Kia Sportage review
Offering plenty of space, great on-board technology and a comfortable ride, the Kia Sportage is a first-rate family SUV
Our opinion on the Kia Sportage
We already considered the Kia Sportage to be among the best SUVs around, and things have only got better for this striking family car. Its sleek new look, interior refresh, tech boost and streamlined trim structure bring welcome improvements, while functionality and cabin space are still strong points. The revised hybrid powertrain paired with the comfortable ride will also make this an even easier car to live with than before, and certainly more popular too.
| Key specs | |
| Fuel type | Petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid |
| Body style | Mid-size family SUV |
| Powertrain | 1.6-litre, 4cyl turbocharged petrol, front-wheel drive 1.6-litre, 4cyl turbocharged petrol plus 1x e-motor, front-wheel drive 1.6-litre, 4cyl turbocharged petrol plus 1x e-motor, four-wheel drive 1.6-litre, 4cyl turbocharged petrol plus 1x e-motor and 13.8kWh battery, four-wheel drive |
| Safety | 5-star (Euro NCAP, 2022) |
| Warranty | 7 yrs/100,000 miles |
About the Kia Sportage
We don’t like to make assumptions here at Auto Express, but we’re pretty confident everyone is familiar with the Kia Sportage by now. The mid-size SUV has been a staple of British roads for more than 30 years, and the current fifth-generation model that was launched in 2022 is one of the most popular cars in the UK.
Sales have been climbing year-on-year, in fact, with more than 47,000 examples flying out of showrooms in 2024 alone – trumping the segment-defining Nissan Qashqai. The Sportage isn’t just popular with Brits, though; the highly regarded family SUV is also the South Korean brand’s best-selling model across Europe and globally. Which is why the arrival of the new facelifted model has been getting a lot of attention.
Used - available now
2021 KIA
Sportage
23,061 milesAutomaticDiesel1.6L
Cash £19,100
2021 KIA
Sportage
53,446 milesManualDiesel1.6L
Cash £13,000
2021 KIA
Sportage
43,363 milesManualDiesel1.6L
Cash £13,963
2023 KIA
Sportage
35,249 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £22,300Changes include a sleeker design for the front, a slick new interior featuring Kia’s latest infotainment system, an updated hybrid powertrain and a much simpler trim structure.
Right now, the new Kia Sportage is available with either a pure-petrol engine or a full-hybrid powertrain, and we’ve had a chance to sample both. Company car drivers looking for a low-BiK option will have to wait a little while longer, because the plug-in hybrid version with over 40 miles of pure-electric range is only rejoining the line-up later this year.
Prices start from £30,885 – only slightly more than the outgoing model – but the hybrid version costs from £34,425, which is nearly £2,000 less than it did before. Both are available in three trim levels: Pure, GT-Line and GT-Line S.
Standard equipment across the range includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, a reversing camera, parking sensors all-round and multiple driver-assistance features, such as driver-attention monitoring and Kia’s ‘lane-follow assist 2.0’. Smart cruise control with stop and go functionality also comes as standard on versions without a manual gearbox.
Entry-level Pure models feature 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 4.2-inch driver’s display, black cloth seats and silver roof rails. You can only get the base petrol engine with a six-speed manual gearbox in this trim, while higher-spec models have the option of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, or it’s fitted as standard.
Upgrading to GT-Line (a jump of £2,500) also adds 18 or 19-inch rims, depending on whether you go for a petrol or hybrid model, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, leather and suede seat upholstery, plus sportier styling complemented by gloss black exterior trim.
Finally, range-topping GT-Line S cars go all out, with a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, an openable panoramic sunroof, 10-inch head-up display, eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, wireless charging pad, ventilated front seats, a 360-degree parking camera system and blind-spot monitoring, among other driver-assistance tech. GT-Line S costs £5,200 over the GT-Line.
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Performance & driving experience
Comfort and refinement are the Kia Sportage’s key strengths. Thanks to its soft suspension, this family SUV is able to deal effectively with bumps in the road and reduce unpleasant jolts intruding into the cabin.
However, there is a feeling that you’re not as well connected to the road as you would be a Ford Kuga, especially over uneven surfaces and mid-corner undulations, and the Sportage will lean a bit more in corners. If you’re after a sportier drive, you may wish to consider the Mazda CX-5 or even the SEAT Ateca.
Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
As before, every model features a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that, left to its own devices, produces the same 148bhp. It’s paired with a simple six-speed manual gearbox in the most basic model, but the pure-petrol prototype we drove had the optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
Naturally, with no hybrid assistance, the engine needs to be worked harder, and accelerating causes it to emit a gruff, almost diesel-like tone. Trying to overtake on the motorway in particular is quite a noisy process, with the gearbox indicating it’s kicked down quickly and the increased volume from the engine confirming as much; however, there’s then a second or two’s delay before the car starts to steadily gain speed.
