New Kia Sportage review

Some buyers think they’ll get a better car by choosing a premium brand, but in the family SUV class, the Kia Sportage makes it really difficult to justify the extra outlay. Indeed, there's plenty of substance behind the Sportage's boomerang-shaped headlights and chunky body.

For a start, there’s a spacious interior and a range of trim levels to suit all budgets. As well as a regular turbocharged petrol engine, there’s also a regular hybrid and, soon, a plug-in hybrid offering.

New Kia Sportage video review

Plus, Kia has given the Sportage a competitive starting price, with the cheapest version undercutting the closely-related Hyundai Tucson and other rivals, including the Ford Kuga and Renault Austral. That puts it in competition with the super-popular Nissan Qashqai, the fun-to-drive Seat Ateca and the impressively practical Skoda Karoq.

To keep it competitive, Kia has delivered a mid-life update to the Sportage, tweaking the exterior styling and overhauling the interior. Read on to find out how the Kia Sportage now ranks against the best family SUVs...

What’s new?

• October 2025: Named ‘Best Hybrid Family SUV’ at What Car? Used Car Awards

• July 2025: Plug-in hybrid variant confirmed for late 2025

• June 2025: Fifth-generation received significant changes, including a facelift and simplified trim line-up (Pure, GT-Line and GT-Line S)

• June 2024: Sportage Shadow special edition released, featuring Midnight Green interior and dark chrome exterior elements 

• July 2022: Earned a five-star rating in Euro NCAP safety tests

How fast is it and which engine is best?

Strangely, Kia has opted to remove the mild-hybrid engine options in the Sportage’s latest facelift, so now the line-up starts with the 148bhp 1.6-T-GDi turbocharged petrol engine. It has more than enough punch for everyday driving, with the standard six-speed manual managing to cover 0-60mph in 9.0sec in our tests. You can also opt for a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

For more power, it's worth looking at the 235bhp Sportage HEV, which has had a boost in power and has a swifter six-speed auto ‘box over the previous version. It’s a regular hybrid petrol and can drive short distances on electricity alone. Its official 0-62mph sprint is 8.1sec – very similar to the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. Most versions of the HEV have front-wheel drive, but you can add all-wheel drive with the GT-Line S trim. 

An updated version of the Sportage PHEV (plug-in hybrid) will join the line-up later on. Before this update, it had an official electric-only range of up to 40 miles (depending on trim), and since the battery is set to be unchanged, we’d expect that to remain the same. Featuring all-wheel drive as standard, this setup will offer more power than before, but we don’t have numbers yet.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The updated Sportage has not had any major changes to its suspension setup so it's just as comfortable as the pre-facelift car. That means it does a great job of rounding off potholes and ridges at low speeds, and exhibits fractionally better body control than the Hyundai Tucson and Skoda Karoq over speed bumps.

It's not quite as comfy as a Volvo XC40 though – and that will be most noticeable on versions of the Sportage with big 19in alloy wheels fitted, and likely in the PHEV (which is heavier). The best-riding Sportage is the cheapest model: entry-level Pure trim, which comes with smaller 17in wheels.

As comfortable as the Sportage is, it’s never been a contender for best-driving family SUV, but its cornering abilities are more than good enough, with plenty of grip and reasonably precise steering that allows you to place the car where you want it. 

Sure, there’s a fair amount of body lean, but we reckon the balance of composure and comfort will be a well-judged compromise for most, and it's a little tidier to drive than the Hyundai Tucson. If you want something a bit more rewarding to drive, we’d recommend taking a look at the Ford Kuga or smaller Seat Ateca.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

We expect the quietest model in the line-up to still be the upcoming PHEV: its ability to run on electricity makes the outgoing Sportage PHEV hushed on shorter commutes. The HEV can also whisper along over short distances in town, and neither version makes much electric motor whine. 

Once their engines kick in, no version is particularly loud and engine noise is only ever really noticeable when you have your foot down. Better still, while there’s a fraction more wind noise on motorways than in a Volvo XC40, it’s still really hushed and there’s much less road noise than you’ll encounter in a Honda ZR-V. 

