REVIEW | Why the Kia Sportage CRDi GT-Line Plus is a good buy

From being a purveyor of tepid motoring appliances, Hyundai has become a darling of the industry, enjoying global acclaim. The past two overall winners in the World Car Awards were electric Hyundai products — the Ioniq 5 in 2022 and Ioniq 6 in 2023.

In the performance motoring realm, the South Korean firm is ruffling feathers with its N division. And on the luxury front, Hyundai also has Genesis, akin to what Lexus is to Toyota. Sadly, our market does not receive the latter range.

It is often forgotten that Kia is part of the Hyundai Motor Group, which was acquired in 1998 after facing bankruptcy.

Instead of becoming a badge-engineered subsidiary, Kia was shaped into its own, unique identity. And consumers see the distinction. Just look at related products such as the Sorento and Santa Fe. They ride on the same platform and are powered by the same 2.2-litre, turbocharged-diesel engine with four cylinders, but are unique stylistically and with notably different interior executions.

Same goes for the Tucson and Sportage. Interestingly, both were contenders in the Midsize segment of the 2023 South African Car of the Year competition. But the Sportage edged ahead in scoring, being awarded as the category winner. Recalling my impressions on test days, the Kia had a more impressive cabin and plusher ride quality. Not that the Hyundai is glaringly deficient in those areas, but the additional polish of the Sportage was evident.

We were again reminded of the polished Kia’s virtues recently, when testing the CRDi version in high-grade GT-Line Plus trim. The diesel range starts at R609,995 for the LX grade. The mid-tier EX costs R663,995, and the GT-Line Plus we drove comes in at R747,995.

By comparison, the two diesel options in the Tucson range are the 2.0 D Elite for R764,900 or the 2.0 D N-Line at a snip under R800,000. It does have a bigger warranty (seven-year/200,000km), vs the five-year/unlimited-kilometre deal offered by Kia.

Visually, the Sportage CRDi GT-Line Plus is identical to its petrol-powered counterpart. That means 19-inch wheels, glossy black exterior trimmings and a panoramic sunroof. Our test vehicle looked resplendent in a shade of green.

The leatherette-on-suede interior upholstery feels suitably plush, while amenities such as heated seats (front and rear), as well as a heated steering wheel, kept the winter chill at bay.

Being the range-topper, the GT-Line Plus has every convenience a buyer in 2023 would want, from an electrically operated tailgate to driver assistance features facilitating semi-autonomous progression.

Take the helm in entirety, however, and you will find the Sportage is a pleasant steer. It cruises in a refined manner. And though the diesel note is audible, it is never intrusive. If, like me, you like the rhythmic grumble of an oil-burner, you will find the 1.6-litre, turbocharged-diesel to be a nice enough acoustic accompaniment.

The four-cylinder unit serves up sufficient grunt, with 132kW and 265Nm. Consider that while the Hyundai has a bigger displacement, it serves up only 5kW more. Its torque figure of 416Nm is superior though. No faults can be levelled at the smoothness in delivery of the CRDi, paired with a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic. Drive is to the front wheels. The one gripe that reared its head was a noticeable rear blind spot, due to the thickness of the C-pillar. Not that big a deal, as the Sportage does have a blind-spot warning system.

When we reported on the CRDi after driving it at its launch, our best consumption on the day (mostly highway driving) was 5.5l/100km. After a week and 547.6km, majority in urban settings, our average was 7.4l/100km. With a more judicious right foot, you might achieve better. On one drive from Albertville to Groblerpark down Ontdekkers Road, my trip average was as low as 4.7l/100km. For reference, our month-long average consumption after testing the 1.6-litre turbocharged-petrol version last year was 8.6l/100km.

In my view, the CRDi would be an easy pick over its petrol counterpart: the torque and consumption benefits are pretty clear.