Who would have thought a car capable of producing seriously long waiting lists would have a Kia badge on the bonnet?

But the Sportage has pulled off the feat by not only offering serious value for money, but also by being the best-looking car Kia has built.

Competing in the style-conscious compact sports utility vehicle sector counts for a lot, but even more important are the improvements in fit and finish, ride and handling that move the Sportage into a new league.

So much so that the carbuyer.co.uk website has selected the Sportage as its first Car of the Year as well as naming it Best 4x4 in the website’s inaugural awards, citing it as a “landmark car”.

The Sportage, penned by Kia’s German chief designer Peter Schreyer, of Audi TT fame, is a five-door, five-seat ‘crossover’ designed to challenge the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 3008, Ford Kuga and Volkswagen Tiguan.

Sleek and rakish with the Korean car maker’s new trademark ‘tiger’s nose’ grille, the new Sportage looks nothing like the 2004 model it replaces.

Primarily aimed at meeting the needs of young families, Kia realised most of its cars would remain in and around built-up areas.

So the test car, like just under half of the 16-strong model range, is front-wheel-drive, delivering the high-riding driving position, muscular looks and street presence of a 4x4, without the complex electronics and hit to fuel consumption that come with off-road technology.

Quiet, smooth and superb for long-distance motoring, the Sportage’s suspension was specifically tested in the UK to ensure the car combined agile and safe handling with an absorbent and comfortable ride, despite the unique challenges presented by British roads.

Despite being the entry-level model, the car came with standard features more usually associated with much more expensive vehicles such as cruise control, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, LED daytime running lights and automatic rain-sensing wipers. Fast-acting fold-flat seats in the rear increase its practicality at the touch of a lever.

Powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine – one of four engines on offer – the test car came with Kia’s Intelligent Stop and Go system, which shuts down the engine when the car is stationary in traffic to help save fuel and reduce emissions, restarting instantly as soon as you are ready to move off.

The success of the Sportage, with its awesome seven-year warranty, was recognised in Total Off Road magazine’s 2011 4x4 of the Year awards which named the Sportage ‘Junior SUV’ of the year and made Kia its 4x4 Manufacturer of the Year.

Firms like Skoda have clearly demonstrated in recent years that combining top-quality engineering with sensible pricing will eventually win over all but the worst badge snobs.

With the Sportage, Kia has moved up a gear in its drive to move from laudably low-priced anonymity to emotive must-have.

Auto facts Kia Sportage 1.6 GDi 1 Eco 2wd

  • Price: £17,015
  • Insurance group: 10 (1-50)
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 44.1mpg
  • Top speed: 111mph
  • Length: 444cm/174.8in
  • Width: 185.5cm/73in
  • Luggage capacity: 19.9 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 12.1 gallons/55 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 149g/km
  • Warranty: 7 years/100,000 miles