The new fifth generation Kia Sportage has an updated look, new technologies, new hybrid engines and new mechanical underpinnings.
Special mention : Frugal, GT Line is really plush, bigger than it looks, rear heated seats, rugged enough to take down small lane’s, rear seats have adjustable recline which adds to rear passenger comfort.
Needs work : No spare wheel, keyless entry still requires a few prods on the door handle, manual diesel not as smooth at low speeds in city, prefers motorways and rural journeys.
| BHP 136 | Diesel / Manual |
| 0-100 km/h in 11.4 seconds | Road Tax €210 |
| GT Line Price: €43,000.00 As spec’d Price: €43,600.00 | Boot space 526 / 1,715 litres |
It’s hard to think of a sector that’s up against more rivals than the Sportage is in and the reason for that is it’s a bit bigger than suvs like the Seat Ateca, Nissan Qashqai, VW tiguan and skoda Karoq. It’s a bit smaller than Peugeot’s 5008, Land Rover’s Discovery Sport and Mazda’s CX-5. It sits in that middle ground between those two groups of SUVs and it sits alongside the closely related and similarly sized Hyundai Tucson.
Kia clearly wanted to give the Sportage a very distinctive look to help it stand out from all of those rivals. the previous sportage was a massive seller for the brand but instead of creating something that looked similar to the previous model they’ve gone for a different look.
The updates continue inside where the new sportage has had a major revamp. The infotainment comes in the form of two screens which are joined together. at 12.3 inches each, one is for the infotainment and the other is for the driver display.
The infotainment system has some nice graphics, a responsive screen with a simple layout and it’s mounted relatively high on the dashboard. The icons are just about big enough to be able to see clearly and hit relatively easily on the move. You still have two dials either side of the binnacle and what’s also quite useful is the fact that you can jump between controlling the air conditioning or the shortcut buttons for the infotainment system. The view can be restricted however depending on your driving position. There is quite a lot of adjustment in the steering wheel and the seat so you will be able to get comfortable, you just might not be able to see absolutely everything on the screen which is otherwise nice and clear.
The range topping model costs around €43,000 and at that price point would it be considered as good as a Volvo XC40? The build quality is good, it’s all screwed together nicely and its got a feeling of robustness. Nothing feels particularly flimsy but not all of the materials feel premium and that’s perhaps where the difference is between this and an XC40. That extra layer of premium feel is missing but it’s at least as good as Hyundai’s Tucson.
The Sportage has arguably more of an eye catching ability over the Tucson in that it has two screens on the dashboard and it’s just a much nicer place to spend time. if you go for the entry level trim you get a smaller touch screen, go up in spec and you get the digital drivers display. on the entry level trims the materials in the interior are different, if you like the alcantara look on the door and the faux leather, you won’t get that on the entry level models. by the standards of the class it’s overall a good interior.
The new sportage is slightly longer and wider than the old model, to be fair the old model had good rear seat space. With a six foot driver leg room in the rear is plentiful with loads of space for your feet under the seats in front. in the back of the car you get reclining rear seats and usb-c ports the whole space feels relatively open, spacious and comfortable.
At its biggest the Sportage gets a massive 591 litre boot which is a hundred liters more than in the previous generation and is quite a bit bigger than the Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Karoq and Mazda CX-5. it’s not quite as big as a Peugeot 5008 but it is very similar to what the Hyundai Tucson offers. If you option the hybrid version it means boot space will be reduced, plug-in hybrid reduces it a bit more but even at that it’s still 540 litres. The boot is a good practical shape that also offers a height adjustable floor so you can lower it down if you want to increase the load capacity or keep it up top and give yourself a bit of underfloor storage. Another thing the sportage gets as standard is the ability to fold each rear seat individually, where most rivals are only 60/40.
The Kia Sportage engine lineup consists of a 1.6 litre petrol engine, a 1.6 litre diesel engine and you can have both of them with mild hybrid tech or without. above that you’ve got the full hybrid and the range-topping version of the Kia Sportage is the plug-in hybrid. The hybrid gets a 1.6 litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a very small battery. It’s very quiet at low speeds with the electric motor, it feels nimble and is fairly quick. it’s not absolutely rapid but it’s definitely got more than enough power for your motorway journeys and very long distances. At low speeds it’s nice and quiet. In terms of the handling it’s relaxed at cruising speeds. The body control is good and the steering is nice, it’s perhaps a bit vague around the straight ahead compared to a Tucson. When you get in that car, the steering initially feels quite light and quick although it doesn’t take very long to realise that it’s not a sporty car to drive. you don’t really have the same sensation in the Sportage.
This new model is definitely safer and much more advanced than the first gen Sportage. If you have an auto version you can move it using the remote smart parking assist which comes as standard on the top two trims. The Sportage is pretty big, around the size of an ID.4 but deceptively doesn’t look as big. There’s a jump in price going from the regular engines up to the hybrid options but if it’s within your budget then it’ll be worth your while.
The Sportage is well equipped as standard but you might want to consider jumping up to K3 trim because if you do that then you get the plush interiors, big screens and some luxuries like heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel and adaptive cruise control. You can also get four wheel drive with the new sportage. kia will very much be hoping that the new fifth-generation sportage can at least match the popularity of the fourth generation model which was a huge seller and in fact kia’s biggest seller in the uk the starting price may seem quite punchy compared to some rivals but that’s partly because the sportage doesn’t have a stingy entry-level trim or small engines so it is still competitively priced against rivals plus a major bonus of buying a Kia is having a seven year warranty as standard. hopefully you won’t even have to use it because kia’s got a great reliability record. based on this early drive of the new sportage it’s got a really nice interior with a big and practical boot it’s decent to drive with a good hybrid engine and it’s a great all-round SUV.