The brakes on HEV and PHEV Sportages can be a little grabby due to the regenerative braking system. That said, it’s still easier to come to a smooth stop than in the Hyundai Tucson thanks to more immediate brake-pedal response. Plus, you can use paddles on the steering wheel to adjust the level of regenerative braking when you’re in Eco mode.

“If you engage Sport mode in the hybrid or plug-in hybrid Sportage, the paddles on the steering wheel change gears rather than adjust the regenerative braking, which is clever.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

While the interior of the facelifted Kia Sportage is very similar to the previous version, you will notice a few differences as you look around. Most noticeable is the new two-spoke steering wheel, which bulges towards the middle and feels a little odd to hold.

Entry-level Pure models come with black cloth seats, while GT-Line and above swap those out for nicer seats with vegan leather and suede upholstery. Those two top trims also get different interior styling to the entry-level version, adding leather to various places, including on the door armrests. 

The Sportage's interior feels solidly put together, with well-damped switches, a good range of materials, plenty of squishy plastics and metallic-effect finishes at eye level. Some of the plastics lower down are less pleasing but they’re generally out of sight and have a higher chance of being scuffed anyway. 

In terms of overall interior quality, the Sportage is better than a Ford Kuga and on a par with the equivalent Hyundai Tucson. However, it doesn't quite reach the premium heights of a Volvo XC40.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

The driving position is very comfortable and there’s plenty of steering wheel and seat adjustment, including electric lumbar support as standard, so you’ll have no problems tailoring it to your preferences. 

GT-Line S makes it even easier, thanks to it getting electrically-adjustable seats and a handy memory function, ensuring that you can easily get back to your driving position should anyone move your seat.  

On the whole, both kinds of seats are comfortable on a long drive, but the really soft seat in the Pure might not be to everyone’s liking. Meanwhile, the seats fitted to GT-Line have slightly firmer side bolster, adding some much needed side support through corners.

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

All versions of the Sportage get a 12.3in touchscreen with built-in sat-nav and wireless Android Auto/ Apple Carplay smartphone mirroring. The screen's graphics are sharp and it responds to inputs quickly enough.

That said, some of the text and icons are on the small side, making them a little tricky to read at a glance or aim for when you're driving. The infotainment system in the Mazda CX-5 has a dial controller, which is less distracting to use.

There’s a touch-sensitive panel below the touchscreen with shortcuts for the climate-control system and other commonly used functions. It’s more fiddly to adjust the temperature when driving than using the dials in a Honda ZR-V or Hyundai Tucson but it’s still much easier to use than a system that integrates the temperature controls into the touchscreen, as the Ford Kuga set-up does.

In GT Line S trim, the Sportage has a wireless phone-charging tray ahead of the gear selector, an upgraded Harman Kardon stereo and ambient lighting. There are two types of USB port up front and each front seat has a USB-C port built in for rear passengers to use in everything apart from entry-level Pure trim.

“I find it a little disappointing that only the top-spec Sportage comes with wireless phone charging, not least because every Hyundai Tucson gets it as standard.” – Lawrence Cheung, New cars editor

How much space does it have for people?

The Kia Sportage feels quite airy for front-seat occupants, with loads of head, leg and shoulder room. Indeed, even with the GT-Line S’ standard-fit panoramic sunroof fitted, which reduces head room a little, there’s still enough space for six-footers to get comfortable. 

You have plenty of space for all your odds and ends in the front of the Sportage, with door pockets that are large enough to take a bottle of water, a decent lidded centre cubby box, plus trays for a phone and keys, and two cupholders behind the gear lever. There's a good-sized glovebox.

Compared with most family SUVs, there’s a generous amount of space in the rear of the Sportage, too. There’s a touch more leg room than in the Hyundai Tucson and enough head and elbow room to make two tall adults comfortable. The panoramic roof fitted to the GT-Line S reduces head room, causing tall adults to brush their head against the rooflining, unless they lean to the centre. 

There’s just enough shoulder room for three adults sitting abreast to have enough space to get comfortable. There’s space to fit your feet underneath the front seats, but the person sitting in the middle seat will need to straddle a hump in the floor. In fairness, that’s similar to the Ford Kuga and Tucson, though. 