The hybrid versions of the Sportage already offered a smoother, more refined driving experience than non-hybrid models, but we’ve felt for some time they had room for improvement, especially compared with rival Toyota’s electrified powertrains. In response, Kia has fitted a more powerful electric motor that means the full-hybrid model now has 235bhp and 280Nm of torque at its disposal. The six-speed automatic transmission has been updated too, and the new regenerative braking system includes paddles behind the steering wheel for drivers to adjust the strength.
The extra oomph from the e-motor is immediately obvious, because the Sportage now feels more enthusiastic when setting off and around town, and the engine hardly chimes in any more. At higher speeds, we also noticed we were cruising along with the engine off and small bouts of acceleration can be handled without awakening it either. Suddenly putting your foot down can sometimes result in a slight jolt, as the hybrid system juggles the two power sources, but once you’re up to speed, the transmission shifts quickly to calm the engine.
Town driving, visibility and parking
The light steering and great all-round visibility make this a surprisingly easy car to pilot around town – especially if you go for a hybrid model, which is the one we prefer. The Sportage (especially models with smaller 18-inch wheels) has a smoother and more comfortable ride at low speeds than the Nissan Qashqai.
B-road driving and handling
The soft suspension set-up means the ride is comfortable and great for handling bumpy roads, which is what the majority of buyers will be looking for in a new family car. The only downside is that the Sportage wallows around corners – a bit more body control won’t go amiss; the steering isn’t quite as precise as in a Ford Kuga or SEAT Ateca, either. As with the Qashqai, these aren’t huge negatives for a car of this type, and the softer suspension means that for the most part, the Sportage is very forgiving. Some larger compressions can cause the front axle to bounce a couple of times before it fully settles, though.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
While its soft suspension and slightly lazy nature might not make the Sportage exciting or as fun to drive as certain rivals, it’s very good for cruising on the motorway. It feels stable, wind noise is muted and refinement is generally good. The hybrid model shines again at higher speeds, thanks to its ability to cruise with the engine off.
Expert view, on driving experience
“Soft suspension and a comfy ride are two key things buyers want in a family SUV, and the Kia Sportage certainly delivers” - Ellis Hyde, news reporter, who drove a pre-production prototype of new Sportage in Frankfurt, Germany
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi | 148bhp | 9.4 seconds | 121mph |
| Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi HEV | 235bhp | 7.9 seconds | 121mph |
| Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi PHEV | 283bhp | TBC | TBC |
MPG & running costs
| Pros | Cons |
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By the end of the year, the new Sportage will be available with pure-petrol, full-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid power, giving everyone from family buyers to business users and everyone else in between an option to suit their driving needs. There’s no pure-electric version, but the new Kia EV5 coming later this year is a very similarly sized SUV.
Kia hasn’t confirmed the fuel efficiency for this updated model yet, but we expect the 1.6 T-GDi petrol to return just under 40mpg, while the hybrid should be able to achieve closer to 50mpg, especially with its more powerful e-motor meaning drivers will have to rely on the petrol engine a little less.
| Model | MPG | CO2 | Insurance Group |
| Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi HEV | TBC | 124g/km | TBC |
| Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi PHEV | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Electric range, battery life and charge time
Kia hasn’t confirmed the pure-electric range of the new plug-in hybrid Sportage yet either, but considering that it will use the same 13.8kWh battery as before, we do know it will be able to cover more than 40 miles without using a single drop of petrol. That range was already about average for this class, but is now a long way off rivals such as the Volkswagen Tiguan, which boasts up to 77 miles of EV range, while a number of Peugeot and Citroen PHEVs with similar ranges are just around the corner.
Recharging the battery from flat to 100 per cent at home using a 7.4kW wall box charger takes around two hours. The battery is covered by a separate warranty that guarantees it will maintain at least 70 per cent of its original capacity over seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
| Model | Battery size | Range | Insurance group |
| Kia Sportage Plug-In Hybrid | 13.8kWh | 40+ miles | TBC |
Insurance groups
Insurance ratings for the new Sportage are also still being finalised, but the pre-facelift car sat in groups 19 to 26. The updated model is likely to attract similar ratings, which aren’t alarmingly high for a car in this class. But the closely related Hyundai Tuscon is cheaper to insure than the Kia, because this starts in group 16, like the Ford Kuga.
Tax
Company car drivers will find the plug-in hybrid model the most appealing due to its low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rate — although an electric car, like the new Kia EV5, will be lower still. Meanwhile, for private buyers, most of the Sportage petrol and hybrid range (except for the GT-Line S trim models) avoid the surcharge for cars costing more than £40,000 when new.
