The Kia Sportage vary lastly has a hybrid choice to go up in opposition to the Toyota RAV4.
Actually, there are two petrol-electric hybrid (HEV) fashions to select from – the SX, and this one, the GT-Line, which is the sportier trying and extra richly specified mannequin of the 2.
It has an intriguing turbo-petrol-hybrid setup, however solely comes with front-wheel drive – and the value premium is questionable consequently. So must you take into account it? Learn on to seek out out.
How does the Kia Sportage examine?
View an in depth breakdown of the Kia Sportage in opposition to equally sized autos.
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Sportage
How a lot does the Kia Sportage price?
At a look, the Sportage GT-Line Hybrid appears a bit dear.
You already know, $55,420 earlier than on-roads is greater than you’d pay for a high-grade RAV4 Cruiser 2WD Hybrid ($51,410), and greater than an all-wheel-drive Forester Hybrid S ($50,140).
However it’s barely extra palatable than the Honda CR-V e:HEV RS ($59,900 drive-away), and that SUV can be solely out there in FWD. Nevertheless, you’ll be paying an analogous worth, on the highway, for this Kia.
So, you’re paying a whack greater than the all-wheel-drive GT-Line fashions, however you’re getting much less. Effectively, you get front-wheel drive, and also you get a decrease gasoline consumption determine and a lot better emissions figures, too.
2024 Kia Sportage pricing:
- 2024 Kia Sportage S 2.0 FWD 6MT: $32,995
- 2024 Kia Sportage S 2.0 FWD 6AT: $34,995
- 2024 Kia Sportage S 2.0D AWD 8AT: $40,395
- 2024 Kia Sportage SX 2.0 FWD 6MT: $35,550
- 2024 Kia Sportage SX 2.0 FWD 6AT: $37,550
- 2024 Kia Sportage SX 2.0D AWD 8AT: $42,950
- 2024 Kia Sportage SX HEV FWD 6AT: $45,950
- 2024 Kia Sportage SX+ 2.0 FWD 6AT: $42,950
- 2024 Kia Sportage SX+ 1.6T AWD 7DCT: $44,050
- 2024 Kia Sportage SX+ 2.0D AWD 8AT: $47,450
- 2024 Kia Sportage GT-Line 1.6T AWD 7DCT: $49,920
- 2024 Kia Sportage GT-Line 2.0D AWD 8AT: $52,920
- 2024 Kia Sportage GT-Line HEV FWD 6AT: $55,420
Costs exclude on-road prices
To see how the Sportage traces up in opposition to its rivals, take a look at our comparability device.
What’s the Kia Sportage like on the within?
That is probably the most premium model out there for the Kia Sportage, and it does have a high-end appear and feel to the cabin.
I notably just like the twin-screen show arrange – two 12.3-inch items in a curved housing – which seems terrific, and fortunately can be actually easy to make use of. The touchscreen media system sits alongside a shiny and vibrant info-rich show for the motive force.
The latter additionally doubles as a show for a Blind-Spot View Monitor on this spec, so if you point out it is possible for you to to see what’s doubtlessly in your blind spot. There’s additionally different data on that driver’s display screen, together with issues like your digital speedometer, gasoline use, and lots extra.
The infotainment display screen has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although it’s strictly by cable connection which is a bit bit disappointing – I would like wi-fi each time. There may be additionally a wi-fi telephone charger, USB-A and USB-C ports, and a 12-volt.
The usability of the touchscreen is excellent, and you’ll simply get used to the menu format and construction of the controls on display screen. Fortunately there may be one other row of controls down under as a part of a switchable panel.
That management panel covers your local weather settings, together with fan velocity adjustment and dials for temperature adjustment, however should you flick a swap in the direction of the left of the panel you flip it right into a media management station as nicely, with a bunch of menus for sat nav, radio and setup menus all out there there. Additionally if you hit that swap, the local weather management knobs flip into quantity and tuning knobs.
Storage is nice all through the cabin. With a pair of retractable cup holders you possibly can flip the realm close to the shifter right into a flat storage zone should you want. Forward of the gear selector there’s a wi-fi telephone charger with a canopy, and in every of the doorways there are bottle holders, plus there’s a lined centre console bin between the entrance seats.
I’m not an enormous fan of all of the piano black ending within the centre console space, however at the very least there are buttons on your seat heating and cooling, and for the GT-Line Hybrid you additionally get a heated steering wheel. There’s additionally a rotary dial for drive modes, with Eco, Sport and Sensible modes out there – every of which change the show on the motive force’s cluster.
