Towing with a Kia

[kierans96]

I would like to apologise if this is in the wrong section as it is my first time posting.

I am wanting to find out if the Kia Sportage 2.0 KX2/3/4 (Kia Specification say max towing 2000KG) is a suitable towing vehicle for the following as the vehicle is cheap to insure as I'm only aged 19 and cheap to run. I already drive the 1.7 version of the Sportage.

The vehicle would be towing a 414KG Irish Cob and either a single or double iFor Williams trailer (Haven't purchased yet).

I have several mixed reviews on the Sportage capability of towing when people say it will cope as it should be within the 2000kg limit but others have suggested the Sorento that can tow 3500KG would be better suited however i can't get reasonable insurance and the running costs appear a lot higher which means if i had to get one i would need a 2nd car and have my mother tow with it it would be around a 04plate compared to a 13 plate Sportage. My mother would be towing only around a handful of times a year during summer to the beach and park as i don't yet have my B+E licence and the car will not be towing off road.

Thanks Kieran.

 

[junglefairy]

I'm considering a Kia Sportage for towing one horse on a B licence. The 2010+ model seems to have good reviews for towing lighter weights (I.e. One horse).

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...towing-I-found-a-member-with-a-HB403-for-sale

The above link helpfully explains some potential towing vehicles for B licence holders.

The Sportage would only tow 1360 on a B licence (I think), plus this almost falls within the 85% of jet weight rule. Not sure you could get away with an Ifor 2 horse trailer. I'm looking at either the Ifor one horse or Bateson Derby. The Ifor seems to be easier to pick up 2nd hand.

There's a new Kia Sportage being released in 2016, as I'm looking for a 2nd hand 2010+ model I'm going to hold off in the hope that the price drops a bit when the new model is released.

 

[ROG]

85% advice is for caravans only

Towing on a B licence means that the GVW of the vehicle added to the plated weight of the trailer must not total more than 3500 kg

This will be useful - so MUM does not have to drive

SUPERVISING A B+E LEARNER
In April 2010 new rules were introduced for those supervising certain learner drivers but they only affected those supervising VOCATIONAL categories such as C1 C1+E D1 & D1+E where the supervising driver had those categories given to them for free when they passed a pre 1997 car test.
They do not affect those with a pre 1997 B+E licence who wish to supervise a B+E learner.

All B licence holders have B+E provisional on the paper part of their licence and can tow an empty or loaded trailer on all roads including motorways.

The usual rules apply when a learner is driving -
The supervising driver must be aged over 21
The supervising driver must have held a B+E licence for at least 3 years
L plates must be fitted to the front of the vehicle and the rear of the trailer
Correct insurance for a B+E learner
The supervising driver does not need to be insured unless they are driving

 

[junglefairy]

85% advice is for caravans only

That's good to know, I'd thought it was a safety thing, i.e. You have more control when trailer weighs less than car. So does that mean you can tow up to car's towing limit provided it's within B licence weight limits (if applicable)?

 

[ROG]

That's good to know, I'd thought it was a safety thing, i.e. You have more control when trailer weighs less than car. So does that mean you can tow up to car's towing limit provided it's within B licence weight limits (if applicable)?

Yes

Some big 4x4s are designed to tow 3500 safely even though the max they weigh is between 2200 and 2700

 

[mirage]

When I went looking for a KIA to tow with, the salesman told me not to bother with a Sportage as they weren't really a serious tow car. This was 4 years ago so things might have changed, but the Sorento, depending on the year, had a higher towing capacity and better reviews when I was researching cars.