Just curious, are there any owners of the latest Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson here? There seems to be very little interest on these vehicles as nobody seems to be talking about them.

I've watched a Youtube review on the Kia Sportage and the reviewer found that the ride and NVH of the vehicle to be exceptional in its class and a class above all Japanese equivalent SUVs. I presume the major downside of the Koreans is the low resale value which deters most people from considering them, apart from the slightly higher price when compared to the common Honda CRV/HRV and Toyota Corolla Cross.

If there are no owners lurking around on this forum, has anyone test driven the Sportage and compared the 2.0 to 1.6 turbo versions? Is the Nakamichi sound system in the highest spec 1.6 turbo a significant improvement to the audio system of the cheaper spec models?

rumours the 1.6turbo variant got a common issue where the clutch needs to be replaced quite often.

Thanks for the information. That's unfortunate if really the case

Tested both the 2.0 and 1.6T Sportage when it was launched few months ago. The 2.0 one has the typical NA car driving feel, with the 6AT gearbox it's quite easy to drive around town. Coming from driving a 2.0 NA sedan, I would say that the Sportage is more responsive, maybe due to its newer engine and 6AT gb vs my previous 5AT. The 1.6T however will have much better acceleration once you have passed the ~1500rpm mark, but as with a typical DCT gearbox, you can expect some "jerking" response during slow traffics, when it's hard for the TCU to predict whether you are going to shift up or down.

The handling is good, to me it's either similar or better than most of the C-segment SUVs out there except for the CX-5. The other models tested during that time: CRV, J7, Corolla Cross, Forester, X70, Tiguan Allspace as far as I can remember. But as it's an SUV, you can't expect it to feel like driving a sedan, except for the CX5 where literally it feels like driving one.

After driving the 2.0 Hi model for 3000kms, my findings as follows:

Engine is very quite, those sit inside the car will ask if it's an EV or hybrid during idling as virtually it's so quite. But the wind noise from the side window is quite apparent when driving at above 80km/hr as it's not laminated glass. Maybe this is also due to the engine is so quite when you don't hard press the accelerator, so the wind noise will become more apparent.

A lot will want to know on the fuel consumption. Unfortunately so far I have not done a lot of full tank to full tank type of monitoring, so can't tell the real fc yet but from what I see so far. it's similar or slightly better than my previous 2.0 sedan even though the SUV is heavier. So ya it's within my expectations.

One negative point so far is about the driver seat, where I still can't find a very comfort seating position yet with the 8-way adjustable seat. Might need some time to fine tune this especially it's without memory seat function, so need some trial and error.

Another negative point is on the acceleration control, when you "hard press" on the accelerator, you will be surprised with the sudden engine noise before the car picks up the speed. But once you are familiar with the throttle response then it's not a big problem.

Both the interior space and boot space is huge, this was the main reason to get this instead of the CX5. Only the CRV can beat this interior space.

ADAS is good, working as expected. Helped me to emergency brake once when reversing out from parking lot due to the incoming rear cross traffic was blocked by the huge MPV beside me. ACC with stop and go is ok, not perfectly smooth during traffic jam compare with own driving but it's acceptable. Lane keep assist is stable, not bouncing around like some other models.

Wireless android auto connection is stable, integrated well to the muitimedia system. Sound quality was bad at the beginning but after breaking in for about 1500km, it's actually pretty good with solid bass and clear vocal for a normal 6 speaker system (especially when playing high quality musics from spotify/youtube music premium).

Oh ya, another negative point is with the reflector LED headlamp, where I would say it's below average since the rest are mostly using projector type already.

So far my 1st impression, let's share here if there are more users out there.

Good observation which reminds me of the Nissan Sylphy which I previously owned. Your description may apply to the Sylphy as well. It's generally quiet in all driving conditions and you hear the whistling wind noise at higher speeds due to the lack of noise inside the cabin.

Another way to evaluate the NVH levels is to do hard acceleration and hear the roar of the engine. With good soundproofing cars, the sound of the roaring engine is more muted or refined whereas other vehicles will show a much louder and prominent engine growl.

It appears that the inherent characteristics of the DCT is carried over from the Sportage to the Ford Focus as well. Being an ex-owner of the Focus, I can surely relate. On the upside the DCT gives a more immediate acceleration feel as the gear changes are more rapid.

Sounds like the older generation Sportage model which I used for about a year. The vehicle doesn't react instantly upon hard acceleration as there is about 0.5s to 1.0s delay before it picks up speed. Also, the noise from the engine is quite loud and unrefined, sounding like a diesel. I would expect the current model to be improved in NVH levels

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Apr 4 2025, 10:15 PM

went to see the sportage 2 months ago. a bit disappointed with the interior, as it is not on par with current Kia offerings. it seems like prev-gen quality.

also surprised to hear they havent sort out the seating position. i even have problem finding myself comfortable in the carnival (previous gen).