I like the actual fact you’ve acquired a button on the steering wheel to show off the lane-keeping system and this product fortunately doesn’t have the annoying velocity restrict beep expertise that many different new Hyundai-Kia autos do – to me that’s an enormous plus.
Seat consolation is respectable and you’ve got adjustable lumbar help. Some folks may discover the seats just a bit bit flat nevertheless.
At 182cm/6’0” tall, and with the motive force’s seat set for my place, there may be ample room for me within the second row to comfortably slouch, and simply sufficient room for 3 folks throughout the again. When you’ve got youngsters, there are ISOFIX factors within the window seats, and three top-tethers.
Everybody within the again is nicely catered for, with directional air-vents, map pockets on the seat backs, in addition to a tough kick plate on the again of every of the entrance seats. On these seat backs you’ll additionally discover USB-C charging ports and buying/faculty bag hooks.
There are bottle holders within the doorways and a flip-down armrest with cupholders, plus one other small storage part under the air-vents, the place you may retailer a telephone that’s on cost.
There’s a slight transmission tunnel intrusion within the again, however it’s not a large situation for house. There’s additionally a bit on high of the seat backs the place you may dangle a jacket, or possibly even wedge an iPad in.
Boot house is nice. There’s 586 litres of cargo capability with the again seats up, and the cargo space contains an LED mild, fast launch levers to drop the seats (1872L seats down), a 12V port, in addition to attachment factors for a cargo internet which may be saved below the boot flooring, alongside the cargo cowl.
There’s additionally a space-saver spare wheel, and whereas there are buying bag hooks, they’re proper in the back of the boot and never that nicely positioned.
What’s below the bonnet?
Select the hybrid model of the Kia Sportage and also you get a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 132kW of energy and 265Nm of torque, which is paired up with a 44kW/264Nm electrical motor, and a 1.49kWh lithium-ion battery.
Complete system outputs are 169kW and 350Nm, which is loads for one of these utility.
Nevertheless, that a lot grunt is sufficient to overwhelm the entrance tyres at instances. That’s proper, the hybrid Sportage solely comes with front-wheel drive in Australia, and that might be a deal-breaker for some.
In contrast to different hybrid fashions from the Hyundai-Kia group which run a dual-clutch auto, there’s a normal six-speed automated transmission fitted to the Sportage.
In the case of the official mixed cycle gasoline effectivity determine, the Kia Sportage HEV fashions declare 4.9 litres per 100km on the mixed cycle which for these taking part in alongside at house is 0.1 litres per 100km greater than a RAV4 2WD Hybrid claims.
In actuality, over days of the type of driving that you just’ll most likely do in a Sportage Hybrid – city working, commuting, freeway stints, daycare drop-offs and even a few IKEA runs – I noticed a return of 6.0 litres per 100km. Coincidentally that’s what I noticed final time I drove a RAV4 Hybrid!
Now, for these aware of emissions, the HEV mannequin stacks up nicely. The Hybrid’s official mixed cycle quantity is 110g/km CO2, whereas the diesel is 163g/km CO2, and the turbo-petrol is 164g/km CO2. For eco-conscious prospects or fleet consumers, that would get the petrol-electric model throughout the road.
Don’t go pondering that it may well’t tow, both. It has a 750kg unbraked trailer ranking, and 1650kg braked trailer ranking – however remember the fact that the utmost tow bar down weight is 100kg.
How does the Kia Sportage drive?
It’s a little bit of a novel method to hybrid tech, this powertrain.
Not fairly as novel because the Nissan e-Energy arrange, and maybe not as typical because the Toyota hybrid system, however as a substitute you do get a hybrid powertrain that’s each refined, highly effective, and environment friendly and equal measure.
The turbo engine factor to this petrol-electric system implies that you do have a bit bit of additional urgency if you want it, and that’s most noticeable in Sport mode should you ever select to drive in that setting.
The engine’s low-rev push and the electrical motor work collectively at the side of the traditional six-speed automated transmission to make for a fairly fulfilling driving expertise by way of the powertrain.
It’s quieter than a RAV4, and it feels a bit stronger than one too. It’s also totally different in that the electrical motor is built-in into the transmission, so you possibly can really feel the automotive change gears in EV mode, which is cool.
It has a pleasant transition between EV and traditional driving modes and in my testing it used the EV mode fairly repeatedly, together with on the freeway in stints, and loads of city driving. There’s a pedestrian warning system with an exterior speaker to warn others of your presence, as in any other case it’s fairly silent.
Nevertheless, the large draw back with this hybrid powertrain is it’s strictly front-wheel-drive, and that implies that you’ll at instances wrestle to get the entire torque to the bottom easily and successfully.
