Review of the new Kia Sportage 2022

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This is the best Sportage. It looks attractive inside and out and is really family-friendly stuff. But can it beat the completely conquering Tucson? There are some areas where it’s better, others it’s not. But Kia needs to sharpen the pencil on pricing and deals to usurp its biggest brother and rival.

We’re a bit classy, ​​we’re British. While our American cousins ​​pronounce Sport As in luggage, we take a slightly more subtle approach to pairing it with the barrage.

Either way, this new fifth-generation Sportage is still designed for Europe and built in Europe, and because it has a lot in common with our current favorite. Mid-size SUV, Hyundai’s many awards Tucsonit must be good, right?

Yes, yes, that’s right. And That has worked hard to give its Sportage plenty of distinction, even if much of the technology under the skin is shared among its Korean brethren.

That starts with the look, though both cars use the latest in LED lighting technology to good effect. The Sportage features bold boomerang-shaped LED running lights on either side of Kia’s ultra-thin version of the ‘Tiger Nose’ grille.

The main headlights combine neatly with a larger, lower grille – so much so that you’ll struggle to see them unless they’re on – while in terms of configuration, the car looks a bit more compact. slightly longer than the Tucson (actually a bit longer) with cleaner surfaces along the sides, too.

At the rear, the car has a clear lead over Kia’s all-electric EV6 with the high-mounted taillights and the now-popular full-width light strips. The trunk door opens low and beautifully for easy access to a 587-liter trunk (some other way with the Tucson’s 620-litre).

The inside is even more inspired by the EV6, with its twin 12.3-inch screens; one in front of the driver with clear, easy-to-use graphics along with a responsive central touchscreen for the infotainment. Both screens seem to engage in a smart, panoramic scan.

Below the central touchscreen are touch-sensitive controls for the climate control system, or if you press the button to switch modes, they turn into quick keys for accessing infotainment settings. mind. It makes the interior look great but is a bit buggy to use.

Our car revolving automatic transmission selector (predicted to be a best seller) sits behind the cordless phone charger, with a cup holder (with a clever swivel for smaller cups or bottles) ) beside.

There are plenty of other smart features inside, including a USB socket on the back of the front seats along with a handy hanger, while the headrest can be used as a coat or bag hanger. Quality is also top.

In terms of interior style alone, the Kia outperforms the Hyundai, though when we allowed our longtime Tucson family to play the Sportage, they said the Kia’s rear space was decent.
a little tighter. Still, most things are fine, and the rear doors open usefully for easy access.

Previous Sportage owners will enjoy the all-round improved visibility, while the firm, flat steering wheel has good grip and lends a sporty feel to the car. In fact, the car grips the road well through the bends without rolling the body too much; it’s not sporty, but it’s a family SUV.

The steering feels firmer than the Tucson, and things can get a little bumpy on poor surfaces, though it’s not bad enough to dismiss the Sportage. However, you will be impressed by the refinement, which makes the Kia more relaxed and comfortable on the road.

When it comes to choosing a powertrain, there are many. Our vehicle is a full hybrid (some might even say self-charging), which combines 1.6 liter gasoline power with a small 1.49kWh battery to allow the vehicle to use electric power in a short time. In fact, it’ll do its best to go electric whenever possible, with the engine running smoothly unless you’re too hard on the throttle.

With 226hp and 350Nm of torque, the car will get from 0-60mph in 7.7 seconds – slightly faster than the Tucson. Hyundai improves things with an ever-better fuel economy figure and lower CO2, but not much of that; we think it’s easy to get mid to high average mpg in your 40s.

At launch, you can get a 1.6 mild-hybrid that uses 48-volt technology to boost performance and efficiency but won’t run on electric power alone. Or you can opt for the 148bhp 1.6 entry level with no hint of hybridisation. Oh yeah, whisper, there are even a few diesels if you really want to go that route.

If that wasn’t enough for you, in a few weeks a plug-in hybrid petrol version will also arrive, adding a 13.8kWh battery to the 1.6 petrol version.

Then there’s the choice of five trim levels ranging from 2 (a strange starting place) to 3 and 4, plus the GT-Line and our flagship GT-Line S model, which has it all. the bells and whistles – literally, when it prompts you to check the rear passengers when you get off the bus. Of course, every model also comes with a seven-year warranty.

Our Sportage costs £38,645 – more expensive than the equivalent Tucson. It is more expensive per PCPsame goes – book £9,700 and over 37 months Kia will cost you £315 a month, Hyundai £293. But is it worth it? We’ll be bringing the two back together soon.