Exactly five years ago this week, I was at the UK launch of the original Kia Sportage 4x4. It seemed not a bad buy, with a start price of £13,150. Now I've been driving the latest Sportage, in a range with a start price of £12,995.What happened to inflation, higher production and component costs, and all the rest of it? How come Kia and its UK importers can stay in business having reduced their prices over a five-year period?Well, the fact that the European-market Sportage was formerly built by Karmann in Osnabruck, while the current model is produced in South Korea, may have something to do with it. But the whole Kia price structure in this country, as the Carens and Sedona tested here earlier also show, is at Continental levels. And we know what that means, don't we?Kia commissioned several UK specialist firms to help it design the Sportage. There were contributions from Lotus Engineering, Hawtal Whiting and IAD towards the general approach, transmission and suspension layout, which is partly why the Sportage still feels pretty good, for a 4x4, on ordinary roads.It's no mug off-road, either. I've been in West Highland forests with one Sportage, and up on the dizzy heights of a disused North Wales quarry with another. Both went confidently and sure-footedly enough in these conditions for any sane new-car buyer.So it's a serious hairy-terrain vehicle which also manages to have decent on-road manners, still by no means a regular combination with this kind of machine. Being compact like the Sportage helps, of course.The two-litre engine has plenty of poke, and there's the usual transfer box with high and low overall ratios. Until recently the Sportage was available only as a five-speed manual, but now there's an electronically controlled four-speed auto as an £850 option. As with the manual, the latest transmission has selectable four-wheel drive.With that plus a generous ground clearance, a limited slip differential and automatic locking hubs at the front, the Sportage is as ready for rough going as any other 4x4 near this price. Off-road specialists often say that an automatic can be better than a manual in tough conditions, and I'm in no position to argue.On the road the automatic works smoothly enough, although there were times on uphill stretches when I found the test car hunting between gears. Indecisive throttle work on the driver's part, perhaps.The Sportage has always been neatly proportioned, with no vulgar off-roader styling excesses, although the modified but still rather cumbersome spare wheel cradle, which you have to swing open to get at the tailgate, remains a bit of a pest.It's the interior that's improved most since I last drove one of these cars. Darker trim colouring and better upholstery patterns have made it look much better. There's good luggage space, and although the rear seat is set quite high, the Sportage has enough headroom for that not to be a problem.Altogether, this is a compact and convenient 4x4, of the "soft" persuasion which means that you often see it on the daily school run. Coming back to the Sportage after a while, I felt that, partly because of its easy road manners, it hasn't lagged behind the more recently designed opposition as much as you might expect. Of course, it does lag behind in price, but who's complaining? Engine 1998cc, 4 cylinders Power 126bhp Transmission 4-speed automatic Fuel 24.4mpg Acceleration 0-62mph: 15.1 seconds Top speed 101mph Price £14,845 Release date 15/05/2010
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