Kia Sportage review: a popular hybrid family SUV

The ultra-modern look of the Kia Sportage is a bold move, but one that should at least help this family SUV stand out from a slew of all-too-familiar rivals. Elsewhere, the Sportage has been improved with more passenger room, a bigger boot, a stunning infotainment system, and a choice of efficient hybrid engines, including plug-in technology for the first time.

The Sportage doesn’t provide that much entertainment out on the road, but then that’s missing the point; comfort and refinement are excellent, while Kia has added extra practical touches to make its best-selling SUV even easier to live with. 

Kia Sportage: price, specs and rivals

The Kia Sportage has evolved from an easily forgettable agricultural SUV into one of the most distinctive and best-selling cars on UK roads. Now in its fifth generation, the current Sportage uses similar head-turning styling cues to those found on the electric Kia EV6 in order to help it stand out from the crowd. Inside, the technology has taken a big step in the right direction, too.

When it comes to powering the Sportage, there’s a decent variety to choose from. Although there’s currently no fully electric variant, there’s the option of a regular petrol engine accompanied by mild-hybrid tech, along with hybrid and plug-in hybrid models.  

The regular petrol uses a 157bhp 1.6 T-GDi engine, is available with a six-speed manual or seven-speed DCT automatic transmission, and comes only with two-wheel drive.

The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models provide more power, with 212bhp and 246bhp, respectively. Both use a six-speed automatic transmission. The PHEV features four-wheel drive as standard, and has a pure electric driving range of up to 43 miles. The regular hybrid comes standard with front-wheel drive or optional four-wheel drive.

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Trim levels move from the entry-level '2' specification — only available with the 157bhp petrol engine — through '3', '4', GT-Line, and GT-Line S. The mid-spec 3 trim is arguably the sweet spot in the range; it is well-equipped with dual 12.3-inch displays, partial faux-leather upholstery, heated seats, and - provided you go for an automatic or hybrid version - adaptive cruise control.

With many capable rivals in the mid-size SUV market, the Sportage has its work cut out. Its closest competitor is the Hyundai Tucson, which is based on the same N3 platform as the Sportage. The Tucson, though, has won our Mid-size SUV of the Year title three times in a row. The Volkswagen Group also offers excellent competition in the form of the SEAT Ateca and Skoda Karoq.

If you want more driving fun, look towards 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 either the expensive Honda CR-V or the Vauxhall Grandland. Neither are particularly bad choices, it’s just that other rivals offer a more complete package.

Kia offers the Sportage for just under £29,500, although prices climb quickly, with the top-spec plug-in hybrid car costing close to £46,000. Overall, though, the Sportage is still good value compared to close rivals such as the Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai.