sportage

[arnieslad]

anybody got any review or comments on the kia sportage kx4 as i am seriously thinking of buying 1 im choosing this 1as it has a 2ltr engine and 181bhp as i dont think the other sportage models would be up to towing my coachman pastiche ?

 

[BedfordGeorge]

The 2 litre Sportage has a kerb weight of 1600kgs, this would give an advised weight of 1360kgs for your van, if you adhere to the recommended 85% ratio. This would then depend on what the MTPLM of your Pastiche is, and they vary from the Genoa @ 1286 to the Turin @ 1676, so you need to check that out first..

I have a Model 2 Sportage, new in 2010 and with 52,000 miles, of which at least half has been towing our Swift 565 all over Europe, with no problems. I am extremely pleased with Kia, the small problems I have had, have all been fixed under the warranty, and we still have 2 years to go with it.

 

[Travelling-Wilbury]

You never see the Kia Sportage mentioned in the tow car awards or in any tow car reviews. I have a 2013 KX-4 and use it to tow my Coachman Pastiche 470/2. Okay, so my van is a little over the 85% rule, but only just. The MTPLM is 1,420kg and the Kia's kerb weight, as you know, is 1,600 giving an 85% of 1,360kg. Nevertheless, the Sportage still tows very well. My only complaint is the rear suspension of the car tends to sag down a little. I measure the nose weight of the van and make sure that it doesn't go over 75kg, but it still has a tendency to push the rear of the car down slightly. Kia say the max downward weight on the tow hitch is 80kg, so I guess I'll have to try to lighten the nose weight of the Pastiche even more next season. That said, I would still stick with Kia and have plans to move up to the Sorento one day. Hope this helps.

 

[ProfJohnL]

You never see the Kia Sportage mentioned in the tow car awards or in any tow car reviews. I have a 2013 KX-4 and use it to tow my Coachman Pastiche 470/2. Okay, so my van is a little over the 85% rule, but only just. ............

85% was never a RULE, it is only guidance and should be considered in balance with other factors such as nose load and overall loading practice, maintenance and driving habits.

 

[LizziePope]

We have tested the Kia Sportage three times in the history of our Tow Car Awards, so if you'd like to read these reviews, please click here.

And for more about the so-called 85% rule, what it actually means and so on, read our recent blog.

I hope that helps!