Powertrains and Performance
The 2010 Kia Sportage can be had with one of two engines and a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. LX base models get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that puts out 140 hp and 136 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard and a four-speed automatic transmission is available as an option. Those in search of better performance can step up to the LX V6 or top-of-the-line EX, both of which are powered by a 2.7-liter V6 that's good for 173 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque. The four-speed automatic is the only transmission offered.
In our tests, a V6-powered Sportage took 10.7 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 mph. To put that number in perspective, that's about a second slower than the quickest four-cylinder crossovers and more than 3 seconds off the time set by the segment-leading RAV4 V6.
The Sportage's powertrains are also substantially less fuel-efficient than those of its competitors. EPA estimates range from 20 mpg city/25 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined for the front-wheel-drive, four-cylinder model to 18/23/20 for the all-wheel-drive V6.
See also:
Automatic transaxle
Automatic transaxle operation
All normal forward driving is done with
the shift lever in the D (Drive) position.
To move the shift lever from the P (Park)
position, the brake pedal must be
depr ...
Special driving conditions
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar hazards,
follow these suggestions:
• Drive cautiously and allow ex ...
Introducing a new kind of dynamic aesthetics
The new Kia Sportage marks a dramatic shift in design direction for Kia's
compact SUV. Longer, lower and wider than the previous generation model, the new
Kia Sportage is immediately identifiable ...