The Kia Sportage is a practical and desirable family SUV and a great choice to buy or lease.
The latest generation of Kia Sportage has a bold design that certainly helps it stand out in the supermarket car park. But that's not all it offers, with a long list of standard equipment, excellent technology, plenty of space inside for a growing family and a large variety of engine choices.
Those looking to keep running costs low are catered for by two different hybrid versions: an efficient and straightforward 'self-charging' full hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, which can use barely any fuel if used correctly.
If you're looking for a used Kia Sportage for sale, the previous generation model has a less distinctive design but plenty of plus points, including a practical and well-made cabin with lots of standard equipment. There are plenty of SUVs on the market and the Kia Sportage rivals the likes of the Hyundai Tucson, the Ford Kuga and of course the hugely popular Nissan Qashqai.
Whether buying new or used you get good value for money, while there's peace-of-mind thanks to Kia's industry-leading seven-year warranty.
The Kia Sportage is one of the most popular cars to buy or lease, and is also very desirable on the used market. And that's with good reason.
Not only does it offer good value for money when you consider the amount of space and standard equipment it features, but it also does a good impression of a more expensive car thanks to the high quality feel and impressive technology.
There's also more choice than ever when it comes to engines, with the usual petrol and diesel offerings joined by more efficient mild hybrid versions for sale. There's also four-wheel drive models available.
Many buyers are expected to opt for one of the latest hybrids, though, which offer a smooth driving experience and excellent efficiency. The plug-in hybrid offers an impressive 43 miles of electric range on a charge, making for blissfully smooth and quiet commutes.
What's more, the practical and roomy interior offers loads of room for children and adults alike, plus a large and versatile boot space. A composed driving experience and excellent array of safety assist technology only adds to its appeal.
Overall, the Kia Sportage offers practical yet desirable family transport, whether you're looking at the high-tech latest model to buy or lease new, or the spacious and affordable previous model on the secondhand market. It's a very good all-rounder, while the impressive seven-year warranty means used buyers can still have peace of mind.
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With standard equipment levels as impressive as they are, we see no reason to splash the cash on the priciest Kia Sportage models. A mid-spec Kia Sportage 3 comes with the flashy 12.3-inch media system, as well as heated seats, part-faux-leather upholstery and 18-inch alloy wheels. What more could you possibly want?!
In terms of engines, none of the options are bad, but we quite like the standard 1.6-litre petrol. Hybrid models are likely to be popular, though, and they'll be very efficient. Wait for the plug-in hybrid if you can charge a car at home and mainly cover short journeys.
Petrol:
Kia Sportage 1.6T GDI: There is one non-hybrid petrol engine offered, and it's the cheapest model. It's a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo unit putting out 150PS, which is enough for a 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds. Available only with a six-speed manual transmission, it'll do up to 42.2mpg combined.
Kia Sportage 1.6T GDI 48v DCT: Spec your petrol Sportage with the seven-speed automatic gearbox and it comes with the same engine and 150PS output, albeit mated to a 48v mild hybrid system. With a 0-62mph time of 9.3 seconds, it'll manage up to 44.1mpg combined. This version can be specified with all-wheel drive.
Diesel:
Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDI: The single non-hybrid diesel engine is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder putting out 115PS, which is enough for a 0-62mph time of 11.7 seconds. Available only with a six-speed manual transmission, it'll do up to 54.3mpg combined.
Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDi 48v DCT: The automatic diesel model gets a 136PS version of the same 1.6-litre engine, good for a 0-62mph time of 11 seconds. Mated to a mild-hybrid system and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, it'll do up to 54.3mpg combined.
Hybrid:
Kia Sportage 1.6T GDI HEV: The most affordable hybrid Kia Sportage is the full (self-charging) hybrid. Using a 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder mated to an electric motor and dual-clutch automatic gearbox, its output is 229PS. That's sufficient for a 0-62mph in 7.7 seconds. With two-wheel drive it can do up to 49.6mpg combined, which falls to 44.1mpg in top-spec all-wheel drive form.
Kia Sportage 1.6T GDI PHEV: The top-level Kia Sportage is the plug-in hybrid. Again, it uses a 1.6-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor, and is all-wheel drive as standard with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Putting out 265PS, it'll do 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds and promises up to 252mpg if charged up.
The Kia Sportage 2 is the entry-level trim grade and is only available the non-hybrid petrol and diesel engines and a manual gearbox
The Kia Sportage GT-Line is the first step up the equipment ladder. It can be specified on all petrol and diesel engines, the full hybrid and the plug-in hybrid model.
The Kia Sportage 3 is the mid-level trim grade with key equipment upgrades. Again, it's available with every engine option in the range.
The Kia Sportage 4 is a higher-level trim grade with some luxury touches. This isn't available on the non-hybrid, manual diesel or petrol engines but is available on every other trim.
The Kia Sportage GT-Line S tops the range and comes fully loaded on equipment, while also getting sporty styling upgrades. You can't spec it with a diesel engine or a petrol manual, but every other powertrain is available.
The Kia Sportage's exterior dimensions are:
Length: 4515mm
Width: 1865mm
Height: 1650mm
Ground clearance: 181mm
The Kia Sportage's boot size is 591 litres for the petrol and diesel models, 587 litres in the full hybrid and 540 litres in the plug-in hybrid.
The first year's VED (car tax) is lumped into the on-the-road price, so you don't really have to worry about the cost of that. After the first year, you'll pay a flat rate of £180/year for petrol or diesel models, or £170/year for hybrids.
Be careful, though. Cars with a list price of more than £40,000 will be subjected to an extra £390 in tax for five years. This is the price when the car is new - so it doesn't matter if you bought it second-hand or with a discount. That means the top-end Kia Sportage models could cost as much as £570 a year in tax.
The Kia Sportage is cheapest to insure in entry-level 2 grade with a diesel engine, which puts it in insurance group 15. That rises with the pure petrol engine and with higher trim grades. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid are both the same in group 24-26 depending on trim level.
Read our full Kia Sportage review