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Kia Sportage Review 2024

2023 Kia Sportage 1.6T GDi HEV 4 5dr Auto Kia Sportage
1.6T GDi HEV 4 5dr Auto
£32,995
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Kia Sportage At A Glance

5/5
Honest John Overall Rating
The Kia Sportage continues to represent excellent value for money thanks to its generous kit levels. It does everything a family SUV needs to do with its practical interior, impressive list of standard safety features and a comprehensive line-up of engines that won't cost a lot to run.

+Extremely comprehensive engine line-up including petrol, diesel and hybrid power. Impressive cabin with sharp infotainment. Seven-year warranty.

-Hybrid models are surprisingly noisy. Top-spec models are difficult to justify. Has a face only a mother could love.

On average it achieves 0% of the official MPG figure

Remember when the last-generation Kia Sportage looked pretty outlandish? It still sold by the bucketload, we soon started to see them everywhere and now, if anything, it looks a bit bland. Well, there’s no danger of the new Kia Sportage blending in. It’s even bolder in design than the new Hyundai Tucson – which is saying something – while SUV competitors like the Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Karoq and Peugeot 3008 aren’t going to turn heads like the new Sportage. Just how good the rest of the car is we'll explore in our Kia Sportage review. 

You can decide for yourself if you like how the new Kia Sportage looks but we’d suggest it’s worth remaining open-minded until you’ve sat in the cabin. In there, you get a fancy dual-screen infotainment system (on mid-spec models and above), as well as comfortable seats and a whole heap of standard equipment for your cash.

While the Kia Sportage’s near-£27,000 start price means it isn’t exactly a budget option any more, you do get a lot of kit for your money. The range kicks off with the Kia Sportage 2, which comes with an eight-inch touchscreen media system, a reversing camera, cruise control and 17-inch alloy wheels.

The Kia Sportage GT-Line is meant to be a sportier choice, which explains the 19-inch alloy wheels and gloss black exterior highlights, while we reckon the mid-spec Kia Sportage 3 represents the sweet spot in the range. This features 18-inch alloy wheels, a 12.3-inch navigation system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. You also get part-faux-leather seats and a heated steering wheel.

Sitting above this is the Kia Sportage 4, which comes with a panoramic sunroof, Harman Kardon sound system and a wireless phone charger, while the range is topped up with the pricey Kia Sportage GT-Line S. This is fully-loaded, with standard equipment including bespoke exterior styling, 19-inch alloys (18-inch on the hybrid), part-artificial leather and ventilated front seats. You also get an electric tailgate.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with choice already, wait until we get onto the engine line-up. We’ll cover this in-depth in the engine section (click the 'driving' tab above), but it includes petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid, hybrid and plug-in hybrid power. You can’t buy an electric Kia Sportage – if that’s what you’re after, take a look at the Kia EV6 instead.

Kia also offers the Sportage with a variety of manual and automatic transmissions, and you can get it with four-wheel drive if you really must. We wouldn’t bother unless you live in the Scottish Highlands. And, even then, a set of winter tyres might be a better investment.

So far, we’ve sampled the entry-level 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol and, while the hybrid options certainly make a lot of sense in 2024, there’s a lot to be said for straightforward petrol power. It’s powerful enough for most drivers, while the six-speed manual gearbox is perfectly functional.

Where we think the Kia Sportage makes less sense is the higher-spec, more complex (i.e. hybrid) models. These are more expensive to buy and it could take a while for private buyers to recoup the cost in fuel savings.

Still, there’s a lot going for the Kia Sportage and it really should be high up on your shortlist compared to the likes of the Vauxhall Grandland, Volkswagen Tiguan and Ford Kuga.

What do owners think of the Kia Sportage? Check out our Owners' Reviews from people who live with the car day in, day out.

Reviews for Kia Sportage's top 3 rivals

Hyundai Tucson
4/5
Bold styling. Upmarket cabin with loads of standard tech. Spacious cabin and big boot. Wide choice of...
Peugeot 3008
4/5
Stylish inside and out with a well-finished cabin. Well equipped as standard. Good range of engines....
Nissan Qashqai
4/5
Extremely versatile cabin with a large boot and plenty of space, improved cabin quality, hybrid version...

Ask Honest John

What's a good SUV that's ULEZ compliant?

"I’m a pensioner who has had to dispose of his Land Rover Discovery 2 because of ULEZ. I need a replacement, up to £15000, auto, preferably petrol, and with room to get in behind the wheel as I’m not that agile. Obviously it has to be ULEZ compliant. Any suggestions?"
A Skoda Karoq with the 1.5 TSI engine and DSG gearbox would be a sensible choice. It's not as big as your Discovery, but it's easy to access and very comfortable. Alternatively, we'd recommend a Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage.
Answered by Andrew Brady

My car is starting on its own, what can the problem be?

"A couple of days ago my wife was sat in the porch watching the cars go by down our road, I was in the conservatory reading a book, my car was parked outside and the keys hung up in the hallway. I heard a scream and my wife shouting. I could hear the horn blowing and see lights flashing but the engine was not, I got my keys and went to the car, the flashing had stopped. I opened the door with the fob and tried everything and all was OK. It was parked and in Park, the only time that anything like this had happened was two years ago when the car was parked outside my house. It was a very hot day and the horn started blowing and lights flashing, when I opened the door on the fob it all stopped. How can this happen? My wife is frightened to be left sitting in the car, she thought it was going to crash into the porch she was sitting in."
If the vehicle is flashing its lights and sounding its horn, but the engine has not started, it may be that the vehicle alarm has been triggered. This could happen for a variety of reasons or a sensor failure, and would also explain why when you have pressed the key fob both the horn and lights have stopped. However, if the engine has also started in these instances it would suggest there is a more serious fault, and we would suggest taking your car to the dealer for further examination.
Answered by David Ross

What nearly new plug-in hybrid do you recommend?

"I have a 3 year old low mileage Ford Kuga PHEV and am looking for a suitable nearly new plug in from another manufacturer. I am looking for a petrol low mileage SUV style car for up to £35k including trade in and found it dificult to understand what is on the market. "
We'd recommend a Kia Sportage. It's an excellent family SUV that's available with plug-in hybrid power - your budget will get a nearly-new model in desirable GT-Line trim. It's also worth looking at the (very similar) Hyundai Tucson, or alternatives like the Peugeot 3008 or slightly larger Mazda CX-60.
Answered by Andrew Brady

What is the best all-wheel drive hybrid?

"What is the best awd hybrid please?"
We'd recommend a Kia Sportage - it's an excellent family SUV available with AWD and hybrid power. Also consider a Toyota RAV4 or more upmarket Lexus NX.
Answered by Andrew Brady
More Questions

What does a Kia Sportage cost?

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