Diesel’s return the reunion Kia Sportage has been waiting for

In the aftermath of its world reveal in 2021 and subsequent arrival in South Africa last year, the fifth generation Kia Sportage, known internally as the NQ5, was described as a generation that harked back to its past of being completely different from the model it replaced.

Return to good

Appearing bolder and more futuristic than ever before thanks to its Opposite United styling language, the Sportage promised a lot after the capable but dowdy SL generation that preceded it.

As praiseworthy as the efforts of Kia’s Head of Design, Karim Habib, has been, the NQ5 Sportage’s biggest disappointment didn’t centre around some of its interior shortcomings or price tag, but rather a lacklustre 1.6-litre turbocharged T-GDI petrol engine that felt undone after performing with much more aplomb in the old SL.

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The consensus soon after the Sportage’s arrival was, therefore, simple; a better suited petrol or turbodiesel was required to make the most of the NQ5s.

Mentioned but not confirmed at the time, most likely as a result of price and/or South Africa’s diesel quality, approving an oil-burning heart for the Sportage eventually became a reality in May this year in a move The Citizen’s motoring editor Jaco van der Merwe described as “nothing but a pleasure” after sampling the heart transplanted model at the national media launch.

An occasion eagerly awaited since then, the arrival of the Sportage CRDI, finished in a stunning hue Kia calls Experience Green, made for a worthwhile one that largely banished memories of the sluggish petrol version.

Plus vs S

Appearing near identical to the petrol last year, colour aside, the difference comes in the structuring of the turbodiesel’s line-up as Kia has opted for a three-tier range versus the petrol spanning all five available trim grades.

As such, selecting the oil-burner means going either for the entry-level LX or higher-up EX, or in the case of our tester, the GT Line Plus that sits between the petrol-only GT Line and top-spec GT Line S.

Priced at R747 995, a premium of R24 000 over the petrol GT Line Plus, but a credit of R33 000 over the GT Line S, the Plus loses out marginally on spec namely, ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, Adaptive Cruise Control, Auto High Beam Assist LED headlights, Junction Assist and Collision Avoidance Assist.

Most prominently, the rotary dial gear lever departs in favour of a traditional lever, which somewhat oddly, highlighted an issue not experienced when driving the T-GDI last year. But more of that later.

Hits-and-misses

Stepping down from the GT Line S it might be, the GT Line Plus retains not only the GT Line exterior garnish, but also the 19-inch alloy wheels, black accents and the now trademark boomerang LED headlights that continues to render it as, arguably, one of the best looking compact SUVs on-sale today.

As for the interior, the downgrade hasn’t impacted on the design, nor rectified some of the issues mentioned in the GT Line S review.

Neat and trimmed in soft touch plastics and leather, what continues to be the literal blemish of the interior is the piano-key black centre console that will require constant cleaning to remove unwanted fingerprints.

Similarly, the GT Line Plus keeps the curved dual 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and infotainment system, the latter still with outdated graphics but fortunately, not a minefield to navigate through either.

Although designed with functionality in mind, while still adhering to a minimalistic design principle, fathoming the touch-sensitive “interaction” bar below the infotainment display that houses the controls for the dual-zone climate control and audio system, remains a faff only constant use will resolve.

In essence, the setup incorporates a “rotating” function whereby pressing the fan icon reveals the settings for the climate control, while the envelope represents that of the ear-pleasing six-speaker sound system.

Flanked by a pair of physical knobs, paying attention to which icon has been illuminated will take centre stage as a lack of care could see the temperature being adjusted when the actual input is for the radio.

While still spacious for those up front and at the rear from a head- and legroom perspective, even with the standard panoramic sunroof, the bizarre oddity is the front seats being unable to drop down low enough.

Not noticed on the petrol as mentioned, the oddity results in a somewhat compromised driving position for those who prefer to sit low down. As way of offsetting this, the steering wheel offers both reach and height adjustability.

Similar to the GT Line S, the GT Line Plus keeps the pair of type-A USB ports integrated into the sides of the front seats for those seated at the rear, but without the firm seat cushions.

Finally, the switch in powerunit has not impacted on boot space, which registers 466-litres with the rear seats up, and 1 780-litres with the row in question folded completely forward.

All hail diesel

Unsurprisingly, the Sportage’s new oil-burning heart has had the biggest effect, not only on consumption, but the overall feel which is no longer hobbled by the demeanour of the petrol.

Tipping the scales at 1 568 kg, four kilogrammes less than the petrol, the similarly-sized 1.6-litre turbodiesel develops 100 kW, a reduction of 32 kW, but a substantial 320 Nm of torque, which represents a hike of 55 Nm.

And as is the case with diesels, the latter figure is what makes the difference as the Sportage now accelerates more eagerly and with a heightened sense of urgency the petrol lacks.

Quiet and refined, the diesel has also changed the characteristics of the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which no longer downshifts in the same erratic fashion.

In fact, the added torque means the shifts are a lot smoother and not susceptible to opting for the paddle shifters or the gear lever in manual mode as on the petrol.

As with the petrol, even more so now with the additional poke, careful throttle modulation is required as any rush or sudden input could result in unwanted wheelspin from the front wheels when setting off.

Selecting Sport mode – the other settings being Eco, Comfort and Smart – adds to the problem as the diesel’s torque, together with a faster reacting turbocharger, warrants very controlled accelerator input when setting off.

On the move, the effect of Sport mode is immediately noticeable as the amount punch is so instant, that it borders on violent – all with a huge smile of course.

As with the GT Line S, the Sportage GT Line Plus’ ride is supple and comfortable, but becomes brittle when tasked with lesser well-kept surfaces.

A light steering, still with enough feel, completes a package capped-off by an impressive fuel consumption that displayed 5.8 L/100 km on the instrument cluster after its seven-stay – an improvement of 2.6 L/100 km over the petrol.

Conclusion

The introduction of a diesel version of the Sportage is a welcome surprise from Kia.

Besides its obvious consumption gains, the Sportage 1.6 CRDI is more rounded and better overall than the T-GDI petrol.

Not without its foibles and no longer the bargain Kia’s once were, the addition of a diesel has, nonetheless, delivered by not only enhancing the Sportage as a package, but lifting it to a height its rivals now need to take closer notice of than ever. 

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