I had one of the first Kias off the boat here back in 1998. It was a 1995 Sportage 4x4 I bought used. That gawdawful "1990s Teal Green". Not sophisticated, but very reliable and great in the snow. It used a fuel injected version of the old SOHC Mazda B2000 pickup motor from the 1980s, purchased from Mazda back when Kia, Mazda, and Ford were all in bed with each other (eg, the aforementioned Ford Festiva). In fact, the entire drivetrain was made by Mazda.
I knew the Kia had a Mazda pickup motor the first time I heard it start. My dad bought an '87 B2000 SE-5 brand new in late 1986. He put 376,000 miles on it before totaling it in 2001. I heard that pickup start outside my bedroom window EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING from age 13 to 18! Sounded just the same!
The '19 Sportage gets pretty high marks. Kias were crude, cheap, and reliable back in the day...kind of like the Mirage! I dated a chick who bought a new Sephia in 1997. It never gave her any trouble, and was actually quite quick for a cheap compact sedan.