By Tim Plouff

This week we have a doubleheader: two new trucks for different tastes and purposes. The GMC Sierra HO is a new sport truck while the Kia Sportage SUV is a whole new model all together. Up first, the Kia.

Kia Sportage

Dispel your perceptions, disregard the old myths and forget any history that you might have had with Kia as this new Sportage represents an entirely new direction for this Korean automaker.

Now owned by Hyundai, Kia is at the point where Honda, Toyota and Nissan once were. Their first offerings were okay products sometimes fraught with teething woes. Each builder humbly returned to the drawing board, learned from their mistakes, and returned to the market with cars and trucks that in some cases became class leaders. Kia is now at the cusp of such greatness; that is how great its turn-around has become.

Kia has been selling small cars in America since 1994. The first Sportage SUV, a truck-based utility wagon, debuted early in 1995 and quickly became one of the brand’s most popular products. Sales peaked in 2000 when more than 62,000 Sportages found new homes. But new small SUVs from rivals chipped away at the Sportage’s success until the little truck ended production in 2002 under the financial cloud that surrounded the former Kia Motors.

Now, with a new fully independent chassis and powertrains borrowed from the Hyundai Tucson, the Sportage reappears better in every sense of the word.

Even though the Sportage and Tucson share basic architecture, engines and running gear, each maker uses a different interior design, different suspension setup, and its own unique styling. Each truck is also built in separate factories.

Buyers should be impressed to learn that the Sportage is one of the few small SUVs that offers front- or full-time four-wheel drive (with a locking differential button), traction control and an anti-skid system plus anti-lock brakes and side and head airbags: all standard. And pricing is thousands less than the offerings from Honda, Toyota and Ford, plus Kia still offers its famous 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

The Sportage is more than a cute-ute. Borrowing styling cues from Acura and Lexus on its march to respectability, the V-6 powered models offer dual exhausts, 16-inch alloy wheels, and a four-speed automatic with manual shift mode, all packaged in a crisp-looking contemporary body.

The rear liftgate splits (open the whole hatch or just the upper window panel for easy loading) while the rear deck has hidden compartments under the flat load floor that grows to 67 cubic feet when the split rear seatbacks are folded. The rear seats also recline to offer superior back-seat comfort.

People space is ample front and rear with admirable head and legroom throughout. Controls are properly positioned and work with Toyota-like precision. At speeds up to 65 mph, the cabin is hushed enough to allow relaxed conversation with all of your traveling companions. While traversing all types of Maine’s secondary roads so loaded, the Sportage returned a respectable 23.6 mpg over a comfortable 110-mile venture.

With enough important gear to gain your attention plus plenty of the subtle amenities to hold your affection, the new Kia Sportage should easily exceed its sales expectations this year. There is a lot here to like, and nothing to grouch about.

GMC Sierra HO

With another year to go before an all-new full-size truck design debuts, GM has fleshed out some new GMC and Chevrolet models of its popular pickups for 2005. More power, more features and more choices are the theme.

Joining the Sierra and Sierra HD line this spring are upscale versions of the Denali trim level (including full-time AutoTrac all-wheel drive), an optional hybrid model for selected markets plus our featured high-output sport truck.

GM has retuned the 5.3-liter and 6.0-liter Vortec V-8 engines to deliver more power this year — with no fuel mileage penalty. The 5.3 HO gains 25-hp to reach 310-hp while the 6.0 HO jumps to 345-hp, a 20-hp gain over the regular 6.0-liter V-8.

Mated to a new heavy-duty Hydramatic 4L65-E four-speed automatic, my Fire Red Sierra HO had tons of low-end grunt. Traction control and a locking rear differential help to keep the huge 20-inch Goodyears from vaporizing whenever you whip the throttle. Mid-range punch is equally dramatic, but the truck runs out of steam at GM’s pre-determined limits as the speed-limiter curtails elevated speeds. Certainly, more than one enthusiast driver has figured out how to circumvent the computer’s mapping restrictions and let the 6.0-liter run without restraint.

GMC retuned the Sierra’s steering valves to improve feel and responsiveness while also devoting more attention to the chassis dynamics. First impressions were reinforced as the miles rolled by; the Sierra possessed more path accuracy than our recent Land Rover while exhibiting a compliant, controlled yet sporty ride. Highway cruising was actually quite plush as the springs capably absorbed bridge joints without ruffling the interior. Some surfaces caused harsh impacts of the big 20-chrome wheels, but the overall feel is balanced.

Inside, the Sierra HO pulls out all of the stops and plies the GM parts bin to offer most of the hardware that the upscale Denali trim presents. There is an excellent Bose stereo with a six-disc CD changer, speed-sensitive volume, XM satellite radio, and redundant steering wheel controls. You get leather-clad seats with multi-stage heating elements that warm your backside and your buttocks with separate buttons. OnStar, auto-dimming mirrors (with turn signal indicators) and an outside temp display work with the truck’s on-board computer to relay a wealth of information.

For whatever reason, the seats in GM’s trucks seem to fit me better than most of the competition. The shoulder-mounted seatbelts work very well, the plush 10-way buckets are more supportive, plus the folding armrests seem to find my elbow better. I would wish for a more versatile center console that didn’t overwhelm the space between the front seats so much, but the overall ergonomics suit me to a tee.

The four-door extended cab also offers one of the class’ most comfortable rear seating compartments. While my first choice for a long journey would not be in the rear, riders will find a seatback angle that is less steep than the rivals, plus there is a lot of legroom.

The Sierra SLT 2WD starts at $33,475 plus $850 destination charge. The HO performance package (HO 6.0-liter V-8, heavy duty four-speed, sport suspension, 20-inch chrome wheels, heavy-duty trailering package, traction control and locking rear differential) adds $3,925.

On sale since April, the Sierra HO is a good-looking sport truck that can tow and really go.