Depreciation
According to our most recent expert data, the Sportage should hold onto up to 58 per cent of its original value over a typical three-year/36,000-mile ownership period, with the full-hybrid versions being the best performers. In comparison, the Hyundai Tucson is just behind the Sportage, retaining around 53-56 per cent.
To get an accurate valuation of a Kia Sportage, check out our free car valuation tool...
Interior, design & technology
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Kia knows how to style a car to stand out from the crowd, whether that be a tiny town runabout or a colossal seven-seat SUV. The same was true for the outgoing Sportage, although its Battlestar Galactica-esque fascia wasn’t to everyone’s taste, and didn’t quite chime with the brand’s other models.
The mid-life nip and tuck has introduced a new front bumper, stacked vertical headlights, a wider and more upright grille, and Kia’s signature ‘Star Map’ daytime running lights. The butch new look isn’t as original as the previous one, but we think it will be less polarising and still pretty eye-catching. Elsewhere, there are fresh wheel designs, with sizes ranging from 17 to 19 inches, the rear bumper has been tweaked to emphasise the car’s width, and the tail-light signature is new.
Interior and dashboard design
It’s not just outside where the Sportage is sleeker than before. The interior features a new, more streamlined dashboard that ditches the tall, oddly shaped air vents, while the unit that houses the car’s dual display is now made thinner and has smaller bezels.
The Sportage’s futuristic-looking two-spoke steering wheel is borrowed from the EV3, but more importantly, features physical buttons, including two new ones for changing the drive or terrain modes more easily. The Sportage’s curious switchable panel remains, allowing you to toggle between infotainment shortcuts and climate controls, but the icons are small, which can make adjusting the fan speed, for instance, a bit fiddly.
The centre console still features physical buttons too, but instead of the piano-black plastic you used to get in the Sportage – which, as in any car, was a magnet for dust, fingerprints and scratches – there’s now a grey brushed finish.
Materials and build quality
Our first time testing the new Sportage was in a pre-production prototype, and we were warned material quality in some small areas wasn’t quite up to snuff yet, yet everything felt substantial. Our main gripe was all the dark materials that contrast with those in cars such as the Peugeot 3008 and Skoda Enyaq. They use fabrics and other quirkier materials in places, and feel more welcoming.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
Every Sportage features an impressive 12.3-inch touchscreen, paired with either a 4.2-inch or 12.3-inch instrument panel, depending on which trim level you go for. They’re now running Kia’s latest infotainment system called ‘connected car Navigation Cockpit’, or ccNC for short. The name might not be very snappy, but the software certainly is, with menus that load quickly, and we like the fact that the icons are much larger than before, which helps make the system easy to navigate. Which it needs to be because there are so many menus and sub-menus to potentially get lost in.
There is, however, a control centre for some key functions, as on a smartphone, that’s easily accessed by swiping down on the touchscreen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both wireless now, and as an added bonus in top-spec models, your navigation apps can be displayed via the car’s head-up display – a first in any Kia.
Kia has also rolled out a new AI-enchanced voice assistant that can understand more natural commands, and can be asked to do everything from set complex navigation routes with stops, provide information on nearby points of interest and even recommend music.
Boot space & practicality
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Naturally, cabin space in the Sportage is the same as before. There’s enough room to seat three across the back, plus plenty of head and legroom for six-foot-tall adults to sit comfortably behind anyone of similar stature. If you’ve got small children, there are two sets of Isofix mounting points on the outer rear seats, plus mid-spec and range-topping models have USB-C charging ports handily embedded in the backs of the front seats, which has become a signature Kia feature in recent years.
There are plenty of places for your odds and ends in the Sportage's cabin. For instance, there's a wide, open shelf ahead of the gear selector that's big enough for even large smartphones. The central cup-holders are wide and deep, and the armrest behind hides another deep bin. The glovebox is a decent size, and the door bins can hold a one-litre bottle.
Dimensions and size
At 4,540mm long and 1,865mm wide, the fifth-generation Sportage is a fraction bigger than the previous model. It’s also larger than the Skoda Karoq and Nissan Qashqai.
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 4,540mm |
| Width | 1,865mm |
| Height | 1,645mm |
| Number of seats | 5 |
| Boot space | 591-1,780 litres |
Driving position, seats & space in the front
The Sportage offers plenty of room up front, as you’d expect from a family SUV, and fans of a high-set driving position will appreciate the Kia more, because it feels like you sit much higher than in the almost car-like Qashqai.
