Kia Sportage SL (2010–2015)

From the boxy JE to a design-led SL

The SL broke with the upright, utilitarian look of the second-generation JE. It was lower than its predecessors, longer and wider, and rode on a longer wheelbase, which gave it a sleeker stance than any earlier Sportage.

The design traces back to the Kue concept shown at the Detroit motor show in 2007 and developed by Kia's US design centre in Irvine, California. Italian Wikipedia credits Peter Schreyer with Massimo Frascella for the exterior and Ralph Kluge for the interior. The result won a Red Dot award in the "best of the best" category in 2011, and the car was named Car of the Year in Slovakia, where European production took place. The wider background of the brand at that time is told in our history of Kia.

Market launch in Europe began in early August 2010, with North America and Australia following later that year for the 2011 model year. For how the SL fits between the JE and the QL, see the complete Kia Sportage generation guide.

Chassis and the ix35 connection

The SL is built on a new unibody platform shared with the Hyundai ix35, the car sold in some markets as the Hyundai Tucson.

Kia's US press material describes MacPherson struts at the front, a new multi-link rear axle and a hydroformed subframe. The all-wheel-drive system, called Dynamax and co-developed with Magna International, normally sends all torque to the front wheels and diverts some to the rear when it detects slip. A driver-selectable Lock mode splits torque evenly between the axles up to 40 km/h (25 mph).

Italian Wikipedia lists the 1.6 and 1.7 engines with front-wheel drive and the 2.0 engines with on-demand all-wheel drive. According to the German press, the SL's petrol engines could also be ordered to run on autogas (LPG).

SL engine line-up in Europe

Europe received two petrol and two diesel engines, with the 2.0 CRDi in two outputs. Power figures are given in kW first and PS second; torque values come from published spec data.

The 184 PS diesel, added for the 2011 model year, is the most powerful European SL. In the United States the standard engine was a 2.4-litre four-cylinder with 176 hp (SAE), and Kia announced a 2.0 turbo petrol GDI for the top trims.

2014 facelift and the Chinese Sportage R

Kia facelifted the SL in spring 2014. The update brought a revised honeycomb grille with a redesigned Kia badge, new bumpers and LED rear lights, new alloy wheel designs, and changes to the interior and chassis. A limited Edition 7 series followed in 2015.

In China, Dongfeng Yueda Kia began selling the car in October 2010 as the Sportage R, at first alongside the older model. It stayed in Chinese production after the QL took over elsewhere, which is why some sources date the SL to 2018.

Demand rose steadily throughout the SL's life. Published sales tables show European sales climbing from 67,623 in 2011, the first full year, to 104,984 in 2015.

Dimensions and boot space

Sources agree on the length and wheelbase of the SL but differ slightly on height and on boot volume. The table gives both values where they disagree.

The QL that followed added 45 mm in length and 30 mm in wheelbase, so the SL is the more compact of the two.

Safety record of the SL

Euro NCAP gave the SL five stars in November 2010. The car scored 33 points for adult occupants, 42 for children and 18 for pedestrians, which Fleet World described as top of its class, and electronic stability control was standard in most markets.

Other bodies tested different versions. ANCAP in Australia recorded 15.10 of 16 points in the frontal offset test in 2011 and full marks in the side and pole impacts, with a Marginal pedestrian result. In the United States the IIHS named the 2011 Sportage a Top Safety Pick on the tests of that time. Its later small-overlap test, carried out on a structurally similar 2013 Hyundai Tucson, rated the 2011–2016 Sportage Poor because the side curtain airbag did not deploy.

These results belong to the SL alone and should not be read across to the QL or NQ5.

Used SL: known weak points

German data give the clearest picture. ADAC breakdown statistics, quoted by dpa in December 2019, described older Sportage model years as weak and younger ones as better. The listed hotspots for the SL were:

• the battery on 2011–2015 cars;
• the fuel pump and spark plugs on 2011 cars.

The Auto Bild TÜV Report 2020 rated the SL behind the QL. Inspectors flagged axle suspension from the first inspection, brake discs from the second, frequent oil loss and the parking brake, while drive shafts, steering and corrosion gave little cause for concern.

Which SL to look for

• Post-2014 facelift: newer cars with LED rear lights and chassis updates, and further from the weak early years.
• 2.0 CRDi 136 PS AWD: the version to choose for winter roads, with a manual or automatic gearbox.
• 1.6 GDI or 1.7 CRDi: front-wheel drive and simpler, for buyers who do not need four-wheel drive.
• Before buying: test the battery, check the parking brake and suspension, look for oil leaks and run the VIN through a recall check.

For other compact SUVs of this period, browse Korean cars or the Mitsubishi Outlander.