1999 Kia Sportage Review

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"She eats up the small ones pretty well, don’t you think? " yelled Darren’s voice through my helmet’s radio. "She" was the Kia Sportage race car that was taking us on a run for the money in "The Richest Off-Road Race in Nevada." The "small ones" were the lesser, but numbingly continuous, bumps and grinds along this 250-mile off-road course that ran parallel to Death Valley. The "big ones," by contrast, were ridges and drop-offs that sent us airborne, often followed by a rush of sagebrush and dust that rained into the cockpit through the glass-less windshield.

 Typically, in backcountry driving, this rugged terrain would be traversed at slow speed. But this was a race, in fact, the last race of the Best of the Desert Series, called the "Terrible’s Town 250," and Skilton wanted to win. With the two of us held taut in our five-point harnesses, the majestic views and desert terrain went past at speeds that reached nearly 90 mph.

A combination of the Kia’s 104-inch wheelbase, 60-inch track, impressive angles of approach and departure, and supple suspension made this everyday SUV turned race car a dazzling dame at "eating up" the bumps. Ride comfort was a bonus for Skilton. But what really mattered were the Kia’s 185 horses channeled through a five-speed transmission with a 2WD and 4WD box. The combination is a competitive off-road vehicle that Skilton has driven to a number of victories over the past few years.

 

A 31-year-old Long Beach, California, resident, Skilton began his racing career just six years ago and has already garnered three SCORE Milestone Awards, for finishing every mile of every race he started, and some impressive wins, like two SCORE Baja 1000 titles. Following the "Terrible’s Town 250," he was named the ‘98 Class Champion in the Best of the Desert Racing series. All in the Kia Sportage.

As a relative newcomer, with just five years on the U.S. market, Kia’s surprising off-road racing success has been raising plenty of eyebrows. The Korean carmaker’s mini-SUV has claimed victories against vehicles such as the Jeep CJ-7, Chevy Blazer, Ford Bronco II, and Nissan Pathfinder. It's fast, but durable too; before winning "best in class" at Baja, the very same vehicle completed the Paris-Dakar rally, driving into the record books. For 1999, a spunky two-door convertible joins the desert-proven four-door in the Sportage lineup.

You may still be wondering, "Who is this Kia, anyway?" Well, this automaker actually has a long and impressive history, though not in the United States. In 1944, Kia manufactured bicycle parts in Korea and went on to become the first Korean company to build internal combustion engines and passenger cars. Today, the Seoul-based firm — which was recently purchased by Hyundai — sells cars in more than 120 countries and has established itself as a world-class automaker.

The Kia Sportage (rhymes with shortage) comes in two body styles atop the Baja-tough ladder frame. The small, attractive four-door has been on sale here since January 1995, though at the time there were fewer than 100 dealers in the U.S., so you may not have noticed. Today, there are 500 places to buy one, and with the winsome new two-door convertible available, the Sportage is likely to be getting a lot more attention. In fact, Kia’s overall sales of 83,000 vehicles for ‘98 was a 50 percent increase over 1997, and the automaker now claims 9 percent of the small-size SUV market, second in sales to Honda’s CR-V.

 

From the B-pillar forward, the four- and two-door mini-utes are virtually identical, with a low, sloping hood, prominent bumper and rugged body-color grille. Behind the driver are the differences. The four-door resembles a larger SUV whose rear was slightly chopped. The effect is similar to that of Toyota's RAV4, but without the chunkiness.

It's the two-door convertible that turns heads and wins hearts. Not really a convertible in the familiar sense, there is steel above the driver's head at all times; only rear-seat passengers get to bask in the sun. But the effect of a convertible (including the minor hassle of raising and lowering the top) is present, and the partial enclosure is comforting on days that don't encourage going topless.

 

Both models are powered by a Mazda-derived dual-overhead-cam inline four-cylinder. At only 2.0 liters displacement, it makes an impressive 130 horsepower, but it needs to be worked — the 127-foot-pound torque peak comes at a buzzy 4,000 rpm. Since the four-door 4x4 tips the scale at nearly 3,400 pounds, the engine is adequate but not thrilling. We liked it best with the Getrag-built five-speed manual transmission, which makes it fun, if not furiously fast. A larger V-6 engine would fit nicely into the engine bay and our driving style, but until then we'll be content revving the four-cylinder shamelessly up to the redline.

Four-wheel drive is of the part-time, dual-range type, which is not to be used on dry pavement. The Warn hubs are vacuum operated and unlock without reversing. Unlike the front-wheel-drive competition from Honda and Toyota, the Sportage is driven by its rear wheels when in 2WD mode. The four-door can be had in 4WD with automatic or standard shift, but the two-door comes in only two configurations: 4WD five-speed or 2WD autobox. Either Kia can tow 2,000 pounds.

On-road handling is a bit better than what you'd expect for a tall vehicle of this size. Body roll is standard, but it's not significant or dangerous. Owing to its genuine off-road prowess, the ride is a bit harsher than that of some of its passenger car-based competitors, however. Maneuvering around town is easy and fun with Sportage's tight turning circle. Strong braking comes from vented discs up front and 10-inch drums at the rear. ABS is a $490 option.

 

The biggest news in the pleasant interior is the standard driver's side knee airbag. It's the first such airbag in any vehicle. More conventional airbags are standard for both driver and front passenger, though side airbags are not available. Rear-seat passengers get three-point belts in the outboard positions and a center lap belt. They'd best be comfortable in small spaces, however; in both models, rear seating is tight.

Cloth upholstery is standard, while leather is a $900 option on the up model EX four-door. Power door locks, windows, mirrors, two-speed wipers, tilt wheel, anti-theft system, and tachometer are standard on the base models. To earn the EX badge on the four-door (and its A/C, AM/FM/CD stereo, cruise control, and alloy wheels) expect to pay about $2,300 more than the base model, which starts at an impressive $14,795. The two-door automatic 4x2 is $13,995, while the 4x4 five-speed is $14,495. The long list of standard equipment and the low purchase price are Sportage's most attractive features, whether you're racing in the desert or just rallying to work.

For the record: The Terrible’s Town 250, sanctioned by Nevada’s Bureau of Land Management,

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