Kia Sportage

قادر محمد

May 3

I had been browsing car websites for a while and looked at models like Jetour. When the compact version of the Sportage was released, I was really drawn to its bold design—but once they announced the price, I knew it was out of my budget. So I went back to looking at cars like the Jetta VS5 and BinYue. I wasn’t in a hurry because I was using a friend’s car, but when he moved to another emirate, I had no choice but to buy my own. I consulted with my family and started visiting dealerships. I was planning to go with the Jetta, but at the dealership, I saw the compact Sportage in front of me, tried it out, and really liked it. It felt right, and the price fit my budget, so I went ahead and decided to buy it. After some back-and-forth with the salesman, we closed the deal. I'm 173 cm tall, and the front seat is spacious—I have good headroom—and the back is very comfortable. You can stretch your legs easily, and the trunk space is more than enough. Honestly, it exceeded my expectations. Sound insulation, though, is an issue! Tire noise is noticeable, and if you open the windows, you get a strong wind sound. Even the engine gets loud when you press the gas. Some people mentioned water leaks or strange noises, but I haven’t experienced that so far. I did get a bit of fog inside one of the headlights. I haven’t driven it much yet, but the company gave me six free services over three years, plus a AED 500 workshop voucher. The car has a 2.0L engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission—it’s been smooth and hassle-free so far. The power is enough for me. In sport mode, it responds quickly and drives smoothly. Of course, everyone dreams of a V8, but I like driving calmly—I’m not the type to race off at traffic lights. As for fuel consumption, it’s still too early to judge—I’ve only done about 100 km. The average so far is 10L/100km, and the best I got was 8.1. Some say they’ve managed 5.9, but realistically I think around 7 is more typical. There’s no such thing as a perfect car—just pick what you like and can live with. If the design and features work for you and the price fits your budget, go for it. The most important thing is that you’re comfortable with your choice.

عبد العزيز شاكر

May 3

After 3 years of using the car, I can say it’s reliable and has very few issues. The interior is basic and mostly hard plastic, but I was more focused on the engine and transmission. The 2.0L engine with the 6-speed gearbox has been working well so far. Performance is decent for family use — not powerful, but good enough. Real fuel consumption is around 10L/100km, even though the onboard computer shows 8.8, with mixed city and highway driving. One time on the highway, cruise control suddenly turned off, and the car wouldn’t go over 80 km/h. The check engine light came on, but after about 3 minutes everything went back to normal — still, it was a scary moment. What bothers me most is the thin paint — it scratches easily — and the poor sound insulation; above 80 km/h you can hear everything. Interior space is good, the trunk is big, and the rear seats fold down. Overall, it’s a dependable car with very few mechanical issues, thank God.