This fourth-generation Sportage certainly looks smart and contemporary, never more so than with the GT-Line trim. In this version it also gets a turbocharged petrol engine, giving good claimed performance, so we’re ticking boxes quite happily so far.

The interior really is sound. It’s well made, well designed and uses high-quality materials. Every now and then you spot a corner that’s been cut but, for the money, this is a great cabin. In this version you also get a 7.0in touchscreen which is easy to use.

It’s also spacious front and rear, so driver and all passengers should feel they’re far from cramped, while the 491-litre boot will take a lot of luggage before you need to flip down the rear seats.

Handling isn’t bad but it’s far from exciting. Naturally, understeer washes out the drama early on, but you’re not going to buy one of these imagining it’s a Ford Fiesta ST. So what is the engine like to propel all this good stuff?

It’s a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol four-pot, working through a six-speed manual box although a seven-speed dual-clutch auto is an option (it costs £1300). It makes 174bhp and a useful 195lb ft of torque, and in this version it feeds only through a four-wheel drive system.

That sounds pretty good, and the claimed figures of 0-60mph in 9.2sec and a top end of 126mph are believable. But in the real world feeling is different to believing. It just doesn’t feel that fast or powerful. Maximum power is at 5500rpm, and you do indeed have to rev this engine to get that claimed performance out of it. It’s not a rough unit, so it’s not a total chore, but you do need to keep it revving, using that long-thrown gearlever to keep it boiling.

Which may not be the kind of driving you want to do with an SUV like this. Add in a not particularly sophisticated ride and handling, steering that is vague around the straight-ahead, and big wheels that bring in road noise and vibes, and you start to question what that adds up to. But it finally adds up to figures of 37.2mpg and 117g/km of CO2.

We’d look at the diesels in the Sportage range first, as they better suit the many very positive characteristics of Kia’s smart SUV. Or we’d check out the equivalent petrol engine in the Nissan Qashqai, which manages to offer similar performance but with fewer emissions.

Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line

Location: West Sussex

On sale: Now

Price: £24,350

Engine: 4 cyls in line, 1591cc, turbocharged, petrol

Power: 174bhp at 5500rpm

Torque: 195Ib ft at 1500-4500rpm

Kerb weight: 1733kg

Gearbox: 6-spd manual

0-60mph: 9.2s

Top speed: 126mph

Economy: 37.2mpg (combined)

CO2/tax band: 177g/km, 30%