4×2) and 53,190 euros in its all-wheel drive configuration.
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