Kia has made good on its promise to add turbodiesel-powered derivatives to its Sportage line-up. We spent a couple of weeks behind the ‘wheel of the 1.6CRDi GT Line Plus to find out how good it really is. Should you choose it over its petrol siblings?
When the current (NQ5-gen) Sportage was launched in the local market in September 2022, it had an all-petrol-powered line-up, but Kia South Africa did not rule out the possibility that turbodiesel versions would be added later. Sure enough, a trio of 1.6CRDi Sportages arrived in May (when we drove one at the media launch), but we were keen to give a turbodiesel example a more thorough assessment…
As a reminder, the Sportage 1.6CRDi is powered by an older-gen 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel motor, but we’re quite comfortable with the Korean brand reverting to technology that is proven in South African conditions. Remember the Kia Soul diesel? Its engine has made its way into the vehicle you see here.
Sadly, turbodiesel powerplants are no longer ubiquitous in passenger-car models; although they still feature in large SUVs (and commercial-vehicle-based models), most automotive brands are phasing them out of their product line-ups. In the medium SUV segment, the Hyundai offers a pair of 2.0D Tucsons, while Volkswagen and Mazda have all-wheel-drive turbodiesel Tiguan and CX-5 derivatives. Compare the Kia Sportage to the Hyundai Tucson and the Volkswagen Tiguan here
All in all, the Sportage range now comprises 8 derivatives (five 1.6-litre turbopetrols and three 1.6-litre turbodiesels) that are available in 3 trim levels – that is one of the most diverse line-ups in the class.
With peak outputs of 100 kW and 320 Nm from the 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel Smartstream engine, the Sportage 1.6CRDi GT Line Plus cannot match its turbopetrol siblings’ sprinting ability, but the oil-burner offers a higher torque output plus, in our experience (and, as expected) superior fuel economy.
Let’s let the numbers do the talking. When we had our test gear hooked up to the test unit, it sprinted from 0 to 100 kph in 10.37 seconds (quicker than the 11.4-sec claim) and consumed 6.6 L/100 km. While the indicated average consumption figure was some way off the claimed 4.9 L/100 km, we did often drive the Kia enthusiastically (when we weren’t spending a fair amount of time in bumper-to-bumper traffic).
Therefore, if you spend the majority of your commute in free-flowing freeway traffic – and employ a measured driving style as often as possible, a return of under 6 L/100 km is achievable. Given the Sportage’s 54-litre tank capacity, you could theoretically travel about 1 000 km between fill-ups.
How do the test unit’s figures compare with those of the 1.6T-GDi GT Line S, which we reviewed late last year? Kia claims an 8.8-second 0-100 kph time and a 6.5 L/100 km average consumption figure for the turbopetrol derivative. Admittedly, we didn’t conduct a timed performance test of 1.6T-GDi GT Line S when we tested it, but it consumed 9.2 L/100 km during our fuel test. So, if you value eager off-the-line acceleration, favour the petrol option, but if long-term frugality is more important, diesel’s the way to go.
The powerplant under the bonnet is of an older vintage, so does it emit that characteristic diesel-engine clatter? Yes, when you stand outside the SUV while it’s idling, you can hear the clatter (especially after a cold start), but to the Kia’s credit, you can barely hear that noise in the cabin. That underscores just how refined the Sportage is; its interior is admirably insulated from road-, wind- and mechanical noise.
Source: cars
