Kia Sportage review

Driving position

First thing’s first, Kia’s done a good job of making the Sportage feel incredibly normal, especially for families who might be upgrading to this SUV from a hatchback.

You can pick from a high-up seating position to maximise your SUV experience, or you can sit much lower for a sportier feel, and even if you do sit low, the Sportage never feels too big on the road.

There’s also a lot of adjustment in the steering wheel, so ultimately, finding your ideal driving position is an easy affair.

We should also credit Kia for extending the door panels down over the sills, so they’re protected from getting muddy. It doesn’t necessarily relate to the driving position, but when it’s time to get out of the car, your trousers will be kept nice and clean.

Tech and features

Kia Sportage trim levels

– Pure

– GT-Line

– GT-Line S

On the surface, the updated version of the Kia Sportage – introduced in 2025 – doesn’t feel too different to earlier versions of this model, sold between 2021 and 2024.

The main changes are under the hood, with the 12.3-inch touchscreen running Kia’s latest ccNC operating system which has better on-screen performance.

The voice assistant has also been upgraded to use ChatGPT, which makes it far more effective at picking up natural-language voice commands over earlier systems.

In our experience, the infotainment system is crisp, responsive and capable, with the built-in sat-nav up there with the best in terms of usability, but most drivers will probably stick to wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto anyway.

Previous number-based trim levels, like ‘2’ and ‘3’, are gone, and have been replaced by ‘Pure’. Front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and a basic digital driver’s display are all fitted as standard.

Top-spec GT-Line S cars come with a bigger 12.3-inch driver’s display and a head-up display, which is fine, but we think the top-spec-only wireless phone charger should be fitted to all models by today’s standards. Especially as you don’t have to plug your phone in to access smartphone mirroring.

Engines and power

Kia Sportage performance stats

– Power: 147hp or 235hp

– 0-62mph: 7.9 to 9.7 seconds

–Top speed: 119 to 121mph

– Driven wheels: Front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive

All versions of the Kia Sportage come with a 1.6-litre petrol engine, but with varying degrees of hybrid assistance.

The range kicks off with a turbocharged-only petrol (mild hybrid options are gone) with 147hp – it’s slightly quicker with the dual-clutch automatic gearbox (9.4 seconds) than the manual (9.7 seconds) to 62mph.

Many buyers will probably go for one of the hybrids for their superior fuel economy.

The punchier self-charging hybrid has 235hp and takes 7.9 seconds to get to 62mph. We never felt it to be too slow, and the transitions between electric-only and petrol-assisted were mostly indetectable.

There were some moments where the petrol engine seemed to shock the gearbox into action, juddering the car. A CVT gearbox, like the one fitted to the Toyota RAV4, will generally be smoother, but Kia’s gearbox is quieter than that one.

Plug-in hybrid versions aren’t available at the time of writing, but they are on the cards, Kia says.

Handling and ride comfort

It might be a South Korean car, but the Sportage has been tuned with British roads in mind, so it does a decent job of handling our poor surfaces and potholes.

Fully independent suspension on all four corners also helps soften the blow of road imperfections, because reverberations don’t transfer to the other wheels (and therefore the cabin).

We spent over eight hours on the motorway, including the M4 and the M25 with its infamous traffic, and never actually felt fed up.

Most cars start to feel uncomfortable after a few hours, but we were ready to tackle more driving. Comfortable suspension and supportive seats are by far the selling points for the Sportage.

A sporty driving mode does sharpen the throttle response somewhat, but for the most part we left it in the default comfort setting – there was always plenty of power on tap for quick overtakes.

Boot space

Kia Sportage boot space

– Boot space: 587 to 591 litres

– Incl. Rear seats folded: 1,776 to 1,780 litres

Gone are the days when hybrid cars had less boot space – well, nearly.

While the petrol model has the biggest 591-litre boot, the self-charging hybrid still has a decent 587-litre space, so it barely takes a hit, thanks to some clever battery packaging.

A boot is a boot, and there’s nothing particularly exciting to write about the Sportage’s like the large under-boot storage area you get in the Ford Puma. But you do still get some storage down there.

The best part is that all models come with 40:20:40 split folding rear seats – each of the them fold down independently. That way, you can carry two adults in the rear outer seats for maximum comfort and still fold the middle one down for exceptionally long items that don’t quite fit in the boot.

Rear seats

If you do need to carry three in the back, they’ll be pleased to know there’s a flat floor, so no foot wars needed.

The seats also recline for added comfort on longer trips, and rear air vents and USB-C ports are standard across the range.

GT-Line S versions get heated outer rear seats for a touch of luxury, too.

Storage solutions

Kia’s specially designed rotating cupholders feature in the front of the Sportage, where they can be folded away to maximise storage if needed.

The door bins are also pretty big, but the ones in the rear aren’t so spacious.

Space under the front armrest is ok, but lots of cars these days offer more space.

If you need lots of storage, consider the electric alternative to the Sportage – the EV5. It’s filled with cubbies including a very clever setup for the front armrest, with storage trays accessible from the front and back.

Kia Sportage dimensions

– Height: 1,645mm

– Width: 1,865mm

– Length: 4,540mm

– Weight (kerb): 1,552kg to 1,733kg

Safety

Standard safety systems include autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and an intelligent speed limit system, as well as adaptive cruise control on all automatic models. The manual petrol spec only has standard cruise control.

It’s understandable that luxuries, like a remote smart parking system, are on GT-Line S only, but it’s a shame Kia’s forward collision avoidance system isn’t fitted to all trim levels. GT-Line S also has a slightly improved Highway Driving Assist, which combines adaptive cruise control and lane centring.

Fuel economy

Officially, the hybrid model will do 48.7-50.4mpg, or 44.1mpg in all-wheel-drive models. We tested the two-wheel-drive hybrid in GT-Line spec, so it should’ve done 50.4mpg, and we averaged over 48mpg.

For it to have nearly reached official figures on over 400 miles of motorway, that’s pretty impressive. Especially because that’s where hybrids are least efficient.

On some short, slower-speed trips where the hybrid system was at its best, we exceeded 50mpg.

Petrol models will be closer to the 40mpg mark, so the hybrid is well worth the upgrade.

Reliability

Unsurprisingly, we don’t have any major issues to report for the Sportage. Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty is among the best.

Kia and sister company Hyundai have also been building hybrids for years, so if you’re worried about the advanced tech and its dependability – don’t be.