From the time it hit the American market in the mid-1990s, everyone knew what the Kia Sportage was — a cheap alternative in the ever-crowded SUV market.
It’s just that beyond that, Kia had a hard time figuring out what the Sportage should be. It was bland and quickly became synonymous with the word, “cheap” — and not because of the price tag, but rather because of a cheap interior and under-performing engine and quality issues.
By 2002, the Sportage had worn out its welcome even in the SUV-hungry U.S. Kia went back to the drawing board in the hopes of still being a player in the small-SUV market here, returning in 2005 with a new-and-improved edition.
I wonder why Kia decided to keep the same name, given the association some prospective buyers might have with the “Sportage” brand. If I’m in the Kia marketing department, I want something to help potential buyers turn the page on what might have been a ho-hum to bad experience in the previous-generation Sportage.
Kia successfully changed the SUV — the company just didn’t change the name.

2008 KIA SPORTAGE 4X4

Price Range: $22,895-$24,820
Body Style: SUV
EPA Estimates: 17 mpg city, 21 mpg highway
In The Market: Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda CRV, Jeep Liberty, Ford Escape

ERGONOMICS/AESTHETICS
Aesthetically, the Sportage was never a failure. It was always cute if not cuddly.
That has stayed the same, though no other vestiges of the former Sportage remain, inside or out.
Inside, that cheap feeling is gone with the cheap fixtures. The cabin is surprisingly roomy as is the rear with fold-down rear seats that contribute to 67 cubic inches of cargo space.
The new-and-improved Sportage comes in two trim levels — the LX and EX. Both have a fairly long list of included amenities, including alloy wheels, six-speaker stereo system, air conditioning, etc. Traction control and anti-lock disc brakes are also standard on both trim levels.
The tested model came also came with a sunroof as well as power windows and door locks.

PERFORMANCE
The redesign started at the bottom — with a unibody platform that improved the Sportage’s agility from the get-go and eased that old top-heavy feeling from the get-go.
The tested Sportage 4X4 came with a 2.7-liter, DOHC V6 coupled with a four-speed automatic transmission. The LX version comes standard with a 2.0-liter, 140-horsepower four-cylinder powerplant. Four-wheel-drive is offered on LX models with manual transmissions, while EX versions with the V6 can be had with either front- or on-demand four-wheel-drive.
The V6’s 173 horses adequately powered the Sportage 4X4, which I found to be nimble with plenty of pick-me-up. Gas mileage was a fairly average 17 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The tested 2008 Kia Sportage 4X4 was all-inclusive at under $25,000, which is pretty cheap in comparison. The base was $22,895, but a nearly $2,000 luxury package, which included leather, heated front seats, stereo upgrade and more, was added to bring the total close to $25,000.
All-in-all, the Sportage is a bargain in its class — and a big improvement over the previous incarnation of the small SUV.
Still, Kia should have changed the name.