Numerous instances throughout my drive within the GT-Line Hybrid I discovered the entrance tyres scrambling for traction, even below what I believed was fairly average acceleration. When you’re a leadfoot, you may discover that it’ll screech a good bit.
The opposite parts of the drive expertise are typical of what we’ve come to anticipate of the Sportage, and that’s to say it’s good in most methods.
The trip is comfy, though it may well nonetheless really feel a bit clunky over damaged surfaces. Fortunately you don’t have 19-inch wheels with even lower-profile tyres to exacerbate that mannerism.
The steering is correct and sufficient for this utility. There’s an honest quantity of heft at greater speeds, and lightness at low speeds which helps with parking strikes (as does the surround-view digital camera system).
I sometimes flip off the lane-keeping help function on the freeway or round city as I discover it may be just a bit bit too pushy for my liking.
The braking response and the pedal really feel is nice too. Being an electrified automotive, it does have a regenerative braking system and sometimes that may result in less-than-ideal brake pedal really feel. However fortunately within the Sportage it’s trustworthy and it pulls up fairly nicely.
It’s additionally fairly quiet – there’s not an entire lot of engine noise intrusion at greater speeds, and even highway noise is saved to a minimal on rougher surfaces.
If solely it had all wheel drive, this might be a RAV4 killer.
What do you get?
The Sportage HEV is on the market in SX and GT-Line trim ranges, and specs largely mirrors the present petrol and diesel equivalents.
Sportage SX HEV highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Auto LED reflector-type headlights
- Auto high-beam
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Energy-folding exterior mirrors
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- ‘Primary’ digital instrument cluster with 4.2-inch display screen
- 6-speaker audio
- Material upholstery
- Leather-based-appointed steering wheel
- Twin-zone local weather management
- Digital parking brake with auto maintain
- Area-saver spare wheel
- Dial-type shift-by-wire selector
Sportage GT-Line HEV provides:
- LED projector-type headlights
- Full LED tail lights
- Leather-based upholstery
- Keyless entry, begin
- Electrochromic rear-view mirror
- Fingers-free energy tailgate
- Wi-fi telephone charger
- 64-colour ambient lighting
- 8-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 8-way energy driver’s seat, 2-way energy lumbar
- 8-way energy passenger seat
- Heated, ventilated entrance seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Panoramic sunroof
- Rear privateness glass
- Alloy sports activities pedals
Is the Kia Sportage protected?
As with the petrol and diesel fashions within the vary, HEV variations of the Sportage include the utmost five-star ANCAP security ranking primarily based on 2022 testing.
Meaning it carries over the identical breakdown scores for Grownup Occupant Safety (87 per cent), Baby Occupant Safety (87 per cent), Susceptible Highway Consumer Safety (66 per cent) and Security Help (74 per cent).
Customary security gear contains:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Car, pedestrian and bike owner detection
- Junction help
- Blind-spot help
- Rear cross-traffic help
- Driver consideration alert
- Clever velocity restrict help
- Lane preserve help
- Lane Following Help (lane centring)
- Secure exit warning
- Entrance, rear parking sensors
- Reversing digital camera
- Tyre strain monitoring
- Entrance, front-side and curtain airbags
- Entrance centre airbag
Sportage GT-Line provides:
- Blind Spot View Monitor
- Encompass-view digital camera
- Parking Collision Avoidance Help – Reverse
How a lot does the Kia Sportage price to run?
This might be the deal-breaker for some as a result of the servicing prices for the Sportage Hybrid fashions are big.
Firstly it wants upkeep extra repeatedly than different Sportage fashions, with intervals pegged at 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first.
Whereas there’s a capped-price servicing plan for seven years/70,000km, the common annual price over that interval is $643 per go to. Ouch. Meaning it prices extra to service this Kia than loads of luxurious SUVs that price thrice as a lot to buy.
Nevertheless, you may wish to take into account this. Resale values are the most important price of possession, and should you determine to promote after 4 years, you’ll nonetheless have a automotive that also has an honest guarantee and capped-price servicing cowl. It might be a profit.
A minimum of you continue to get a seven-year/limitless kilometre guarantee which continues to be good for the category, and there’s as much as eight years of roadside help should you preserve your Kia inside the model’s dealership community.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Kia Sportage
It’s so near being the hybrid SUV we’ve been hoping for, however an absence of all-wheel drive, frankly foolish servicing prices and brief intervals make it much less compelling than it may have in any other case been.
Even so, it is a nice household SUV for many who can cope with front-wheel drive and don’t thoughts paying a bit extra for his or her upkeep. If that’s you, I’d positively advocate you go and test it out.
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