Safety

The Kia Sportage boasts six standard airbags -- front and side-impact airbags for both driver and passenger, and side curtain airbags for both front- and rear-seat occupants. Four-wheel antilock disc brakes, traction control and stability control are all standard equipment. Neither NHTSA nor the IIHS has crash tested the Sportage.

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    Hood
    Opening the hood 1. Pull the release lever to unlatch the hood. The hood should pop open slightly. 2. Go to the front of the vehicle, raise the hood slightly, pull the secondary latch (1) in ...

    Overheating
    If your temperature gauge indicates overheating, if you experience a loss of power, or if you hear a loud knocking or pinging noise, the engine has probably overheated. Should any of these sympto ...

    THE VERDICT
    Kia won’t release pricing for the Optima for another few weeks, but we’re assured it will come in at under $20,000 to start and we expect it to undercut (slightly) the Sonata, which starts at ...