To give rear seat passengers a little extra head room, the rear seats in the Sportage can be reclined slightly.

How much room does it have for luggage?

The regular petrol version of the Sportage gets 591 litres of boot space, which is more space than in the Ford Kuga, Honda ZR-V and Nissan Qashqai but less than in a non-hybrid Hyundai Tucson.

The HEV, meanwhile, has 587 litres, which is still big by class standards – we managed to fit eight carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf in both versions. That’s well ahead of the ZR-V and Renault Austral (six cases) and on a par with the Tucson. 

A height-adjustable boot floor comes as standard on the regular petrol and hybrid versions. It sits flush with the boot opening in its highest setting so it's easy to slide bulkier items in and out without a load lip to contend with. In its lowest position, there’s a small lip to lift items over and the floor slopes upwards towards the seats.

The rear seats split and fold in a 40/20/40 configuration, which is far more versatile than the 60/40 setup that you’ll find in rivals including the Kuga and makes it easier to load long items through from the boot without losing the outer rear seats. Handily, you get levers in the boot that allow you to fold the seats from there. 

You can’t, however, slide the rear seats fore and aft, as you can in the Audi Q3, Ford Kuga and Renault Austral. The Skoda Karoq’s Varioflex option is even better, allowing you to remove the rear seats altogether. 

“The Kia Sportage’s long, deep boot is usefully bigger than what you’ll find in the Honda ZR-V or Renault Austral, and has more underfloor space too. I found that its ability to carry eight carry-on suitcases made it perfect for an airport run.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

In Pure trim and with the regular petrol engine, the Kia Sportage undercuts the Honda ZR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Renault Austral, and costs around the same as the Mazda CX-5, Nissan Qashqai, Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq. A Dacia Bigster is even cheaper, though. 

 Despite being the entry-level trim, Pure comes with everything that you could need, including 17in alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, automatic air conditioning and all the bits that we’ve already mentioned. 

GT-Line adds heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, but aside from that, there aren't any real luxuries that seem worth the jump in price. Range-topping GT-Line S does add a lot of kit, such as an upgraded sound system, ventilated front seats and heated rear seats – but then it pushes the price up a lot too.

Of course, you can also have any of the trim levels with the Hybrid HEV engine, which costs more but remains closely priced to an equivalent Hyundai Tucson. The gap is even narrower if you decide to opt for a PCP finance deal and pay monthly. Better still, the Sportage is predicted to have stronger resale values than the Tucson.

If you're looking for a company car and want the lowest possible BIK tax rating you'll be better off with an electric SUV, but in the Sportage range, the PHEV will be the cheapest option. As with other plug-in hybrids, you’ll need to keep the battery charged up as much as possible to maximise fuel economy.

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

Kia as a brand finished 11th out of 31 manufacturers in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. That’s one below Hyundai but just above Volvo and Skoda. The pre-facelift Sportage came 10th out of 33 family SUV models in the same survey.

For added peace of mind, the Sportage comes with a very good seven-year or 100,000-mile Kia warranty. While Toyota gives you up to 10 years if you service your car at an approved dealer, you won’t get such a long warranty with the main rivals – the closest is Hyundai’s five years.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

When it was tested for safety by Euro NCAP, the Sportage was awarded the full five stars and scored well in all areas. The Tucson scored near-identical scores in all safety categories but it’s hard to compare the two car’s scores directly because they were tested in different years and the tests become progressively more stringent.

Every Sportage comes with lots of safety kit, including six airbags, automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance and trailer stability assist.

Top-spec GT-Line S trim adds blind-spot monitoring – which displays a live feed from cameras mounted on the door mirrors as you indicate – and parking collision avoidance.

“The Kia Sportage hybrids are satisfyingly economical, but in this price range, it's also worth considering the fully electric Kia EV3.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

Buy it if...

- You’d like a family SUV that has lots of interior space

- You’re after a car that’s easy to drive and rides comfortably

- You like getting great value for money 

Don’t buy it if…

- You’re after a family SUV with really agile handling 

- You’d like a fully electric family SUV

- You value being able to move the rear seats around for extra storage space

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