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| Australian 4WD Monthly - SEPTEMBER 2003 (Page 157) This magazine is part of the staple diet of the average 4x4 enthusiast here in Australia combining a broad mix of articles on new vehicles, modified vehicles, product reviews, places to see, driving tips and so on. Pretty much caters to all tastes and for anyone wanting to know more about the big bad world of 4x4 then I'd highly recommend it. This months edition has a review on the current model Sportage and doesn't really come up with any surprises; lets face it the current shape Kia Sportage has been around since 2000. The writer praised the Sportage for its tough reputation clearly seperating it from soft-roader AWD's and at a substantially smaller price tag. Once again the extra space of the longbody design and suprising flexibility of the 2.0 motor won praise. It does lack a little refinement and the motor does get thrashy near the redline but most 4x4's seem to have the same characteristics when pushed hard. The gear selection in the manual isn't as precise as it could be and the suspension still attracts criticism for its lack of rebound control and bottoming out under load. Nothing a good set of springs and shocks can't fix. Overall the article was very positive with other mentions including decent ground clearance, good underbody protection and excellent wheel articulation. Thumbs up ! |
| Reviews |
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| Kia Sportage (manual) |
| Australian 4WD Monthly - Snatch Straps - SEPTEMBER 2003 Page 12) A snatch strap should be one of the first items bought for any driver wanting to venture off road. This article sheds some light on whats hot and whats not in the world of recovery straps. Surprisingly enough there is no Australian Standard for these so you have no idea what you're buying with your hard earned cash. However the magazine commissioned a NATA accredited test centre using the AS1353.1 standard for testing which applies for testing crane lifting slings. An 8000kg rated strap is a good size to buy and will take care of just about any recovery situation. The results were surprising and the amount you pay for a strap didn't have a lot to do with how good it was. Many of the various brands of strap are made by the same manufacturer and were marked as such. Heres a brief run down on the results. Winner KAYMAR 8000kg (RRP $65) 9288kg (dry) 8681kg (wet) @ 20% stretch Runner Up BUSHRANGER 8000kg (RRP $64.90) 8679kg (dry) 8281kg (wet) @ 15% stretch Worthy Mentions (result order) Mean Green 8000kg, Terrain Tamer 11000kg, Megastrap 8000kg, Super Cheap Auto 8000kg, Black Rat 8000kg, Megastrap 11000kg, Mean Green 10000kg Not Recommended Terrain Tamer 8000kg, Ox 8000kg, Repco Motorguard 7500kg, Megastrap 9500kg, ARB 8000kg, ARB 11000kg, Super Cheap Auto 9000kg It should be mentioned that snatch straps must be used correctly using properly rated shackles and vehicle recovery points. They should be cleaned after every use, dried and stored properly. A frayed or damaged strap should be cut up and discarded. A snatch strap that breaks under load could cause serious damage and/or injury ! |