Technological, safe, comfortable, designed for Europe and built in Slovakia, in the Zilina plant, the current Kia Sportage is a welcoming SUV in step with the times, capable of challenging the best continental competition in the segment, without inferiority complexes.
Photo story Kia Sportage - Photos - Ansa.it
The petrol hybrid version, with plug-in charging of the 13.8 kWh batteries, is equipped with all-wheel drive combined with an automatic transmission and is capable of moving for around seventy kilometers with zero emissions.
Despite its weight of 1,830 kg, it moves with confidence and unexpected agility on any type of road.
Furthermore, the numerous driving aid devices allow you to tackle even long and fully loaded journeys in relaxation, in sun, rain or snow.
Thus, even family holidays become less stressful.
The fifth generation of the model is a car with original lines.
That enormous technical gap, shown compared to the rivals of the time thirty years ago from the first series, has been completely filled in six decades.
Indeed, even more, today this European Kia proudly aims to put its head ahead of numerous rivals in the segment.
Its particular nose, with the large grille and trapezoidal headlights, has a lot of character.
A style that can divide the public between admirers and detractors.
When driving, however, this Korean is able to convince everyone, even those with a refined palate when it comes to cars, as verified in the two weeks of the Ansa Motori test.
The 265 HP plug-in variant (of which 174 HP provided by the 1.6 turbo petrol), in the intermediate GT-Line trim tested, priced at 50,650 euros, is tasty as well as versatile.
The 18,250 euro difference compared to the "entry level" of the range, the petrol mild hybrid (therefore without charging socket), with only two-wheel drive, in Business trim (32,400 euro), is certainly not a small amount.
The price, however, of the "rechargeable" version is in line with the other proposals with batteries that can be refilled at the charging station and appears justified by the contents.
The GT_Line's equipment, in fact, is satisfying in terms of equipment, both in terms of digital experience and comfort: there are even a steering wheel and heated seats as standard, even for the rear passengers.
An equipment, therefore, of a higher category car even if the quality of some plastics and some details do not appear in line with some "premium" level rivals.
For those who always aspire to the top, however, it should be underlined that the Sportage with the plug at the top of the range, the plug-in GT line Plus, for 3,500 euros more has, among other things, a panoramic roof and suspension electronic control.
Pleasant both in the city, where it easily travels 17 km/litre, and on the motorway, where 14 km/litre at 130 km/h are the norm, the plug-in Sportage is equipped with intelligent power management that can be set by the driver : electric, automatic, hybrid.
A system that leaves those behind the wheel full freedom to decide whether to use the energy from the lithium ion batteries to consume less or whether to preserve it for subsequent use as pure electric.
In any case, when the battery charge drops below just over a fifth of the total, the system disables the electric drive option, leaving the remaining electrons available to the on-board computer to manage the Sportage like a traditional hybrid.
It should be underlined, then, that if you don't want to waste time at the battery charging station but are planning to make a long journey, there is the possibility of "refreshing" the four-cylinder petrol accumulators: recharging is quite slow but the resulting increase in consumption is more limited than other European proposals.
And, in the end, a smile appears on the lips of the "lazy" driver or one who lacks time for extra stops... Overall, in short, the plug-in Sportage rightfully deserves to be taken into consideration by those looking for an SUV with the plug that is comfortable, safe and satisfying: it knows how to pamper passengers and driver, it convinces in daily use and, despite the possible doubts linked to that "curmudgeon" of its, in the end it is sad to leave it.
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