Sporty surprise

Singapore — The Kia Sportage GT Line is the newest version of Kia’s sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was first launched here in June. While it looks like a mild equipment/trim update, the GT Line model is quite a different offering from the Korean car maker. Here are five reasons why it is more than it seems.

IT’S NOT DERIVATIVE

Korean car makers are no longer content to simply deliver affordable but forgettable cars, and Kia is a great example of that.

Thanks largely to its German design boss, Peter Schreyer, the brand’s cars are now taking aim at younger buyers who are as interested in self-expression as they are in getting around.

Like other early Korean cars, the first Sportage was about as exciting as toasted bread without the kaya. This car, the fourth-generation model, is a big contrast since the design takes in elements of modern SUVs without being derivative.

The GT Line model enhances that — it includes a more aggressive grille, bash plate, big 19-inch wheels, and what is arguably the car’s signature piece, fog lights that look like ice cubes.

IT GOES BEYOND EXTRA TRIM

East Asian car makers usually offer different trim levels of the same model — the Kia Carens EX, for example, has fewer amenities than the Carens SX.

The Sportage GT Line commands a S$10,000 price premium over the normal Sportage, but it also offers more for that price.

Besides the exterior tweaks and cabin upgrades, Kia said the GT Line model was designed and tested with “European roads and with European drivers in mind”.

The suspension has been given an upgrade, with higher performance shock absorbers and steering (a rack-mounted electric steering motor, as opposed to a column-mounted one) that offers better feel over a normal Sportage.

It is a practice that brands like Mercedes has done, with its AMG Line models offering a bit more performance and pizzazz for extra cash.

IT REALLY IS A SPORTIER CAR

Spending money on a regular trim-level upgrade means you get a slightly more comfortable experience but with a car that handles the same. In this case, we feel the GT Line package is worth the extra cash simply because it makes the Sportage more fun to drive.

While larger wheels typically reduce ride quality, the GT Line model actually rides very well — it is sportier for sure, but not uncomfortable.

It does not turn the car into an immediate hot-hatch baiter, but keen drivers will notice improved body control and passengers will not complain about feeling sea-sick, too. The steering, a weak point on many Korean cars, is also more precise than on the regular, non-GT Line model.

IT MAKES LIFE BETTER

The car has a sports-style steering wheel, with a flat-bottom, perforated leather and paddle shifters.

This would be a bit empty in a car with no performance boost, but the GT Line manages to pull this off without appearing trite.

The GT Line package also adds more features like an electronic parking brake and remote-opening rear hatch with a hands-free function. Kia’s factory infotainment system does not have navigation, but it is a cleanly-designed touchscreen unit and one of the few in its class that packs Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Best of all, it adds the most important feature for a car in Singapore: Air-conditioned seats.

IT HINTS AT EXCITING THINGS

While the 2-litre engine is the same as before, and is not as exciting as the new 1.6-litre turbocharged engine used in the Hyundai Tucson Turbo, the Sportage GT Line reflects Kia’s changing direction in trying to deliver different and more exciting products to the mass-market segment.

Other countries have 1.6-litre turbo and 2.0-litre turbo variants of the Sportage (with 176hp and 240hp respectively), and while Kia Singapore has not said if it intends to bring these here, they could be distinct possibilities as the Hyundai Tucson shows.

But Kia will be bringing another exciting car to Singapore next year — its Niro hybrid SUV, which looks to combine small-SUV popularity with fuel-saving prowess.

Kia Sportage GT Line

Engine: 1,999cc, in-line four, 155hp, 192Nm

Performance: 181kmh, 0-100kmh: 11.1s, 7.9L/100km, 182g/km CO2

Price: S$136,999 with COE

Available: Now

PROS: Comfort, image and performance boost for a modest premium

CONS: 2-litre engine is merely decent