The latest Kia Sportage is a stylish, well-equipped and affordable package for anyone looking for that king of the road driving position wrapped up in a car that’s practical and has an outstanding 100,000 mile, seven year warranty.

The Sportage has really evolved from a rather gruff 4×4 into a uber-cool crossover, with stylish design touches both inside and out. The dash is well laid out and easy to use, and there’s ample adjustment of the seat and steering wheel meaning finding the right seating position is a doddle.

There’s space for four, five if the middle passenger can cope with the central tunnel that restricts leg room, and the boot is well shaped and can be extended thanks to folding rear seats. Although they don't fold completely flat.

On the road, the Sportage is more of a motorway cruiser than an agile SUV, leaning through the bends because of the rather soft suspension.  The steering lacks real input too.

There’s a range of petrol and diesel engines to choose from, but we’d be more included to look at the more powerful 2.0-litre models as they're a bit more engaging than the rather flat lower powered ones.