A full-time 4x4 with 2.0-litre diesel power, the Kia Sportage weighs in at a fairly hefty 1842kg and is no sprinter with a caravan on the hook. Once it does get up to speed it feels confident enough, though crosswinds can catch it out from time to time.
The six-speed manual transmission is pleasant to use and even top gear is usable when towing, though third seemed a bit too high for our long 14% ascent.
The Sportage struggled a bit on our hill route and needed a lot of revs to get going on the 17% restart. A good, commanding driving position gives some view through some caravans, and the big door mirrors are a boon. Generous in terms of storage capabilities, it was also one of the best in class in terms of ease of hitching up.
| Make/Model |
Caravan weight |
Drive |
Cyls/CC |
bhp/lb ft@rpm |
Price |
Tested |
| Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi XS |
1,566kg |
F/AWD |
4/1991 |
138/225@4000 - 1800 |
£18,254 |
2009 |
Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi XS
