Kia Sportage 2022 long-term test
Kia got in early with SUVs and this remains its best-seller. Justifiably so? Let’s find out
*Why we’re running it: *To see if the Kia Sportage still holds its own in the throng of sensible crossovers
-Month 1 - Specs-
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-Life with a Kia Sportage: Month 1-
*Welcoming the Sportage to the fleet - 9 November 2022*
Admit it: 10 years ago, you would never have considered a Kia. Yet here we are. Kia was the biggest-selling car brand in the UK in January for the first time ever, and its sales are up 12% for the year to date in a market that’s down 8%.
In recent years, its EV range – the likes of the Kia Niro EV and Kia EV6 – have done wonders in propelling it to new heights, but the third-generation Sportage, a predecessor to this long-termer, was really the model that set the firm up for today’s phenomenal success.
Launched in 2010, that car was worlds away from the one before. It was an SUV ready for the onslaught of SUVs, when few were. It was attractive and good value and had family appeal. Such was its success that it remains Kia’s best-seller.
Now in its fifth generation, it’s not quite the good value it once was (what is?), starting at £27,750, but it still undercuts rivals (Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson for starters). Our new long-termer is quite a lot more expensive than that, at £41,800, being an all-wheel-drive hybrid in top-trim GT-Line S. We were expecting a plug-in hybrid, but they became unavailable – presumably, through the same supply and demand issues that most of the industry has – so neither we nor a buyer can currently have one.
At time of writing, there wasn't even a price listed for it on Kia’s website. So ours, a 1.6-litre turbo petrol with an electric motor and a 1.49kWh battery, producing a combined 226bhp, is the most expensive model currently available.
The rest of the range is populated by 1.6-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel 48V mild hybrids in a choice of five trims. The Sportage has long been well pitched as a middle-of-the-range, practical, comfortable family car with every bit of kit you would need to be included. Our GT-Line S trim has no extra options. More on that later.
Stepping into it for the first time, it strikes me how premium the Sportage feels – and how far it has come in this regard. Okay, it’s not quite German premium levels of perceived quality but it also feels very far from a value proposition, let’s say. The curved 12.3in touchscreen neatly integrated into the dashboard looks slicker than the most recent of Volkswagen's offerings.
There’s plenty more miles ahead to assess it fully, but my experience to date is that the hybrid system is very quiet and smooth so the change between petrol and electric power is almost imperceptible. You can just about hear the engine but you can’t feel it. It’s also very close to hitting its 44.1mpg WLTP figure (remember, not the best in the first place because it’s all-wheel drive) but I’ve been doing largely town driving in electric mode, so with some more out-of-town miles, we’ll see how it balances out.
It’s impressively comfortable too, in its seats and the storage space for things (cups, phones, keys) around them. There’s no scrambling around to find your personal belongings and there’s also plenty of room in the back and boot. Indeed, there’s greater leg room, headroom and boot space than in the previous model.
Let’s get to that specification, something Kia has always hung at least some of its appeal on. Highlights include a panoramic sunroof, 360deg camera/monitor, heated steering wheel, power tailgate (my recent Jag E-Pace didn’t have one of those...), rear USB charging ports, wireless charging and Harman Kardon hi-fi.
There’s the usual plethora of safety equipment, including multi-collision brake, lane keeping assist and hill start assist, but the most immediately noticeable is what’s called Blind Spot Monitor View. Essentially, alongside traditional wing mirrors, it has cameras whose view appears on your instrument panel when you indicate left or right, acting as a digital blindspot viewer.
So far, the Sportage is everything I’d hoped it would be. An enjoyable, effortless daily driver, which is equally comfortable for short and long journeys, with all the mod cons you would want, plus it accommodates plenty of detritus. It seems to me not a car to be excited by, but one I would happily have on my driveway nonetheless. Let’s see if the gentle affection for it lasts.
*Second Opinion*
I put plenty of miles on a Sportage in August. What stood out – in an entirely complimentary way – was just how unremarkable it was, such was its ease of use, comfort and dependability. Exciting it was not, but its strengths aren’t the qualities you should take for granted
*Mark Tisshaw*
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-Kia Sportage HEV GT-Line S AWD specification-
*Specs: Price New* £41,800 *Price as tested* £41,800 *Options *None
*Test Data: Engine *1.6-litre petrol hybrid with an electric motor and 1.49kWh battery *Power* 226bhp *Torque* 258lb ft at 1500 - 2000rpm *Kerb weight *1,715kg *Top speed* 120mph *0-62mph* 8.0sec *Fuel economy* 44.1mpg *CO2* 146g/km *Faults* None *Expenses* None
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