The marketing guys at Kia are a refreshingly candid bunch. I mean, it takes some courage to admit buyers of your car were probably looking for something else.

The logic is that customers wanting, say, a nice hatchback such as a Ford Focus or a Vauxhall Astra, might plump for a Sportage SUV when they see that it costs the same sort of money. Similarly sized compact SUVs such as the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V are much more expensive.

Kia has also accepted that the majority of those who buy small SUVs want the pose of a tough-guy off-roader, but don’t actually need the off-road bit. That’s why you can now get a two-wheel-drive-only Sportage for even less cash – the new entry level model costs £13,995 – £1,350 less than the previous poverty-spec Sportage.

This latest model gains body-coloured bumpers and side cladding as standard, a mildly tweaked grille and larger wing mirrors to meet European Union regulations. Sure, it still looks a little odd from some angles, but the rear view has an uncanny look of the Volvo XC90 about it.

And there’s yet more candidness from Kia, which reckons a sizeable proportion of Brits still believe Korean car companies can’t put things together quite as well as their European or Japanese counterparts. To put those doubts to rest, it has slapped a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the thing, which, as guarantees go, is pretty amazing. Kia claims this is the best warranty in the business, and is proud to mention that it’s transferable to subsequent owners, which can only help with future resale.

In terms of quality, the fit and finish of my test car were certainly up to Japanese standards, and nothing rattled over a long day’s drive. The aluminium-like finish in the cabin is reasonably convincing, and the seat cloth has been extended further around the back of the seat, which used to be plastic covered.

The cars, built in Slovakia, are also exclusively destined for Europe, which means the chassis has been better tuned for our tastes than was the previous-generation Sportage. There are definite dynamic improvements, with tauter handling and a meatier feel to the steering. The low-speed ride is good, but there’s a bit too much vertical bounce noticeable at motorway speeds.

With a choice of three engines – a 2.7 litre V6, a 2 litre petrol and a 138bhp 2 litre diesel, it’s the last of these that’s likely to be the default choice. The front-wheel-drive-only diesel Sportage is only available with a four-speed automatic transmission, and on a motorway cruise I found this combination painfully slow and unresponsive. The official figures are 0-62mph in 15.3sec and 35.3mpg on the combined cycle.

By comparison, the four-wheel-drive version with six-speed manual transmission, felt quick, reaching 0-62mph in 12sec, and that in spite of weighing some 160lb more than the two-wheel-drive model. To add insult to injury, the four-wheel-drive version is significantly more fuel efficient, at 39.8mpg combined. This tells us one thing: that the four-wheel-drive diesel is the one to go for (it’s not available with an automatic gearbox, and you wouldn’t want it if it were).

Inside, the Sportage gets some minor tweaks. The front seat squabs are slightly longer and wider to accommodate our expanding Euro-butts, and the rear seats are set slightly lower, although I doubt that many will notice the extra 5mm of resulting headroom. Five adults can travel in reasonable comfort, and Kia also claims to have reduced noise levels with better sunroof seals and clever sculpting of the wing mirrors.

The 60/40 folding rear seats are rather cunning. When they’re lowered, the seat squabs slide forward and down into the footwell so the seatbacks can fold flush with the floor. Another nice touch is the separately opening rear window, which allows you to chuck small items into the boot without having to open the tailgate.

And the driving position is fine, although the steering wheel adjusts only for rake, and not reach. Outward vision is good, and judging the position of the car’s corners is easy, something that’s not always a given on an off-roader.

For the record, we did take the four-wheel-drive Sportage off-road over a course of middling difficulty. There’s no low-range gearbox, but you can select a four-wheel-drive mode that ensures power always goes to all four wheels – in regular road mode, the Sportage defaults to front-drive if the system senses there’s plentiful grip. And no, we didn’t get stuck, although we did generate a fair amount of clutch-stink on the steeper bits.

For those setting out to buy a compact SUV – not those accidentally distracted hatchback buyers – the field is littered with contenders such as the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CR-V and the Nissan X-Trail. They have the pedigree and the reassurance of a respected and long-serving brand, but the least expensive of this trio is the £18,795 X-Trail 2.0i Trek. However, Kia might suggest you feel the spec. Even the most basic Sportage comes with air-conditioning, remote locking, headlamp levelling, power steering, CD, MP3 port, front foglamps, six airbags and alloy wheels.

Yet it still all comes down to the badge. It’s too early in Kia’s brand life for owners to say: “I drive a Kia,” without hastily adding all of those riders about hatchback money and seven-year warranties.

Actually, I’m not at all convinced that Brits think Koreans can’t build cars properly. The real issue is that we need a lot of incentive to drive something with that Kia script on the boot lid. The pride of ownership here is about the deal you got . . . and sod the badge. For some of us, that’s plenty good enough.

Model Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi 4WD

Engine type 1991cc, four cylinders, turbodiesel

Power/Torque 138bhp / 225 lb ft

Transmission Six-speed manual

Fuel/CO2 39.8mpg (combined) / 187g/km

Performance 0-62mph: 12.0sec / Top speed: 110mph

Price £14,995

Verdict Competent car, indifferent badge

Rating

Date of release January 2008

The opposition

Model Nissan X-Trail 2.0i Trek £18,795

For Good off-road, refined on road

Against Styling is a bit dull

Model Toyota RAV4 XT3 VVT-i £19,095

For Excellent diesel, car-like driving

Against Getting quite pricey now

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