Kia: Looker boasts space

Fold down the back seats for extra capacity. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

What is it?
Kia's all-wheel drive, 135kW/392Nm 2.0-litre diesel auto Sportage, in top-spec $52,240 format with heated leather seats, cruise control, auto lights and wipers, and a reversing camera.

Today's Sportage is a smart-looker, easy to live with and relatively frugal; we averaged 8.3l/100km.

We like
Boot looks too shallow to be useful despite 740/1547-litre capacity. But with the back seats folded it fit a boxed chest of drawers, a boxed drop-leaf table and a large box of books - even the muscle-men who loaded them seemed impressed.

We loathe
That Kia has left bargain-basement prices behind.