Kia Sportage given proper send-off with limited-run GT-Line

Kia South Africa recently launch their limited edition run Sportage GT-Line. And instead of just doing an A to B drive in as little time as possible, they took us on very chilled and relevant lifestyle trip, befitting of this family SUV, to the Western Cape.

We arrived in Cape Town and our first task was to get a good look at the Sportage GT-Line that offers a range of stylish additions. These include, including LED combination lights front and rear, chrome tipped dual exhaust outlets, model-specific skid plates and 19-inch alloy wheels.

The end is near

Even though the current Sportage is at the end of its lifecycle, with the all-new Sportage said to be here in the middle of next year, it is still a good-looking SUV.

That done, it was time to get better acquainted with the Sportage GT-Line as we made our way out of city and the never-ending traffic to a better part of the province.

ALSO READ: Kia saying goodbye to Sportage with loaded GT-Line

The Sportage GT-Line is powered by 1.6-litre turbocharged engine that offers 130 kW of power and 265 Nm of torque spread over of large rev range from 1500 rpm right up 4500 rpm. It is and is driven through a seven-speed dual clutch transmission to all four-wheels.

Super smooth

What this translates into on paper is a claimed 0 to 100 km/h time of just 9.1 second, but that is not the really important part, what this translates into in the real world, is a brisk, smooth, surefooted drive if you so desire.

Or in my case, a most enjoyable drive on the Slanghoek Valley Road. A road that gently winds along the valley between the Slanghoek mountains and the smaller Badsberg mountain between a host of beautiful wine and fruit farms. It leads to PicardiPlace, a very quaint little guest house that is situated in the middle of a working wine farm in the Breedekloof Valley.

PicardiPlace is owned by a very entertaining and charismatic man called Jaco Brand who has an hilarious aversion to people bringing Flings to his homemade and self-prepared dinners. If you ever go his way, try to remember to ask him about this. But what is not negotiable is to miss one of his “Wanna-be-Italiano” Italian Cooking classes.

Pasta + wine = happiness

Personally, I think it is a great excuse to drink lots of wine, but since we still had some driving ahead of us, we didn’t do the wine thing. He showed us how to make our own pasta, which we then had for lunch.

If you were one of his normal guests, you would get to do the pasta making thing yourself, make use of his permaculture vegetable garden to pick your own fresh produce, and then feast with copious amounts of wine.

From there it was a short drive to our overnight stop at the picturesque Small Hotel in Robertson. And with the day’s driving over we could indulge our tastebuds and finally quench our thirsts in the best way possible with a Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) wine tasting session courtesy of Silverthorn wines.

Plus, if you are like me and had no idea what MCC wine was, I can now tell you that it is wine that undergoes a natural, secondary fermentation in the bottle to create a unique tasting sparkling wine filled with delicious bubbles that are not commercially gassed in via a machine.

Raise your glass

Silverthorn Wines is among only a handful of producers who have dedicated their expertise solely to the production of this elegant style of wine. Silverthorn’s terroir, with its rocky, lime-rich, shale soils similar to the famous Champagne soils in France coupled with their mature Chardonnay vineyards ensure that each bottle is a special experience.

All too soon it was time to head back to Gangsta’s Paradise, and to place that seems to be from another planet when compared to the beauty that the Western Cape offers. The Kia Sportage GT-Line played the perfect host for a brilliant trip.

High level of spec

Added features over and above the high level of standard specification include smart entry with push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control, auto-folding mirrors, eight-inch touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, electrically adjustable front seats, including lumbar support, seat heating for front and rear passengers and bi-LED headlights with an auto-on / off function.

Also standard is an eletric tailgate, panoramic sunroof, wireless smartphone charging, cruise control, ABS with EBD and Downhill Brake Control, six airbags, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start Assist and a rear-view camera with front and rear parking sensors.

The Kia Sportage GT-Line is priced at R649 995. It comes standard with an unlimited km/five year warranty and a five year/90 000 km service plan.

For more information on the Kia Sportage GT-Line, click here.