Kia Sportage

Adrian Wilson, General Manager,

Renault Gloucester

"The Sportage is one of the most popular mid-sized SUVs on sale, and with good reason. It might not dazzle in any one area of expertise but its all-round excellence in the ones that matter mean it appeals to a broad spectrum of customers. The Sportage was named by the public as the Best Car for Towing in the 2019 Auto Trader New Car Awards. On the road, the most crucial aspect of a family car is ride comfort, and the Sportage is definitely tuned to be on the soft side, which is perfect for keeping everyone on board comfy. We did detect a hint of firmness over sharper bumps, though, and for that reason we'd avoid fitting large alloy wheels. The Sportage is also nicely composed in the bends, too. You get extremely strong grip and progressive body roll that is easy to manage, so it's fairly nimble when changing direction. A Seat Ateca is a bit keener though. The interior of the Sportage is functional and well made without being particularly eye-catching, and it doesn't have the top quality boasted by Skoda Karoq. Still, everything is easy to find and use, the seats are comfortable and the infotainment system, while not particularly jazzy, is similarly functional. As a car aimed at families the Sportage needs to be comfortable, spacious and practical and it nails those objectives. Two six-foot adults can comfortably ride in the back behind two similarly sized front-seat passengers and even the central seat on the rear bench is a viable option. The rear seat backs recline too, which is a nice touch too, although some rivals do offer sliding seats as standard. The boot is also a good size and there's tons of space with the seats folded."