When it comes to hauling cargo, the Sportage holds its own, offering 25.8 cubic feet of space with the rear seat up and more than twice as much (54.4 cubic feet) with the seat folded. The spare tire carrier locks out of the way when fully opened, which is a blessing when loading groceries or baggage through the rear door.

Beyond the room, there are other nice touches inside the Sportage. The top of the center console slides forward to provide a comfortable armrest. Both front bucket seats recline, and the driver's seat has an adjustable lumbar support. The optional leather upholstery package ($900 on EX, $800 on Limited) has full leather seat coverings, not just leather inserts. As mentioned, power windows, locks and mirrors are standard on even the least-expensive model.

Sportage also offers a safety first. In addition to dual front airbags, it comes equipped with a smaller airbag intended to protect the driver's left leg and knee.

The well-proportioned greenhouse allows good visibility in all directions. Controls are well placed and easy to operate, and instruments are easy to read. Air conditioning in our test vehicle cooled the cabin is short order on warm Southern California afternoons. The test truck also featured Kia's straightforward, easy-to-tune AM/FM/CD stereo.