| Week at the Wheel | Kia Sportage |

Inside & Out:

Kia is on a bit of a roll design wise, and the new Sportage underlines that. The bold front look suits the Sportage particularly well, the neat detailing and clean look helping it to stand out from its more mundane crossover rivals. It looks and feels solid too, the Sportage looking more European than any Kia before it.

That's true inside as well, where the Sportage rises above Kia's budget roots with a smartly styled and easy to use interior. The ambience is in a new league for the firm, and although there's the odd sharp edged piece of plastic trim the overall feel is one of good quality. It's spacious too, with decent room for four passengers and a lot of luggage. Drop the rear seats and the Kia's boot is big and flat-floored.

Engine & Transmission:

The 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine is smooth and powerful, even if its power band is relatively narrow and it grumbles a bit when starting up from cold. The six-speed manual gearbox is slick enough, and combined economy is quoted at 47mpg. The reality is less, but that's true of all the Sportage's rivals too. The First Edition tested here has four-wheel drive, though it diverts power to the front wheels until slip is detected. If you do plan on taking it off-road there are buttons to push to lock the four-wheel drive on and help negotiate slippery sections.

Ride & Handling:

The Sportage is never going to handle as well as the conventional hatchback it might replace for an owner, but it's not too far off. The steering may be lacking in feel and a bit oddly weighted, but the Sportage reacts quickly to input and turns in quickly. Even on large alloy wheels the Sportage rides decently, with only the nastiest bumps and lumps upsetting its composure. A Ford Kuga is more fun, but it's also a lot more money: the Sportage compares favourably to the crossover rivals in its price category.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

This First Edition model costs just a few quid short of £20,000 and that gets you pretty much everything you could possibly want. There's cruise control, iPod connectivity, dual-zone climate control, leather seats and Bluetooth telephone connection. All it's really lacking is standard satnav. Lesser Sportage models won't have quite the extensive standard list of this well-stocked First Edition, but they'll be highly competitive - and all will have Kia's seven-year warranty.

Overall:

The cee'd demonstrated that Kia had it within itself to build an impressive hatchback, and the Sportage repeats that in the crossover marketplace. Adding Kia's usual good value and big warranty package to a new level of quality and stand-out looks results in an enormously appealing car. It can't quite deliver the fun driving experience of some rivals, but it's so close that it's tough to call. With the majority of crossover sales being based on looks, practicality and cost the Sportage could be just the car to put a dent in Nissan's previously impenetrable Qashqai sales success.