test drives

By Tim Saunders

Night driving is an excellent way of putting a car through its paces because the roads are clearer – it does also test a driver’s abilities. I get to do this with the third generation Kia Sportage as I return from GuilFest’25 late at night. The roads are clear and it’s so much more fun than the crawl we endure during the day. But you have to have your wits about you, not just second-guessing other motorists who seem even less competent than usual at this time of night but also anticipating any wildlife making its way onto the roads. You don’t want to kill a deer.

Even in economy mode the 1.6-litre engine is responsive and engaging to drive. It’s the ideal vehicle for Britain’s terrible roads because it soaks up the potholes and tackles speed bumps with ease. Outside my son Henry’s school the road has been dug up – yet again - for gas works and a temporary rubber speed bump has been installed. The Kia’s excellent suspension handles this well, too. At GuilFest we need to park in a massive field and have to drive quite a way across to find our space. Although we bump all over the place, it’s great fun and still feels solid when abused like this.

The sat nav could be better. In common with most it tells you to go on the motorway but I want to go the more picturesque back way from Locks Heath to Guildford so bend it to my will by driving to Wickham on to Alton and finally it gets the message. Guidance leaves a little to be desired, telling me to go left or right on occasions when it should be straight ahead. But we get there without too much aggro. Driving on the back roads we spy fields of wildflowers and a variety of surfaces that allow for travelling at all speeds from 30mph up to the national speed limit.

“It feels too large,” says Caroline, who prefers a smaller vehicle. I know what she means but after a while you get used to it and it does provide very capable family transport while looking smart on the outside.

Inside it’s comfortable, equipped with lots of gadgets and most importantly for me a six-speed manual gearbox, which provides that proper traditional driving experience. There’s an electric handbrake and a push button start.

The back of the rear seats can be adjusted, too, which is a nice touch and the boot is massive, especially when the seats are down. It’s really easy to put the seats down, too. All of this means that I can take lots of rubbish to the tip, which is really helpful.

Facts at a glance