2012 & 2011 Kia SUV Reviews & Ratings

KIA SUV has been gaining popularity in the global market since it first produced the KIA Borrego in 2009. The Borrego wasn't much of a success, being only in the market for a year, but it marked the beginning of the Korean company's venture into the SUV genre. KIA is mostly known for their compact cars like the Rio, Soul and Forte and mid-sized models like the Optima and Optima Hybrid, based on reviews. Although pretty young at the whole SUV business, KIA SUVs pack decent performance in what some might consider an unattractive body. That is of course until the KIA Sportage came along. A lot of reviews approved of this KIA SUV mostly for its very sporty look.

The KIA Sportage is by far the most popular and top-selling model among all the KIA SUVs. It usually comes within the top 10 of most SUV reviews at present. It sells for its attractive trims and impressive features. This particular KIA SUV model is doing well in performance and affordability as well. Many reviews mention it being on par with other SUVs like the Hyundai Tucson, Volkswagen Tiguan, Mazda CX-7 and Subaru Forester. The Sportage also ranked high on its safety features based on reviews and drive tests done. The car also received the highest rating for its frontal-offset, roof strength and side-impact tests by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.

At the moment, KIA SUV is competing with major players like Chevrolet, Honda, Toyota, GMC, Mazda and Subaru. Chevrolet 2012 Equinox and the 2012 Honda CR-V are the two top contenders in the SUV business based on the most recent reviews. The current KIA SUV models Sorento and Sportage are doing quite well especially considering their affordability based on reviews online. The Sorento is now priced at around $21,000 while the Sportage is at about $18,000. This competes well since the latest models of Chevrolet Equinox are priced at about $23,000 while the Honda CR-V is around $22,000.

Both the KIA Sorento and KIA Sportage are compact sports cars. The Sorento features a 6-speed auto transmission, Sportmatic technology that allows the driver to choose between automatic or manual shifting, 18" mirror-finish wheels, LED rear tail lamps, and a 3,500lbs towing capacity. The Sportage, on the other hand, boasts very stylish 18" tires with alloy wheels, turbocharged 2.0L gasoline direct engine that gives a powerful 260hp, 269 lb-ft of torque paired with good fuel efficiency, LED headlights, dual exhaust for better performance and power mirrors with turn signal indicators. Based on tests and reviews, the Sorento and Sportage are both medium-sized KIA SUVs that can comfortably fit 7 and 5 average-sized people respectively.

After our review, we can say that KIA SUVs are a tight competitor in the market today. Based on the price, performance and design of the KIA SUVs, it is a worthy player in the field of medium-sized sports utility vehicles. Many other reviews out there give high praises to KIA for making affordable, quality vehicles like the Sportage. We are now looking forward to more quality SUVs and cars from KIA in the near future.