Kia Sportage review: what the car critics say
The Kia Sportage has been transformed from a dull budget SUV into a stylish, tech-laden, family-friendly car

The best-selling car in the UK last month, the Kia Sportage has been transformed over the years from a dull budget SUV into a stylish, tech-laden, family-friendly car, The Sunday Times said. This fifth-generation version sees the addition of hybrids and plug-in powertrains, using Kia’s 1.6 T-GDi petrol engine. The new Sportage uses the same platform as the Hyundai Tucson, and there’s front and four-wheel-drive options.

Decent, unflashy, good value and with a seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty, the Sportage has five trim levels, but if you want a swanky metallic paint colour it will cost you an extra £650, The Daily Telegraph said. Inside it’s all pretty logical, but some parts are over-designed, such as the excessive steering-wheel buttons. There’s just enough room for adults in the back, and the boot is pretty big, at 587 litres.

The Sportage grips well through bends without too much body roll, said Auto Express. It’s not sporty, but this is a family SUV, and the engine cuts in smoothly from electric. The ride is a bit firmer than the Tucson, but the Kia is relaxed and comfortable when cruising. With 226bhp it can do 0-60mph in a decent 7.7 seconds, and top speed is 120mph. Fuel economy is good with an average of mid to high-40s mpg. Price: from £26,745.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Interest rate cut: the winners and losers
The Explainer The Bank of England's rate cut is not good news for everyone
-
Quiz of The Week: 3 – 9 May
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will robots benefit from a sense of touch?
Podcast Plus, has Donald Trump given centrism a new lease of life? And was it wrong to release the deadly film Rust?
-
6 charming homes in Rhode Island
Feature Featuring an award-winning home on Block Island and a casket-making-company-turned-condo in Providence
-
Titus Andronicus: a 'beautiful, blood-soaked nightmare'
The Week Recommends Max Webster's staging of Shakespeare's tragedy 'glitters with poetic richness'
-
The Alienation Effect: a 'compelling' study of the émigrés who reshaped postwar Britain
The Week Recommends Owen Hatherley's 'monumental' study is brimming with 'extraordinary revelations'
-
The Four Seasons: 'moving and funny' show stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey
The Week Recommends Netflix series follows three affluent mid-50s couples on a mini-break and the drama that ensues
-
Thunderbolts*: Florence Pugh stars in 'super-silly' yet 'terrific' film
The Week Recommends This is a Marvel movie with a difference, featuring an 'ill-matched squad of antiheroes'
-
Nashville dining: Far more than barbecue and hot chicken
Feature A modern approach to fine-dining, a daily-changing menu, and more
-
Music Reviews: Coco Jones and Viagra Boys
Feature "Why Not More?" and "Viagr Aboys"
-
Art review: "Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes From Art"
Feature At the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, through Aug. 17