2017 Kia Sportage EX AWD Update 9: Just LOOK at it!
Sportage styling impresses, even draws Macan comparisons
Our 2017 Kia Sportage EX AWD looks good. After many months of driving the 2017 Sportage, I'm still a fan of its styling. It's an important win for the Kia, which isn't quite as spacious, quick, or efficient as others in the class.
0:00 / 0:00
What makes the 2017 Sportage's design so appealing is that even the base LX incorporates most of what I like about the more expensive EX and SX trims. Unlike every single competitor in our 2016 Big Test comparison of compact crossovers, the Sportage lacks a rear quarter window behind the rear doors. It's not a big deal, but it does help distinguish the Sportage from most other crossovers. Above the nicely sculpted door panels is my favorite design feature: the roofline that gently slopes downward as it reaches the rear of the crossover, giving it a sportier profile.
Move toward the crossover's rear, and I have mixed thoughts. I love the shape of the black and body-colored roof spoiler and the way the car emphasizes the automaker's badge by pushing down the license plate area, like in the Hyundai Tucson and Jeep Cherokee. I could do without the fake taillight strip, which connects the taillights on LX and EX trims (the SX adds a chrome strip), and I would love to see the SX's wonderfully detailed LED taillights on the EX trim in a future model year.
What bugs me most about the Sportage's design is something the Kia shares with our 2017 Car of the Year, the Chevrolet Bolt EV—its turn signals are mounted way too low in a lighting element some might assume is just a reflector. As someone who actually uses turn signals, I want them to illuminate as high up as possible for optimal visibility.
Up front, the 2017 Sportage's styling is more controversial, and although I've warmed a bit to the headlights and grille, I don't like how the EX's circular foglights look much larger in the black area. What I love about the headlights on our Sportage EX is the cool pattern Kia added to the headlight cluster. Just like the grille's interesting pattern, it's another cool detail owners can appreciate as they walk to their car.
Another feature I like about the Sportage—one that could only be found on a Kia—is the tabbed shape on the top of the front windshield. That notched cutline is also found on the new 2018 Stinger rear-drive sedan and is echoed by the Sportage's silver trim around the air vents.
Spending many months with the 2017 Sportage hasn't changed my opinion about the Kia's styling. I still think exterior design is one of the car's best features even if the location of the rear turn signals and the busy foglight area could be improved.
More on our long-term Kia Sportage right here:
- Arrival
- Update 1: Feed Me!
- Update 2: Apple CarPlay and iOS 10
- Update 3: Staying Safe
- Update 4: Slow and Efficient, but…
- Update 5: So Many Features!
- Update 6: Storage Ups and Downs
- Update 7: Six Interior Details I've Come to Love
- Update 8: Splurge for the SX?
Stay Ahead of the Curve.
Get the newest car reviews, hottest auto news, and expert analysis of the latest trends delivered straight to your inbox!
I’ve come a long way since I drove sugar packets across restaurant tables as a kid, pretending they were cars. With more than 17 years of experience, I'm passionate about demystifying the new car market for shoppers and enthusiasts. My expertise comes from thoughtfully reviewing countless vehicles across the automotive spectrum. The greatest thrill I get isn’t just from behind the wheel of an exotic car but from a well-executed car that’s affordable, entertaining, and well-made. Since about the time I learned to walk I’ve been fascinated by cars of all shapes and sizes, but it wasn’t until I struggled through a summer high school class at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design that I realized writing was my ticket into the automotive industry. My drive to high school was magical, taking me through a beautiful and winding canyon; I've never lost the excited feeling some 16-year-olds get when they first set out on the road. The automotive industry, singing, and writing have always been my passions, but because no one seeks a writer who sings about the automotive industry, I honed my writing and editing skills at UC Irvine (zot zot!), serving as an editor of the official campus newspaper and writing stories as a literary journalism major. At USC, I developed a much greater appreciation for broadcast journalists and became acquainted with copy editing rules such as why the Oxford comma is so important. Though my beloved 1996 Audi A4 didn’t survive my college years, my career with MotorTrend did. I started at the company in 2007 building articles for motorcycle magazines, soon transitioning to writing news posts for MotorTrend’s budding online department. I spent some valuable time in the copy editing department, as an online news director, and as a senior production editor. Today, MotorTrend keeps me busy as the Buyer's Guide Director. Not everyone has a career centered on one of their passions, and I remind myself all the time how lucky I am.
Read More
