Bucket Seat: KIA Sportage Diesel

As most of you know, I was given the opportunity to get acquainted with the new KIA Sportage over the December break and while I loved that car to bits, I said what would make it even better was the introduction of a diesel motor to the line-up. Now I'm not saying they took my advice as they probably had this pre-planned but they recently introduced their 1.6L turbodiesel engine in three trims to the KIA Sportage line-up, namely, the LX, EX and GT-Line Plus. I had was given the GT-Line Plus model to spin around the east coast for a week, to see if my assumptions were true about adding a diesel option to their line up and while I don't want to seem smug, I will go through this review limiting my smugness over this car and what it has to offer. 

DESIGN

It's just a change in engine so the great KIA futuristic design remains the same, it's quite different from the rest of the KIA line up and to be honest, I quite like how it stems away from the generic SUV look that the current segment has with the competitors. The boomerang LED daytime running lights are a great design feature that give the car more dimension and has many offshoots from it, like housing the main headlamps, linking the slim line grille and contouring the lines from the bonnet and bottom half of the bumper. It also looks from its profile as the starting point of the cars design. KIA's wheel design also is big and bold with large flat surface which does add structural stability to the wheel but also looks great at the same time. The interior is probably one of my favourite from a lot of brands let alone the SUV segment. From the layout to the material choices, it just makes sense and looks the part too. 

PERFORMANCE

Getting to the crux of the matter, that 1.6-litre turbo diesel motor, the 4-cylinder unit that is mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox produces 100kW of power and 320Nm of torque. The GTLine Plus model that I had came with paddle shifts on the steering. That, for a mid-sized family SUV is the perfect power production and will really blossom on the open roads. Urban driving, of which I did a lot of isn't too bad, as with me it was mainly going to work and back as well as the odd trip to go shopping and enjoy some recreational time with it gave me an average fuel consumption of about 7.3 litres per 100km. Looking at the brochure, KIA claim the Sportage diesel can give you 4.9 litres per 100km, this is probably done under ideal conditions but coming back to my first statement about where you'd really see the beauty of this engine on long distance trips. With good driving, one could easily get over 1000km on a single tank of juice with the Sportage. This with a full cabin and luggage in the boot. I was a bit disappointed to see KIA opting to give this model the normal gear selector and not the radial one I had in the petrol one over the December break. Not that it's a major issue but it looked pretty cool. 

COMFORT

I already spoke about the well designed interior but the choice of materials used in the cabin feel super luxurious, from the leather/ suede seats and dash to the high gloss piano black finishes on the dash and center console. The dual screen command center that splits between the instrument cluster and infotainment screen is great and easy to use. Mobile apps are a standard with still a need for cable connectivity which isn't the worst thing as wireless does tend to drain the battery life. There is a wireless  charging pad for the mobile device should that be required. There is two USB ports for the driver and front passenger,both have their own zone climate control with seat heating and cooling. The rear passengers also get seat heating as well as USB B ports which are mounted on the side of the back rests of the driver and front passenger seats. Other standard features for the GT-Line Plus include deluxe scuff plates, alloy pedals, electric tailgate, lane follow assist with lane keep assist, LED interior lighting, panoramic glass sunroof and forward collision avoidance assist. The Sportage has a 54-litre luggage capacity, decent amount for a small family but more importantly for me, can fit a full set of golf clubs with ease. 

VERDICT

Overall, the KIA Sportage diesel option is the ideal SUV option for someone like me, the diesel engine offers optimal performance with great fuel consumption. It's by no means a high performance car but for the segment its in and compared to the the competition, it does stand out the best. The creature comforts of the car make it more appealing if the design wasn't enough to by. Even with the model being almost a year old it still manages to turn heads everywhere you go. It's the perfect vehicle to load up the family or a group of friends and go for a much needed road trip. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.6L 4-cylinder turbodiesel
Gear Box	7-speed automatic
Torque	300Nm
Power	100W
Fuel Economy	4.9L per 100km
Price	R735,995

 

Bucket Seat: Honda Ballade

When it comes to mid-sized sedans on the market, there is only one car that comes to mind and that is the Toyota Corolla. While there have been some competition coming in from the likes of the Koreans, there hasn't been something worthy to steer peoples heads away from the Japanese manufacturers most successful car, well maybe it needed competition from a brand from its on country? Step in Honda with their all new Ballade, a car which was quite popular in SA in the 80's and early 90's. Unfortunately for the brand, it seemed to fizzle out in the late 90's and with the introduction of the Civic the famed Ballade was all but forgotten. Honda did re-introduce the name a few years back but the model didn't do as well as they hoped it would do but now with an all-new design and offering they hoping to sway the heads of some. I got to spend a week with the new Ballade Elegance CVT, and I have to say it was more than what I expected. 

Starting off with the design, I think Honda did a great job, while the car isn't the biggest around, the low and long approach gives the car a bigger look that it actually is. With wide headlamps adding that extra width look to the car and that solid bar grille really makes the car stand out. Even with the rims, the multi-spoke look give the impression that the wheels are bigger than what they really are. The design is very clean and elegant, not like its larger brother the Civic, it looks a bit American if you ask me, not that it is a bad thing but just looks more professional in its stance. Stepping inside, its much of the same, very business like cabin with all your buttons and controls neatly laid out, no funky lighting and an large 7" infotainment screen. The seats are comfortable, the interior spacious and what surprised me was all the tech you get with the car as standard. I mean the key has a button to start the cars ignition while you standing outside! What the purpose of that you might ask? Well its more for countries with colder climates so you can get the engine warmed up before your journey as well as get the cabin acclimatized before you get in. 

Performance on the new Ballade, all variants come fitted with a 1.5L DOHC i-Vetc 4 cylinder petrol engine. Power output on it is 89kW and 145Nm, the car is fitted with a CVT automatic gearbox but overall I think this combination proves to do well with the car. As it is aimed at smaller families, the car has enough power for urban trips as well as long highway travels. I hardly found myself straining the engine on commutes and unlike other CVT gearboxes there was no searching for gears or high revving for no reason. Honda claim a 5.5L per 100km but with my time with the car, I only managed to get around 6.8L which still isn't too bad for a car of this size and nature. 

As mentioned the car is pretty comfortable, the top of the range model comes with keyless entry, the infotainment screen has built-in applications as well as a USB input and Bluetooth connectivity. The car has single-zone climate control as well push button start. I love the interior finishes, while the seats are material, the use of different materials on the dash and steering wheel really gives the cabin a luxurious feel. The car comes with PDC's and a reverse camera, full multi-function steering wheel and VSC. The rear passengers have a decent amount of space and the seats are pretty comfy as well. The luggage capacity is generous with you being able to load quite a bit in the trunk. 

Overall, the new Ballade is a decent offering, for its price point it won't be here to steal Toyota's crown from the Corolla but it is offering a niche car in a segment between the Corolla and Corolla Quest. You're getting a solid car with a great reputation at a decent price which has most of the bells and whistles. Honda needs no introduction in terms of its re-sale value and reliability, it really is a great offering from them and doing that Ballade badge justice. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5L DOHC i-Vtec
Gear Box	5-Speed Automatic CVT
Torque	145Nm
Power	89kW
Economy	5.5L per 100km
Price	R375,400