Kia launched a top pf the range version of the lovely Sportage crossover in the British market, distinguished with its KX-4 badge. At £27,195 it’s a rather pricey Kia, but then it comes with an awful lot of features and equipments, and a good 2.0 Liter CRDi diesel engine with 181bhp and 383 Nm, the most powerful unit available for the Sportage. It can be had with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

Based on the the ‘KX-3 Sat Nav’ trim level, the new model adds some high-end features such as a Parallel Parking Assist System – complete with all-round parking sensors – a keyless smart entry system and engine stop/start button and stainless steel door scuff plates.

Those are in addition to the long list of standard equipments, which include  full leather upholstery, 18-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, seven-inch touchscreen satellite navigation system with EU mapping, Xenon lights, automatic lights and wipers, panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, heated front and rear seats, cruise control, iPod connectivity, colour reversing camera and a seven-speaker stereo complete with external amplifier and subwoofer.

In terms of performance, the diesel engine in this car enables it to makes 60mph from zero in 9.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 121mph. Those are not bad figures considering we’re talking about a sizable All-Wheel-Drive car here, and they are not bad at all when you realize the engine returns 46.3mpg (automatic version does 39.2 mpg).