Ya agreed that the interior is a bit old school but actually I prefer this especially all the physical buttons and dials for the climate control, settings, infotainment system, seat adjustment etc. Maybe I'm from the older generation though

Also as I have the 2.0 Hi with the lower spec infotainment system, the interface is exactly the same as the one from another Kia 8 years ago. So it's not the latest trend in the market. But it works well, very stable with no software issue, no need to restart due to some bugs, no need to wait for OTA update every time, instant boot up time, etc. Wireless AA connects automatically when the car is started, you can have the navigation ready before driving it.

About the seating comfort, I found that one of the reasons could be due to the leatherette material use, which is harder that the full leather seat in my previous car. And the headrest that cannot be moved front/back also contributes a bit to it. I remember the Kia Optima 20 years ago already got this function. I would prefer to have this function instead of the coat hanger at the back of the headrest

All the newer cars these days having this type of "push" headrest, in the name of whiplash protection on neck. But hell, they are so uncomfortable to our head.

Ya I guess they need it to score more starts in those crash tests.

I would appreciate if you can update after 1 year if the vehicle still maintains its good NVH and quietness, and if any new rattling sound inside the cabin when going over potholes or uneven poor quality roads. These days, a quiet and low noise with minimal rattling sound inside the cabin is the top priority apart from comfort. When it's time for a new vehicle, I may put this is the shortlist and test-drive it. Similarly I don't care much about the latest technology incorporated into the dashboard as I'm more to old-school too as long as the physical knobs and buttons all work as intended. However, some comments on the uncomfortable seats of the Tucson seems to be a concern, so it needs to be experienced by the user to see if it's acceptable or not.

actually not about the material, but rather the seating position, posture and steering reach. you wont get something like mazda, where you can adjust and get it right.

Honestly I would not put high expectations on this especially the car is always parked under the hot sun and with the uneven road surfaces around. For sure the rubbers will get harden and will affect the NVH. But from my previous experience with 2 Kia cars (5 and 8 years each), I don't have any issues with this (touch wood), at least not to the level that is irritating to me. It's at least on par with those mainstream Japanese brands.

Ya for the seat need to really try it out individually. But in a normal test drive routine it's hard to feel this. Need to drive it for longer time then will be easier to conclude it.

Yes correct those are the basics for seat adjustments/ergonomics. I meant on top of that, the materials will also affect the seating comfort.

About Mazda though, test driven the CX5 and I would say the seat is comfortable during the short test drive. But when I sit inside the CX60 in the showroom, it's less comfortable due to the wide center console blocking the left leg, similar to many Chinese brands car out there now with the wide and high center console tunnel. Albeit the extra storage space below it is actually quite beneficial.

Oh ya, just did a full tank to full tank refill. It's 10.7 km/L based on my Fuelly record (car info showing 11.5 km/L). Total distance travelled was 1700km (with a few partial fuel refills in between) which will be quite representative for the FC calculation.

But this is under the daily peak hours NKVE / Federal Highway traffics. From the car info, total travel time was about 52 hours for this 1700km, so it means that the average speed is only 33 km/hr.

Is this FC figure good for a 2.0 NA C-segment SUV, city driving with traffic jams?

This weekend will have an outstation trip, so will make a record on the highway fuel consumption for your info.

Pls keep us up to date on your trip. Thank u

Recent full tank to full tank actual fuel consumption:

1) 14.11km/L (meter showing 14.3km/L) - trip down south, with some traffic jams at the construction areas along PLUS highway, reducing the average speed to 76km/hr

2) 13.26km/L (meter showing 13.7km/L) - trip up north, long time spent in the city causing the average speed to only 59km/hr

I guess it's reasonable for a 2.0NA C-segment SUV?

This post has been edited by lowyat101: Apr 16 2025, 10:30 AM

I have a 2013 Kia Optima, 2.0L NA (NU engine).
90% city drive with jams before/after work, I'm getting about 10.5L/100km (9.5km/L).

Highway drive I can get about 7.0L/100km on average

Ya it's similar to the Accord 2.0 as well. I reckon currently the NA engine technologies are already matured and it will be similar among the mainstream brands. Nowadays seldom hear ppl saying Korean cars are fuel guzzler. Even if it's slightly higher previously, it's mainly due to the weight as generally they are more solid built yhan the lighter competitors.

last time their pricing kill them.

today its china cars that kill the.

totally no hope, unless they do back the same thing they did with the 1st ever kia forte in malaysia.

Anyone has experience with older models from 2017 onwards? Thinking of getting one. Is it viable, in terms of reliability etc?