Kia Sportage tops with Consumer Reports
Yonkers, New York – The redesigned Kia Sportage received top points in a new test by Consumer Reports, gaining more points than the Nissan Juke or Mitsubishi RVR. All three vehicles received a “very good” overall road test score.
The RVR is sold as the Outlander Sport in the U.S.
“The melding of more car-like qualities in these vehicles comes with some concessions like passenger room, visibility and versatility compared with that of other SUVs,” said David Champion, senior director of the Auto Test Center. “But the Sportage outmanoeuvred the other two competitors because it manages to have greater interior space without losing its fun-to-drive character.”
The magazine said that the Sportage emerged as a competitive small SUV with nimble handling and efficient powertrain. The RVR is a smaller version of the Outlander with less rear seating and cargo space, while the “fun-to-drive” Juke, a new design based on the Nissan Versa platform, has compromised rear-seat space, cargo room and visibility due to its distinctive styling.
The issue also features a face-off between the Honda Odyssey and Kia Sedona minivans. The Odyssey scored an “excellent” road test score and topped the magazine’s minivan ratings, outpointing the Sedona which scored “very good.”
The Juke, Odyssey, RVR and Sportage are too new for Consumer Reports to have adequate reliability data for a “recommended” score. The Sedona’s reliability is below average and therefore not recommended. The magazine only recommends vehicles that have performed well in its tests, have at least average predicted reliability based on a survey of readers, and performed at least adequately if crash-tested or included in a government rollover test
