Few things are cut and dried when it comes to purchasing new cars. Here's one that is. If you want a compact 4x4, and don't want to spend a lot of money, either buy secondhand or buy a Kia Sportage 2.0-litre model. As one of the least expensive contemporary 4x4s it's possible to buy, the Sportage offers a modern and smartly styled compact sports utility that's slick enough to pass muster.

There are some less expensive 4x4s than the Kia, but these are based on rather ageing platforms and are a good deal less sophisticated. The Sportage is based on the same chassis as the Hyundai Tucson, yet crucially undercuts the Hyundai by a few hundred pounds. This is significant, as in many respects, it's Hyundai putting a toe in the water and assessing whether they can charge a few hundred pounds extra for some perceived badge equity. My advice would be to show Hyundai what they can do with this venture and stick with the Kia. It's materially no inferior to the Tucson and offers the same advantages and shortcomings.

Somewhat improbably, the Hyundai Elantra hatchback provides the underpinnings for both the Sportage and the Tucson. This should also give you a clue as to why the Sportage rides so well on road. The suspension set up is a good deal more sophisticated than the rather rudimentary configurations found on many small 4x4s and offers car-like levels of comfort. In the latest models revised dampers have addressed the problem of body-roll in corners with some success while a more accurate powersteering system has sharpened responses. The part time four-wheel drive system does just enough to offer a degree of off road capability yet doesn't mean the car is encumbered by heavy duty hardware that's very rarely used.

The 4WD Sportage actually operates in front-wheel drive mode most of the time and most will find the 2.0-litre petrol engine more than adequate. If you decide you don't need four driven wheels at all, you can always opt for a 2WD model that ditches the off-road mechanicals. With 140bhp on tap, the engine uses continuously variable valve timing and thrives on revs. Peak power arrives at a very high 6,000rpm and the modest 184Nm peak torque arrives at 4,500rpm. This should tell you a couple of things. Firstly, that this petrol engine isn't great at the sort of low-down lugging required of 'serious' off roaders and secondly that if you want to get anywhere quickly, you'll need to work the engine to do so. Engine refinement isn't the best, but the good news is that the powerplant sounds reasonably purposeful. It's also surprisingly brisk in a straight line, the Sportage getting to 60mph in 10.4 seconds and running on to a top speed of 111mph.

The styling is reasonably contemporary and certainly isn't going to look out of place amongst a gaggle of Toyota RAV4s and Honda CRVs. Three equipment levels are available as is an automatic transmission option. Buyers choose between the 2WD XE and 4WD XR specs for £13,995 and £14,995 respectively.

"The Sportage is modern in both execution and philosophy"

The Sportage also adopts a few MPV-style practicality features. The rear seat cushion and the backrest are a case in point, adopting Kia's 'Fold and Dive' system. Whilst it may sound like a tactic taught by Argentinean football coaches, it is in fact a method of creating a spacious, square-sided and completely flat cargo area. The front passenger seat backrest can also be folded flat to house extra long loads and at the back there's even a flip-up rear window which means that items can be dropped into the luggage area without having to open the tailgate. Not that opening the tailgate is overly difficult. Unlike many compact 4x4s, the Sportage is big enough to keep the spare wheel in its proper place - under the luggage bay floor - instead of mounting it on the rear tailgate. This means that the tailgate is pleasantly light to open and doesn't whistle at motorway speeds - a problem that afflicts cars with hatch mounted spares.

Inside, the seating was remodelled to give increased comfort and the indicator stalk is now where it should be, on the left side of the steering column. The Sportage was launched before the cee'd redefined the standard of build quality we could expect from Kia but it's still acceptably solid. Low grade plastics let the side down in places but the controls are very straight-forward to use.

On the right of the steering wheel assembly are the switches for the four-wheel drive system but only if you've gone for the four-wheel-drive model. The entry-level Sportage derivative uses a conventional 2WD set-up and even the more expensive 4x4 version sends power exclusively to the front wheels until slippage is detected. Then power can be redirected aft to maximise grip.

The exterior styling is neat without offering too much in the way of signature detail. The chunky wheelarches give the car a rather over-inflated look but the overall effect is not unpleasant. It just blends into the background a little. The latest cars can be identified by their single bar through the grille plus the reshaped headlamps and bumper but it's still nothing very dramatic. Offering a car that looks not unlike many rivals costing thousands of pounds more may indeed be a wise move. The only change I'd consider would be the fitment of wider wheels to fill out those chunky arches a little more convincingly.

The Sportage 2.0-litre shows this model in its best light underlining its low pricing and generous equipment levels. Although higher mileage drivers may prefer to save for the 2.0-litre diesel model the fuel economy advantage is not as great as you might imagine, for most customers this petrol engine will be more than adequate. Buying a modern compact 4x4 needn't mean mortgaging yourself to the hilt any more.

TOP 1 SPORTAGE DEALS

The results below show the top SPORTAGE deals on buyacar

	Kia Sportage 2.0 XE 5dr 2WD (Pre-model) Off Road
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,917	Price £12,073