Towing with a Kia sportage

[nativepony]

Sorry - I know this has been asked so many times but I’m SO confused. Am I able to tow with a 2litre AWD Kia Sportage manual. Trailer is an ifor 505 and would be maximum of 2 ponies weighing no more than 860kg. Every website I look at just confuses me more ?. I appreciate there are better cars for towing but this is what I have so not helpful to know what is preferable. Thanks for reading & any advice!

 

[gemisastar]

I used to tow my mare on her own in an old rice europa with a 2l sportage - she was about 450kg and the trailer about 850 so about 1300kg all in. It managed fine (until the engine seized up, but that's a whole other story) however I don't think it had the guts to tow two!

 

[Sossigpoker]

You need to look at what the MAM (maximum weight) of the trailer is ,not what the weight is when loaded with your horses. If the MAM is say 3000kg then you need a car that's got at least that as its towing capacity, otherwise you'll be towing illegally. I think the Sportage hasn't got a great towing capacity so you might only get away with a light single trailer or something.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Just looked that the 505 has a MAM of 675 kg. Add to that two ponies at total 840 kg , that brings you to just over 1.5t. The Sportage, depending on model, has a towing capacity of 1.4 - 2.2 t. If yours has the 2.2t then legally you will be ok (but you need to consider the weight of the car, passengers, water etc too) but whether you'd be safe would be another matter.
If you have the 1.4t capacity then you're not able to do that legally or safely.

 

[Kizzy2004]

I had a Kia Sportage and it’s was great to tow and would have kept it had it not been a company car and I had to hand it back. The model I had had a towing capacity of 2250 and I towed with an 505. The unladen weight of the 505 is 905kg you then need to add the weight of the ponies and anything else that will be in the trailer (water etc). With ponies weight of 860kg this would give you a towing weight of 1765kg which gives you some headroom in the vehicles towing capacity.

This is assuming you have the b&e licence, if you only have the b license you need to take into account the gross vehicle weight and make sure vehicle & trailer max load capacity is within 3.5t which usually means a trailer has to be downplated to legal. The is a towing forum post in the competition forum where Rog can give you advice on legal limits etc.

 

[ROG]

This answer is if you have a B+E licence

The HB505 is 905kg empty
Both horses weigh 860kg
That is a total weight of 1765 being towed behind the vehicle
Vehicle needs to a max tow of at least 1765

Post above says same thing

If only got B licence
Sportage has a GVW of just under 2000 if my research is correct
That leaves max 1500 plated MAM weight for trailer
As 1765 is needed then this combo does not work for a B licence

 

[nativepony]

Thankyou SO much everyone for your replies. Much more straightforward than google ??