Kia Sportage (2016-2021) review - MPG, CO2 and running costs

The Sportage offers good value for money in the class thanks to strong equipment levels. Its seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty may no longer be industry-leading, but it's still more generous than most brands. Kia dealers offer fixed-price servicing packs for three and five years allowing owners to manage their budgets.

For prospective owners aiming to keep costs down, the front-wheel drive models are the better bets – and in particular the models fitted with the 1.6-litre diesel mild hybrid engine. Steer clear of the all-wheel drive models as their economy is naturally worse and their CO2 emissions higher. Equally, those higher-spec models with bigger wheels will not return the best economy figures.

The most efficient Sportage model is the 1.6 CRDi diesel combined with the 2 trim level, which brings smaller 17-inch wheels. Kia claims a combined economy figure of 52.3mpg with emissions at 141g/km. As an example of how wheel size can affect efficiency, the same engine paired with the 3 trim's 19-inch alloys delivers 47.9mpg and a CO2 figure of 153g/km.

For those Sportage customers wanting to cover the most miles under petrol power, the 130bhp 1.6 GDi (again in entry level 2 trim) will be the answer. It returns 36.2mpg on the combined cycle, with CO2 emissions of 177g/km. The 174bhp petrol version in 3 trim delivers the worst economy in the range - with a maximum 32.1mpg and 201g/km of CO2. 

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Insurance Groups

The Kia Sportage occupies insurance groups 15 to 20 – more or less on a level with rivals like the Mazda CX-5 (groups 15 to 23), Peugeot 3008 (11 to 24) and Nissan Qashqai (13 to 21).

Depreciation

Our experts predict that the Sportage will retain an average of around 47% of its value after three years and 36,000 miles come trade-in time. This compares favourably to more expensive rivals like the Peugeot 3008, which is expected to hold on to 39 to 45 per cent over the same period.