Powertrains and Performance

Two engines are offered on the Sportage LX: a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder (140 hp and 136 pound-feet of torque) and a 2.7-liter V6 (173 hp and 178 lb-ft). The Sportage EX comes standard with the V6. The inline-4 can be had with either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic, while the V6 is automatic only. One may also choose front- or all-wheel drive in either trim.

We timed a Sportage V6 at 10.7 seconds from zero to 60 mph, about a second or so off the quicker four-cylinders in the segment and more than three ticks off the class hot rod, the RAV4 V6. Fuel mileage estimates for a 2008 Sportage V6 with AWD are 17 mpg city and 21 mpg highway, a few mpg under the class average. The four-cylinder gets only a few city mpg better.

    See also:

    Climate control air filter
    The climate control air filter installed behind the glove box filters the dust or other pollutants that come into the vehicle from the outside through the heating and air conditioning system. I ...

    Interior features
    Cigarette lighter (if equipped) For the cigarette lighter to work, the ignition switch must be in the ACC or ON position. To use the cigarette lighter, push it all the way into its socket. When ...

    Steering wheel
    Power steering (if equipped) Power steering uses energy from the engine to assist you in steering the vehicle. If the engine is off or if the power steering system becomes inoperative, the vehicl ...