When it comes to a family car the buyer has to consider lots of things to ensure comfort, and safety together with performance, utility, affordability, and reliability. The 2013 Kia Sportage is one of those vehicles that fits well to a family’s needs. This is a hatchback that offers a feel and utility of a high-end compact SUV with strong safety ratings, appealing styling, a sophisticated interior, and responsive handling.
Kia Sportage Review
For 2013, Kia gets only minimal upgrades whereas the rest of the features are kept unchanged. Kia Sportage stands 8th in the list of 21 affordable cars with a strong reliability score. The 2013 Kia Sportage is the 3rd generation model that is comparatively impressive and decent in the comparison with the one introduced in the 1st generation. Here is all about in following Kia Sportage Review
Kia Sportage Styling, Comfort, Convenience, Trims, and Options
The five-passenger compact crossover 2013 Kia Sportage is offered in four trim levels, Base, LX, EX, and SX. The car has a really impressive exterior look that features sharp lines, Kia’s signature front grille, narrow side glass, lower air ducts, high beltline, painted wheel inserts, and two-wheel choices 16 inches and 17 inches.
The interior of the 2013 Kia Sportage is also very fascinating and sophisticated that features a roomy cabin, 26.1 cubic ft cargo space, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, full power accessories, Bluetooth phone connectivity, trip computer, four-speaker sound system with Satellite radio and CD player and tilt-only steering wheel. Moving up to the trim levels, you will get some more standard, improved, and high-tech features.
Optional features are also offered for the 2013 Kia Sportage including a Premium Package that features leather upholstery and panoramic sunroof, keyless entry (that comes standard on SX), heated front seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror, ventilated driver seats, and upgraded gauges. Real-time traffic info and touchscreen navigation system that is standard on upper trims and optional on the base trim.
Kia Sportage Powertrain and Performance
The lower models of the 2013 Kia Sportage gets power from a 2.4-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine that delivers 176 horsepower and 168 lb ft of torque. The FWD version offers a six speed manual transmission whereas the AWD versions come standard with six speed automatic transmission. The EPA estimated fuel economy is 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway for FWD and 21 mpg city and 30 mpg highway with AWD.
The SX trim level of the 2013 Kia Sportage employs an exclusive 2.0 liter in-line 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 260 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque and is mated with a six-speed automatic transmission. Both front-wheel and all wheel drive versions are available. The EPA-rated fuel economy is 21 mpg city and 28 mpg highway for FWD and 20 mpg city and 25 mpg highway for AWD. The turbocharged engine is very impressive and is the same one that is employed by mid-size sedan Kia Optima. The engine is capable to deliver lag-free, smooth, and strong acceleration and so it can compete for the luxury crossovers like the BMW X3.
Kia Sportage Occupants Safety
The 2013 Kia Sportage has a strong safety score and so it offers antilock disc brakes, hill descent control, hill start control, traction control, front seat side and full length side curtain airbags, stability control and active front head restraints as standard safety features.
Kia Sportage Pricing and Availability
The 2013 Kia Sportage trims get starting prices at $19,000 for the Base model, $21,200 for LX, $24,200 for EX, and $26,900 for the SX model. The car is available in the showrooms for sale now.
Key Rivals
The 2013 Kia Sportage offers an aggressive exterior plus a roomy and comfortable cabin and so this year it has to compete against some popular names in the segment like Chevrolet Equinox, 2013 Mazda CX-5, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2013 Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.
Pros
- Aggressive and distinctive exterior styling
- Roomy and sharply styled interior
- A powerful optional turbocharged engine
- Impressive 10 years/100,000 miles warranty
Cons
- The rear seat doesn’t recline
- Comparatively less cargo area
- Tilt-only steering wheel for the base model
- Firm and composed ride
The Verdict
The 2013 Kia Sportage comes with certain notable potential changes and improvements especially the SX trim level is amazing. Though it is a little pricey but is a perfect trim that defines the standards of Kia Sportage.