2011 Kia Sportage SX Review

“Turbo” is a word that has fascinated me from my earliest years as a young car-nut buying his first car magazines in the mid-eighties. By then, I was 8 or 9 years old and heavily favoured the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo, the Nissan 300ZX Turbo and, by 1986, the Mazda 626 Turbo. The first car that I bought was a 1989 Mazda MX-6 GT Turbo and I loved it.

The matter at hand is a Kia Sportage, Auto123's and my personal favourite compact crossover of the moment. Late last year, I reviewed the Sportage EX AWD, essentially the trim level below of the SX I recently spent a week with. As I performed that road test, a few things became very clear to me where the Sportage is concerned.

The Sportage remains one of the most attractive offerings, whether opting for a base LX all the way up to my fully-kitted SX. (Photo: Kia)

Primo, there isn't a bad trim level to be had. Every Sportage is given the same attention to detail, careful assembly and high-end presentation that are crucial in today's increasingly demanding market. Basically, if you can't over-deliver your products, you will under-perform.

Duo, the Sportage remains one of the most attractive offerings, whether opting for a base LX all the way up to my fully-kitted SX. This way, irrespective of the money spent, be it $21,000 or $35,000, you will not feel as though you bought the “cheap” one in the line-up.

Trio, Kia has and is demonstrating an open-minded approach that has rarely been seen in the auto business. They are ready and willing to give existing and potential new customers a wide range of options in order to keep them interested and coming back for more.

This is what I would like to tap into in this story. I would invite you to click on the link above that will send you to my already published article on the Sportage.

Granted, that story features the 2.4L 4-cylinder engine, which consists in the major difference between the EX and SX. Here's what you need to know:

The 260 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque generated by the turbocharged 2.0 Theta II 4-pot will have you wanting to go for a ride for any and all reasons. Nasty turbo lag is kept in check and never rears its ugly head, looking to kill your fun like a hall monitor. Boost builds up nicely and in no time, you're flying. The extra power does not come at the expense of fuel economy. In fact, I managed the same 11.5 L per 100 km median with both vehicles. As you may now know, I was born with lead in my right foot. This then means that the average average will be roughly 10% less.

The 260 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque generated by the turbocharged 2.0 Theta II 4-pot will have you wanting to go for a ride for any and all reasons. (Photo: Kia)