The Kia Sportage has now established itself in the top compact SUV league. The times when he had to convince primarily through the price are long gone. The buyers have the choice between good and cheap and almost luxurious. Which one is recommended for savers, frequent drivers and discerning people?
The Kia Sportage is one of the most sophisticated compact SUVs on the German market. In the current generation, the Korean dares a little exalted design futurism. At its core, however, it remains a solid companion for everyday use and travel.
short character
The times when the Sportage had to convince primarily through the price are long gone. In terms of appearance, equipment and technical extras, it has long been on par with the European competition. The fifth generation, which has been available since 2021, scores among other things with a lot of space, a well thought-out design, a nice ambience and a very wide range of drives.
body and chassis
At 4.51 meters, the length of the Sportage almost reaches the mid-range segment. The interior is correspondingly airy. People over 2 meters tall also sit comfortably in the front. And despite the massive screen and console landscape, the sense of space is very good. There is also plenty of room for two tall people in the back. The backrests are adjustable, but the seats cannot be moved. The trunk is large, well-designed and easily usable, although the side plastic parts tend to get scratched. A fabric cover would have been more suitable for the regular transport of bulky goods.
In terms of ambience, choice of materials and workmanship, the compact SUV is otherwise convincing: in the very modern-looking cockpit, decent materials are well put together, the optional large screen and the touch-sensitive buttons for climate and infotainment seem almost a touch futuristic. In principle, the chassis is designed to be balanced; adaptive dampers are available as an option, which adapt the tuning to the current driving situation. When it comes to driving comfort, however, the Kia is not in the top group of its segment.
The engine
As befits a volume supplier with a claim to a top spot in the registration statistics, Kia has made a large portfolio of drive variants available to the Sportage. The basis is a 1.6-liter petrol engine with 150 hp, manual transmission and front-wheel drive. Above that is an equally powerful version with 48-volt mild hybrid technology and an automatic option. The four-cylinder is also available as a mild hybrid with 180 hp and all-wheel drive technology as an option, as well as a 230 hp full hybrid (HEV), also with a 4WD option. The petrol engine range is crowned by an all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid (PHEV), which has an output of 265 hp and a range of 70 kilometers, but is correspondingly expensive at 45,300 euros.
If you want a diesel, you have the choice between two performance levels of the 1.6-liter four-cylinder, which is available with 115 hp and manual transmission and 136 hp, which is more appropriate for long distances. The latter version is also available with all-wheel drive and automatic transmission. As an automatic, Kia uses a fairly smooth seven-speed dual-clutch transmission for the diesels and non-hybrid petrol engines, HEV and PHEV are equipped with classic six-speed automatics. The more modern eight-speed automatic from the predecessor built until 2021 is no longer available. Its top diesel (185 hp) is also missing.
Furnishing
Kia has launched its typical four-tier range of equipment for the Sportage. The inexpensive basic line “Edition 7” (from 28,450 euros) is only available for the smallest petrol or diesel engine. The next level “Vision” is already significantly more expensive at at least 33,750 euros, but apart from the larger infotainment system with navigation system, it offers only a few really essential improvements compared to the already properly equipped base. One level higher (“Spirit”, from 37,750 euros) there are a few design or comfort extras such as 18 instead of 17 inch rims, adaptive headlights or an electric tailgate. If you want the Kia with a sporty look, you can choose the “GT-Line” model (from 44,150 euros), which then goes a little further in terms of appearance and functionality.
If you want to supplement the equipment lines according to your own taste, you have comparatively few options at Kia; especially on the two lower steps you have to use the bundle provided by the manufacturer. The top lines, on the other hand, allow the choice of panoramic roof, high-end audio and leather seats, among other things. The range of assistants can also be expanded there. All Sportage versions have at least seven airbags, a collision warning system, a high-beam assistant, LED lights and a reversing camera.
recommendations
For savers: Sportage 1.6 T-GDI, 110 kW/150 PS, FWD, manual transmission, Edition 7, Emotion package (including parking sensors, climate control, heated seats), 28,450 euros.
For frequent drivers: Sportage 1.6 CRDi 48V DCT, 100 kW/136 hp, FWD, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, Spirit, Drive-Wise-Park-Plus package (including adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning, 360-degree camera), 42,980 euros.
For the discerning: Sportage 1.6 T-GDI 48V DCT, 132 kW/180 PS, AWD, seven-speed automatic transmission, GT-Line, metallic two-tone paintwork, Harman Kardon sound system, panoramic glass sunroof, Drive-Wise Park Plus package (under other adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning, 360-degree camera, 50,040 euros.
