Interior Design and Special Features
The Sportage features a functional, roomy and attractive interior. Both the materials and build quality are very good, especially for this price point. The rear-seat design makes hauling a large amount of cargo a breeze -- it folds and lowers into the footwell, making for a flat load floor, and removing the head restraints isn't required. Thusly configured, the Sportage offers 67 cubic feet of cargo capacity, a respectable figure for this class.
Driving Impressions
On the road, the 2008 Kia Sportage provides a carlike ride and relatively sporty handling that makes it a little more fun to drive than many other compact SUVs. It's capable of being both a good city runabout and a long-distance highway cruiser. Power from the standard four-cylinder is barely adequate, so we recommend you opt for the V6. The four-speed automatic isn't quite as smooth as the five-speed units offered by competitors, but it's alert enough to usually keep the V6 right in its power band.
See also:
Tailgate
Opening the tailgate
• The tailgate is locked or unlocked
when all doors are locked or unlocked
with the key, transmitter or central door
lock switch.
• If unlocked, the tailgate can be ope ...
Modest Acceleration: A Tale of Two Transmissions?
In the case of the Forte five-door, the added practicality seems to come at
the expense of performance. As with the uplevel Forte SX sedan, the SX hatchback
comes only with the larger of the Forte ...
Emergency starting
Connect cables in numerical order and
disconnect in reverse order.
Jump starting
Jump starting can be dangerous if done
incorrectly. Therefore, to avoid harm to
yourself or damage to your vehic ...