Seats & space in the back
Anyone in the back will appreciate that there’s enough space to accommodate three adult passengers. In our three-way test between the Sportage, Mazda CX-5 and SEAT Ateca, we found the Kia to have the roomiest cabin. When we tested the Kia Sportage against the previous-generation Vauxhall Grandland, our measurements showed they offer very similar amounts of rear-seat headroom and kneeroom, although the Kia stretches ahead by quite a margin in terms of elbow room.
Boot space
There’s up to 591 litres of boot space available as well, or with the 40:20:40-split rear seats folded down, you can cram up to 1,780 litres worth of stuff into it – with the total amount depending on which powertrain you go for. Either way, luggage capacity is far more than in the Qashqai (504 litres), but not quite as much as the Hyundai Tucson (620 litres).
The plug-in hybrid version offers 540 litres of space, due to the larger battery and other hybrid gubbins under the boot floor, with 1,715 litres available when the rear seats are folded down.
There are some useful features in the boot, such as the space petrol models provide underneath the boot floor to hide smaller items out of sight, and a significantly lower lip on the boot entrance that makes loading heavier items easier.
Towing
Towing capacity for the hybrid and plug-in hybrid Sportage has now increased to 1,510kg, which should be enough for a lot of people. However if you’re after a similarly sized SUV with hybrid power and need greater towing capacity, consider the Ford Kuga. In four-wheel-drive hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms, it can pull a braked trailer or caravan up to 2,100kg in weight.
Reliability & safety
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When the latest Kia Sportage was tested in July 2022, it received a maximum five-star safety score from Euro NCAP – an even more impressive score than its predecessor considering the stringent assessment criteria Euro NCAP has in place.
The standard safety kit is excellent; cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are included, along with various camera and radar-based systems that are designed to help prevent collisions occurring or mitigate the after-effects. These include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which monitors pedestrians, cyclists and other cars, initially providing a warning of a potential collision and automatically applying the brakes, if required.
The lane-following assist system works with the lane-keeping assist system when cruise control is engaged to help keep the car between the lines when driving along a motorway or dual carriageway. Every edition, apart from base models with a manual gearbox, also have smart cruise control with stop and go functionality, which means it not only keeps you a set distance from the car in front, but can also bring you to a stop in heavy traffic.
If you upgrade to the top-of-the-range GT-Line S trim, you’ll benefit from blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, which warns you of cars alongside you on the motorway, plus Kia’s ‘blind-spot view monitor’ which displays a feed from the car’s side cameras when you indicate. Also fitted on top-flight models is a 360-degree surround-view camera system, parking collision avoidance assist and a remote smart parking assist to help if you’re stuck in a tight car parking bay and can’t open the doors to get in.
Kia is often a top performer in our Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, but it didn’t do so well this time around and landed in 18th place (out of 31) in our best car manufacturer rankings. Meanwhile the Mk5 Sportage fell dramatically from 11th to 45th place in our list of the best cars to own. Among the complaints, owners told us they were dissatisfied with the ease of activating or deactivating assistance systems.
Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty beats most of its close rivals, although Toyota offers the opportunity to extend its standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty by one year or 10,000 miles at a time whenever you take your car in for routine servicing at a main dealer, up until the car is 10 years old or has covered 100,000 miles.
| Key standard safety features | Euro NCAP safety ratings |
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Buying and owning
Best buy: Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid
No version of the Kia Sportage is poorly equipped. Even the base model features a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, Kia’s very latest infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, a reversing camera, parking sensors all-round and multiple driver-assistance features.
But for an extra £2,500, GT-Line trim provides some welcome extra features, including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, leather and suede seat upholstery, plus sportier styling and larger rims. Regarding powertrains, we would go for the hybrid version over the cheaper pure-petrol model, due to its superior refinement, fuel economy and performance.
Alternatives
With many capable rivals in the mid-size SUV market, the Kia Sportage has its work cut out. Its closest competitor is the Hyundai Tucson, which is based on the same platform as the Sportage but has won our Mid-size SUV of the Year award four times on the trot from 2021 to 2024. Meanwhile, the Kia has only ever been highly commended.
The Volkswagen Group also offers excellent competition in the form of the Skoda Karoq, Cupra Terramar and Volkswagen Tiguan. Or if you want more driving fun, consider the Ford Kuga or Mazda CX-5. The Nissan Qashqai has previously been a popular choice for family buyers, although it has lost a little of its shine with the arrival of more talented opposition.
In this competitive class, it would also be hard to recommend the expensive Honda CR-V or the commendable but dull to drive Vauxhall Grandland. Neither are particularly bad choices; it’s just that other rivals offer a more complete package.
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KIA Sportage
Hyundai Tucson
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Kia Sportage is striking to look at yet still very practical, features a spacious cabin and slick, user-friendly technology that put it among the best family SUVs on sale.
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