Key facts:
Model tested: Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi First Edition
Price: £20,777
Date tested: September 2010
Road tester: Andy Goodwin

Ten Point Test rating: 83%
This is the all-new Kia Sportage, the latest challenger to successful soft-roaders like the Land Rover Freelander, Volkswagen Tiguan and Ford Kuga. With a bold new look and advanced 2-litre diesel engine, it replaces the ageing Sportage built from 2005 until 2010.

1. Looks 9/10
Kia's new family grille suits the Sportage, as does the strongly sculpted bonnet and LED daytime running lights. A crease running along the sides makes the Sportage appear lighter and smaller, and it's much more aerodynamic than the previous model.

2. Looks inside 7/10
While not as exciting as the exterior, there's plenty to like inside the Sportage. Buyers will love the raised seating position and clear dash. Materials are high quality too.

3. Practicality 8/10
Black skirts around the bottom of the bumpers and side sills offer protection from stone chips while the boot offers 564 litres of luggage space. Fold down the rear seats and this increases to 1,353 litres.

4. Ride and handling 7/10
The 2010 Sportage weighs 60kg less than the old model and has a more advanced chassis, along with 18-inch wheels and high-performance tyres. Normally, power goes only to the front wheels, but up to 40 per cent can be directed to the back wheels to aid traction if necessary. A 'lock' mode can send 50 per cent of power to the front and rear wheels below 25mph.

On the road the Sportage feels surefooted and reasonably quick to respond to driver inputs, while still soaking up bumps well.

5. Performance 8/10
The 2-litre CRDI diesel engine has 134bhp and 236lb/ft of pulling power to give 0-62mph in 10.9 seconds (11.6 for the automatic), which is plenty fast enough.

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6. Running costs 9/10
The diesel engine is punchy and very clean. The manual Sportage manages 47.1mpg; the automatic 'box cuts this to 40.4mpg. Tax bills should be palatable, thanks to 158g/km of CO2 emissions (183 for the auto) and all Kias come with a seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty.

7. Reliability 9/10
Kia has a good reputation for reliability, and that long warranty gives owners peace of mind too. Recent models feel very well built, particularly the Sportage.

8. Safety 8/10
The Sportage has standard ESP, front, side and curtain airbags and ISOFIX child-seat mounting points. In the event of a roll-over crash, sensors automatically deploy airbags and seatbelt pretensioners.

9. Equipment 9/10
The First Edition Sportage has full leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats, dual-zone climate control and a media system with USB, iPod, Bluetooth connectivity and voice recognition. A reversing camera image is displayed in the left of the rear-view mirror, which works well combined with beeps from the reversing sensors.

10. X-Factor 9/10
The Kia Sportage is an attractive SUV which is well-equipped and offers good performance, without the big bills once associated with 4x4s.