After a three-year hiatus, there’s a new-generation Kia Sportage. And take it from me; this one is a tremendous improvement over the original model. Although the previous Sportage had a successful run following its 1995 debut, it fell far short of its competitors in both performance and refinement.

Walkaround: The completely redesigned 2005 Sportage looks a lot like it’s first cousin, the attractive Hyundai Tucson — which isn’t surprising, since Hyundai owns Kia. Both vehicles have nearly identical dimensions, the same car-like platform as well as the same powerplant — in spite of these two compact SUVs being built in different South Korean plants.

Of the two, the Sportage is, well, sportier. It’s longer, wider, taller and more powerful — not to mention more refined than the previous version. The funky Sportage convertible is history, and the new version is offered only as a 4-door SUV with a two-piece tailgate. It comes in base LX and upscale EX trim. There are both front-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive (AWD) versions, however, the AWD Sportage isn’t meant for serious off-roading.
   Interior: For a compact, relatively short wheelbase SUV, the Sportage is surprisingly quiet inside — much more so than the Ford Escape for example. It also offers a spacious rear-seat area, so four tall adults can fit comfortably and sit relatively high. While there’s room for a fifth adult in the rear, the hard center of the back seat should discourage anyone from sitting there. Personally, I’d just fold down the rear center armrest and leave it there.

Instrumentation is easily and quickly read, and there are large climate controls and a height-adjustable front center console with a two-stage tray top. All Sportage models come equipped with numerous comfort, convenience and safety items, including power door locks and windows, height-adjustable steering column, AM/FM/CD, front and rear 12-volt power outlets, six airbags, and cruise control on the LX V6 version. The EX version features a power sunroof and remote keyless entry. Leather upholstery, heated front seats and an upgraded sound system, come in a luxury option package.

One thoughtful — and very useful item — is a shopping bag hook in the front passenger area to keep bags upright and accessible. It seems trivial, but became almost indispensable in short order.

The low, wide opening makes cargo loading easy, and the “drop-and-fold” split rear seats can easily and quickly be moved completely forward without detaching the headrests, to significantly increase cargo room. The front passenger seat also folds flat to accommodate especially long items.

Under The Hood: The Sportage is offered with a choice of two powerplants — a 2.0-liter, 140-horse, 4-banger, or a 2.7-liter V6 delivering 173 horses and considerably more torque.

The 4-cylinder, which offers the choice of a 5-speed stick or 4-speed automatic, is perfectly acceptable for city driving, but has little surplus power on the highway. The V6, which powered our test vehicle, and is only available with the automatic, delivers lively acceleration both in town and on the open road. An optional 200-horse 3.0-liter V6 is reportedly in the pipeline.

Fuel economy is very competitive for a compact SUV, at 19-22/city and 23-27/highway, depending on the combination of powerplant and front- or all-wheel drive.

Behind The Wheel: Our the top-of-the-line, all-wheel-drive Sportage EX had nimble handling in town, but just average handling if pushed reasonably hard, with some squeal from its 60-series tires in simple curves. I believe handling would be improved with wider tires — especially since the rubber on the 4-banger is even thinner — 65-series tires on the same 16-inch wheels.

However, drivers pushing overly hard are assisted by standard traction control, an anti-skid system and strong anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution.

The ride is quite agile thanks to the fully independent suspension and 103.5-inch wheelbase, but steering felt a little spongy until I got used to it.

Whines: It’s difficult to whine about vehicles with list prices from $15,900 to $20,100 for the front-drive versions, while AWD versions go for $18,000 to $21,500 — but I’ll give it a shot. The front and rear cupholders are set too low. The automatic isn’t as good as a more modern 5-speed unit, such as the one in the CR-V. The suspension is tuned for sharper handling than the Tucson, but after driving both, I wouldn’t push either of them all that hard.
   Bottom Line: The Sportage is a well-equipped, much-improved compact SUV that delivers an awful lot of value for the money — especially with a V6 engine. Long-term reliability and resale value remain question marks — especially when compared to highly rated competitors such as the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape and Jeep Liberty. However, the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty should fully answer that reliability question. As for resale, at these prices, with this warranty, driving the Sportage until the wheels fall off becomes a very viable option.