The remainder of the differences are all kit and accessories-based. The SX gets dual tailpipes, which I like, but carry no real importance. Other aesthetic touches such as the sport grille, front and rear fascias as well as exclusive wheels are nice, but not entirely necessary. The EX and its 18” alloys are fine. The same goes for the Supervision instrument cluster and cooled glove box.
The Sportage has few real-world application limits. Some friends and colleagues have shopped for a new family vehicle recently and most noted that the trunk will not hold a baby carriage and few day-bags worth of baby gear. Others, including myself, mentioned that they found the ride to be a tad on the rough or stiff side.
Otherwise, all praised the vehicle's handsome looks and well laid-out cabin.
Where I want to go with all this is that I would like to see Kia be the first to offer a premium engine like the 2.0T as an option on a base product. I can understand that product planners would need to dress up the powerplant's extra cost with a few extra goodies. Fine, it'll include AWD and the 6-speed autobox.
One point that lingers on is the perceived value of the brand. To my great disappointment, a far too large number stated that Kia is “only a Kia” and not a brand that can rival the likes of Honda or Volkswagen. This is no longer true.
This is my plan then: Kia, be different. More so than you already are. If it makes for better business sense, get Hyundai to join in as well. I'd like to see a basic EX have the 2.0T as an option without having to get and pay for a ventilated driver's seat, navigation, a sunroof or other typically useless equipment. I'm thinking that emulating many western-European markets and the way they select vehicles could help Kia further stand out from the crowd. I understand there are costs involved. Consider it an idea.
The Sportage has few real-world application limits. Some friends and colleagues have shopped for a new family vehicle recently and most noted that the trunk will not hold a baby carriage and few day-bags worth of baby gear. Others, including myself, mentioned that they found the ride to be a tad on the rough or stiff side.
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| The aesthetics touches such as the sport grille and front and rear fascias as are nice. (Photo: Kia) |
Otherwise, all praised the vehicle's handsome looks and well laid-out cabin.
Where I want to go with all this is that I would like to see Kia be the first to offer a premium engine like the 2.0T as an option on a base product. I can understand that product planners would need to dress up the powerplant's extra cost with a few extra goodies. Fine, it'll include AWD and the 6-speed autobox.
One point that lingers on is the perceived value of the brand. To my great disappointment, a far too large number stated that Kia is “only a Kia” and not a brand that can rival the likes of Honda or Volkswagen. This is no longer true.
This is my plan then: Kia, be different. More so than you already are. If it makes for better business sense, get Hyundai to join in as well. I'd like to see a basic EX have the 2.0T as an option without having to get and pay for a ventilated driver's seat, navigation, a sunroof or other typically useless equipment. I'm thinking that emulating many western-European markets and the way they select vehicles could help Kia further stand out from the crowd. I understand there are costs involved. Consider it an idea.
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| Some friends and colleagues have shopped for a new family vehicle recently and most noted that the trunk will not hold a baby carriage and few day-bags worth of baby gear. (Photo: Kia) |