2011 Kia Sportage Kia Sportage 2011 The Good A snazzy new look, inside and out, plus a few more horses, surprisingly sporty handling, and a low sticker price add up to a boatload of value with the 2011 Kia Sportage. The Bad Subpar ride quality, a smallish cargo area, less refinement than most rivals, and issues with visibility combine to saddle the 2011 Sportage with some daunting challenges. The CarGurus View Based on looks and value alone, the totally redesigned 2011 Sportage deserves a serious look. Kia aims high with this suddenly classy crossover, and owners reap the benefits of a sporty drive, added performance, a bit of automotive eye-candy, and one of the best warranties in the business. At a Glance With a total redesign of its 2011 Sportage crossover, Kia has decided it’s had enough and isn’t going to take it any more from the likes of Honda and Toyota.

This five-passenger compact ute has new look inside and out, a new trim level, a couple of new color selections, and, in dropping the V6 in favor of an up-powered inline-four-cylinder engine (I4) and six-speed automatic transmission, a bit of extra giddyup and a tad more bang for the gas buck. A new, more aggressive grille design, higher beltline, detailed taillights, macho-oriented headlight and window design, and the added orange and blue exterior colors complement added textures and more masculine chiseling of console, door, and dashboard components. Virtual dj skin pioneer cdj 2000 nexus.

Larger roof pillars, however, give the 2011 Sportage some challenging blind spots, which will take a bit of getting used to, and only 54.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded may challenge the home handyman. For 2011, the Sportage comes in three trim levels, the new Base, the now-midlevel LX, and the top-shelf EX. The Base is front-wheel-drive (FWD) only, while the LX and EX trims are available in either the standard FWD or available all-wheel-drive (AWD) versions. Later in the model year, Kia expects to unleash a turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 in the new Sportage SX trim level, with, of course, its legendary aim of keeping this charged up mini-ute affordable and cutting edge. Long dominated by the likes of Honda’s CR-V and Toyota’s RAV4, the 2011 Sportage is ready to go after not only these perennial favorites, but Ford’s Escape, Nissan’s Rogue, Chevy’s Equinox, and Subaru’s Forester crossovers, as well.

All of these formidable contenders remain a tad faster and more refined than the Sportage. Appearance-wise, however, Kia’s reworked compact crossover stands firmly alongside all of the above, while boasting value that few can match. Yep, Kia’s Sportage is positioning itself to seize vast chunks of the small crossover market, with its looks, performance, handling properties, and its legendary value already turning heads. Without the underperforming V6 engine and inefficient four-speed transmissions, the 2011 Sportage lineup boasts a few more horses and two more gears for added power and efficiency. Standard in all trims is a variable-valve-timed 2.4-liter I4 powerplant that combines with a six-speed manual transmission in the Base trim, and six-speed auto-manual transmission in the LX and EX versions, for some 176 hp at 6,000 rpm and 168 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm.