Regardless of hybrids steadily gaining momentum in Australia lately, a whole lot of the mainstream manufacturers have been fairly late to the social gathering – significantly in important segments.
Observe: This text relies off our most up-to-date overview of the Kia Sportage, because it has seen no main adjustments to pricing or specification since publication.
We’ve got up to date key particulars corresponding to pricing and specs with the hottest data out there. Learn the newest value and specs article right here for all the main points.
WATCH: Paul”s video overview of the 2024 Kia Sportage SX Hybrid
Take the top-selling mid-size SUV class for instance; Toyota dominates with the RAV4 which is Australia’s favorite SUV, and the hybrid accounts for over 80 per cent of all RAV4 gross sales.
Nonetheless, competitors within the section has been restricted to the GWM Haval H6 Hybrid, Subaru Forester Hybrid (extra a mild-hybrid at that) and extra not too long ago the Honda CR-V and ZR-V e:HEVs; until you depend dearer plug-in hybrids just like the Mitsubishi Outlander and Cupra Formentor.
Now, Kia and Hyundai are lastly coming to the desk. Right here on check now we have the brand new Kia Sportage Hybrid, a important new variant for the Korean model that has been years within the making for Australia. It’s a automobile the CarExpert staff receives enquires about to no finish.
Hyundai has additionally dedicated to bringing the Tucson Hybrid as a part of a mid-life facelift, although that’s not on account of launch till June or July this 12 months – so Kia has pipped its Korean father or mother within the race to convey hybrid to market.
It’s value noting the Sportage Hybrid (HEV) will likely be provide restricted at launch. Kia has locked in a month-to-month allocation of 300 models in the intervening time, which equates to about 20 per cent of the nameplate’s month-to-month quantity in Australia.
Out there in SX and GT-Line grades – however not S or SX+ trims – the Sportage HEV can be restricted to front-wheel drive (FWD) solely regardless of an all-wheel drive (AWD) choice being out there abroad and likewise provided by most rivals.
Ought to it’s in your procuring record? Learn on to seek out out.
How does the Kia Sportage examine?
View an in depth breakdown of the Kia Sportage towards equally sized autos.
Kia
Sportage
How a lot does the Kia Sportage Hybrid price?
The Sportage HEV vary opens at $45,950 plus on-road prices for the SX, which is the variant we examined.
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GT-Line
| Mannequin | Value earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| S | |
| Kia Sportage S 2.0 FWD 6MT | $32,995 |
| Kia Sportage S 2.0 FWD 6AT | $34,995 |
| Kia Sportage S 2.0D AWD 8AT | $40,395 |
| SX | |
| Kia Sportage SX 2.0 FWD 6MT | $35,550 |
| Kia Sportage SX 2.0 FWD 6AT | $37,550 |
| Kia Sportage SX 2.0D AWD 8AT | $42,950 |
| Kia Sportage SX 1.6T HEV FWD 6AT | $45,950 |
| SX+ | |
| Kia Sportage SX+ 2.0 FWD 6AT | $42,950 |
| Kia Sportage SX+ 1.6T AWD 7DCT | $44,050 |
| Kia Sportage SX+ 2.0D AWD 8AT | $47,450 |
| GT-Line | |
| Kia Sportage GT-Line 1.6T AWD 7DCT | $49,920 |
| Kia Sportage GT-Line 2.0D AWD 8AT | $52,920 |
| Kia Sportage GT-Line 1.6T HEV FWD 6AT | $55,420 |
To see how the Sportage traces up towards its rivals, try our comparability device.
What’s the Kia Sportage Hybrid like on the within?
It’s a fairly acquainted place if you happen to’ve ever sat in a current-gen Sportage, if for just a few small distinguishing options.
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SX
You continue to get the swish 12.3-inch central touchscreen and funky contact management bar within the SX HEV very similar to petrol and diesel variations, in addition to the ‘fundamental’ digital instrument cluster with clock radio-like tacho and speedo counters.
The primary distinction you’ll discover is the Sportage Hybrid picks up the rotary shift-by-wire selector instead of the standard T-bar shifter you get in different lower-grade Sportages, very similar to the GT-Line fashions.
It’s in any other case very a lot the identical. You don’t even see any distinguishing options within the instrument cluster bar an EV gentle when the automobile is driving with out the petrol engine operating, and also you get an extra widget within the 4.2-inch TFT supervision show which exhibits the vitality movement between energy sources.
The identical could be stated for the touchscreen, which gives excessive decision and a quick response like every other Sportage with this infotainment system. The differentiating issue is the extra ‘Hybrid’ sub-menu with vitality movement graphics and hybrid-specific knowledge.
It’s a disgrace there are not any Kia Join providers or wi-fi smartphone mirroring, given that is slowly rolling out throughout Kia’s lineup; nevertheless it’s fairly logical to think about these will likely be addressed with a forthcoming mid-life replace, prone to launch within the subsequent 12 months or so.
That’s to not say it doesn’t all work nicely. The native infotainment interface stays strong with its response and have set good for the category. The digital devices are very fundamental within the SX and the high-end 12.3-inch digital cluster within the GT-Line seems to be good however lacks the configurability of the VW Group secure.
I personally fairly just like the Sportage’s touch-capacitive management panel below the touchscreen, which does a convincing job at mimicking bodily switchgear whereas additionally providing the power to supply two major management panels within the one strip.
Not like another contact controls, these are fairly intuitive to make use of and save area in a approach that gained’t go away you pulling your hair out. That stated, correct suggestions like haptic vibrations can be good, quite than beeps.
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SX
Consolation up entrance is nice within the cloth-trimmed SX we examined, with loads of guide adjustment within the seat and steering wheel to discover a comfy driving place for my 6’1 body.
The GT-Line options heated and ventilated entrance pews, that are additionally electrically adjustable with reminiscence presets for the driving force – fairly posh. Should you get chilly fingers in winter, the GT-Line HEV’s unique heated steering wheel is a pleasant contact too.
Should you go for the SX there’s simply clean buttons the place these controls can be, and the lashings of piano black trim are fingerprint-prone given the high-traffic nature of the centre console. It in any other case presents fairly properly even within the decrease specification.
Storage is fairly good too, with a lidded cubby below the infotainment system in your telephone – although you might wrestle to suit a plus-sized telephone when plugged into Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – and there’s a modular centre console with two cupholders and additional cupboard space round them.
A deep bin below the padded centre armrest provides additional storage quantity, although the door pockets may very well be bigger. The latter is a criticism I’ve leveraged at nearly each Hyundai and Kia product on this newest massive automobile platform.
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SX -
GT-Line
The second row is one other Sportage spotlight, with one of the crucial spacious rear benches at school.
Two adults will likely be very happy within the rear, whereas the flat bench and ground means three will match throughout with out an excessive amount of bother for shorter journeys – I attempted it with associates and bought few complaints.
Facilities within the SX embody a fold-down armrest with cupholders, directional air vents, map pockets behind each entrance seats, bottle holders within the doorways, in addition to your requisite high tether and ISOFIX factors.
Should you step as much as the GT-Line, you add bag and jacket hooks behind the entrance headrests and on the seatbacks, in addition to USB-A cost ports on the interior sides of every entrance seat. No further zone of local weather although…
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SX -
SX
Kia hasn’t detailed any discrepancies within the boot in comparison with different Sportage variants, which means the HEV retains the spacious 543L boot (VDA) which expands to a giant ol’ 1829 litres with the second row folded.
There’s nonetheless area to stow the cargo blind below the boot ground if you’ll want to carry taller gadgets, and the Sportage HEV nonetheless gives an area saver spare below the boot ground. Whereas the RAV4 Hybrid additionally gives an area saver spare, a whole lot of electrified rivals are solely fitted with tyre restore kits.
| Dimensions | Kia Sportage Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Size | 4660mm |
| Width | 1865mm |
| Top | 1665-1680mm |
| Wheelbase | 2755mm |
| Cargo capability | 543-1829 litres |
To see how the Sportage traces up towards its rivals, try our comparability device.
What’s below the bonnet?
The Sportage Hybrid attracts upon the identical turbocharged drivetrain because the bigger Sorento Hybrid.
| Specs | Kia Sportage HEV |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.6L 4cyl turbo |
| Engine energy | 132kW (5500rpm) |
| Engine torque | 265Nm (1500-4500rpm) |
| Electrical motor energy | 44kW |
| Electrical motor torque | 264Nm |
| Whole system energy | 169kW |
| Whole system torque | 350Nm |
| Battery pack | 1.49kWh |
| Pushed wheels | Entrance-wheel drive |
| Weight | 1738kg (kerb) |
| Gasoline financial system | 4.9L/100km |
| Gasoline financial system (as examined) | 6.5L/100km |
| Minimal gas requirement | 91 RON |
| CO2 emissions | 110g/km |
| Emissions commonplace | Euro 5 |
| Braked tow capability | 1650kg – braked |
It’s value noting our indicated gas financial system determine was achieved over 900km of largely freeway and freeway driving, together with a return journey to Echuca over the Easter lengthy weekend.
We did see in mid-5L/100km in shorter-term readouts with extra metropolis and concrete driving thrown in – extra consultant of most individuals’s day by day commutes.
To see how the Sportage traces up towards its rivals, try our comparability device.
How does the Kia Sportage Hybrid drive?
Should you already favored how the Sportage drives, the hybrid does little to vary an already successful system.
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SX
With a extra highly effective electrical motor and bigger hybrid battery than rivals just like the Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester, the Sportage has the aptitude to drive in electrical mode extra usually, and for longer. That’s regardless of not truly having an EV Mode button like many different hybrid choices do.
However whereas it has the aptitude to do that, it doesn’t at all times do that. That is doubtless what contributed to the consumption determine that was a bit greater than the declare, regardless of the Sportage usually kicking into EV mode at speeds its Japanese rivals hardly ever would.
There have been events I’d speed up from a standstill to 60-70km/h at affordable tempo with out the petrol engine firing, and others the place virtually instantly after urgent the throttle the 1.6-litre turbo would activate to help. It appeared the Sportage HEV favored to maintain its battery between 50 and 75 per cent charged the place it might.
Throughout my journey to Echuca the Sportage would additionally slip into EV mode at as much as 110km/h an hour, and even preserve pace on slight inclines if it felt prefer it. That stated, the gas consumption readout would hover round 6.0-6.5L/100km at these greater speeds.
Kia’s strategy to hybrid differs somewhat to the setups employed by rival producers. The electrical motor is mounted to the six-speed automated transmission, versus driving by way of a hybrid transmission module or e-CVT.
This implies you possibly can truly really feel the Sportage shuffle by way of ratios no matter whether or not you’re utilizing the electrical motor, petrol engine, or each at instances. It’s maybe much less pronounced right here than it’s within the smaller Niro Hybrid, although it may well really feel somewhat odd occasionally while you really feel the Sportage kick down whereas in EV mode.
Efficiency is definitely fairly robust, and the handover between e-power and the turbocharged petrol engine is fairly seamless as each energy sources produce very related peak torque ranges – and the 1.6 T-GDI develops peak torque as little as 1500rpm.
Whereas there’s minimal vibration or kickback when the petrol engine does fireplace to life, the turbo petrol motor does make its presence recognized with a distinctively buzzy word when operating, and it usually will are available at excessive revs. It’ll shortly spin to 2000rpm when it first activates, and infrequently gained’t shift up till about 3000rpm.
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GT-Line
In equity it’s not like a RAV4 Hybrid is any much less coarse below load, neither the GWM Haval H6 HEV. However, in a time the place all-electric rivals produce little-to-no noise always, it may very well be an space of enchancment transferring ahead.
Name on all 169kW and 350Nm, and the Sportage HEV will get up and goes with gusto. I did just a few overtakes on the nation highways heading in direction of Echuca, and I seen the Kia had a stunning quantity of pep given its effectivity bent.
As a information, the UK-spec Sportage HEV – which is barely smaller than the Australian model – quotes an 8.4s 0-100km/h time which is matched by the UK-spec RAV4. That stated, the RAV4’s weaker naturally aspirated petrol engine and fewer torquey electrical motor don’t provide as robust a response at greater speeds.
It’s only a disgrace the Sportage HEV doesn’t have an additional gear or two. In sixth it’ll settle round 1800-2000rpm at 100-110km/h, which is high-quality however not fairly as relaxed as some CVT-equipped hybrids nor its ICE siblings. Should you’re touring as a rule, the Sportage 2.0D will likely be extra relaxed and extra economical.
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SX
Like petrol and diesel fashions, the Sportage HEV will get a neighborhood experience and dealing with tune to optimise its efficiency on Australian roads, and it exhibits.
And, as we’ve discovered with the broader vary, the Sportage strikes a really good steadiness between total consolation in addition to dealing with precision, to the purpose the place it’s one of many section benchmarks.
The correct steering tune means it goes the place you level the wheel and likewise provides you a good stage of suggestions, with a lighter weight to make decrease pace manoeuvres a cinch.
Because the pace climbs there’s a pleasant solidity about centre and there’s a pleasant big-car really feel to the highway holding which conjures up confidence on patchy roads and in inclement climate. Advantages of being based mostly on a bigger platform quite than a smaller one, methinks…
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GT-Line
As for help techniques, it’s just about the identical as earlier opinions of the Sportage. Given Kia hasn’t subjected the Sportage to a mid-life replace but, it’s devoid of these infuriating pace restrict warnings which are plaguing the newest Hyundai and Kia merchandise.
The adaptive cruise management system works nicely, and you should use Lane Following Help to facilitate semi-autonomous freeway driving in lieu of the corporate’s quite spectacular Freeway Driving Help that’s out there overseas.
If the lane centring perform is somewhat an excessive amount of for you, there’s commonplace lane departure warning and lane preserve help features to maintain you inside the traces, and Kia matches blind-spot and rear cross-traffic assists which can actively intervene to keep away from a collision, quite than simply sounding an audible warning.
What do you get?
The Sportage HEV is accessible in SX and GT-Line trim ranges, and largely mirrors the specification of present petrol and diesel equivalents.
Sportage SX HEV highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Auto LED reflector-type headlights
- Auto high-beam
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Energy-folding exterior mirrors
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- ‘Primary’ digital instrument cluster with 4.2-inch display screen
- 6-speaker audio
- Material upholstery
- Leather-based-appointed steering wheel
- Twin-zone local weather management
- Digital parking brake with auto maintain
- House-saver spare wheel
- Dial-type shift-by-wire selector
Sportage GT-Line HEV provides:
- LED projector-type headlights
- Full LED tail lights
- Leather-based upholstery
- Keyless entry, begin
- Electrochromic rear-view mirror
- Fingers-free energy tailgate
- Wi-fi telephone charger
- 64-colour ambient lighting
- 8-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 8-way energy driver’s seat, 2-way energy lumbar
- 8-way energy passenger seat
- Heated, ventilated entrance seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Panoramic sunroof
- Rear privateness glass
- Alloy sports activities pedals
Is the Kia Sportage Hybrid secure?
All variations of the Kia Sportage put on a five-star ANCAP security score, based mostly on Euro NCAP testing from 2022.
| Class | Kia Sportage |
|---|---|
| Grownup occupant safety | 87 per cent |
| Baby occupant safety | 87 per cent |
| Weak highway consumer safety | 66 per cent |
| Security help | 74 per cent |
It’s value noting the European-spec Sportage differs a bit from the automobile bought in Australia and New Zealand, and ANCAP acknowledges that extra knowledge equipped by Kia exhibits that equal efficiency could be anticipated for native variations.
Commonplace security gear consists of:
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Car, Pedestrian, Bicycle owner detection
- Junction help
- Blind-spot help
- Driver consideration alert
- Clever pace restrict help
- Lane Following Help (lane centring)
- Lane preserve help
- Parking sensors entrance, rear
- Rear cross-traffic help
- Reversing digicam
- Protected Exit Warning
- Tyre stress monitoring
GT-Line provides:
How a lot does the Kia Sportage Hybrid price to run?
Kia covers its lineup with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre new automobile guarantee. For electrified merchandise just like the Sportage HEV, high-voltage parts just like the on-board charger, electrical motor and battery system are coated for seven years or 150,000 kilometres – whichever comes first.
| Operating prices | Kia Sportage Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Guarantee | 7 years, limitless kilometres – automobile 7 years or 150,000 kilometres – HEV parts |
| Roadside help | As much as 8 years |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | As much as 7 years |
| Whole capped-price service price | $4502 – 7 years |
It seems the Sportage HEV is the priciest engine variant to service, and Kia continues to cost above common quantities for capped-price servicing.
For reference, Hyundai gives a five-year pre-paid service plan for the Santa Fe Hybrid which makes use of an an identical drivetrain for $2295 – practically $700 lower than what Kia costs over the identical interval for the Sportage HEV.
To see how the Sportage traces up towards its rivals, try our comparability device.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Kia Sportage Hybrid
If it wasn’t handicapped by provide, I feel the Sportage HEV might catapult the Korean SUV into competition for section management on the VFACTS gross sales charts.
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GT-Line
The newest Sportage has been extensively praised for its mixture of worth, practicality and on-road refinement; and this new hybrid model solely provides to that because of its frugal and in-vogue electrified drivetrain.
It will not be as outright environment friendly as a RAV4 Hybrid and even the GWM H6 Hybrid, however the Sportage HEV gives higher driving efficiency, higher infotainment know-how and a extra upmarket really feel than each of its aforementioned rivals.
Areas for enchancment? A price-leading variant beneath $40,000 can be good to have, and the month-to-month cap of 300 models doubtless means it gained’t be lengthy till wait instances blow out very similar to we noticed with the bigger Sorento Hybrid. It’s additionally very costly to service over the long run, and consumers wanting all-paw traction must look elsewhere.
Maybe the Sportage’s greatest risk comes from inside its circle of relatives tree, because the upcoming Hyundai Tucson Hybrid must be much less affected by provide constraints and can provide a wider vary of variants when it arrives mid-year – together with the choice of all-wheel drive.
The facelifted Tucson may also convey with it newer tech not presently provided by the Kia, together with the wonderful new ccNC infotainment interface, linked providers, and the newest suite of Hyundai-Kia help techniques. We’re betting that Hyundai may also regulate ongoing upkeep prices higher than Kia, too.
Till then, although, the Kia Sportage HEV gives an excellent different to present hybrid staples in Australia’s best new automobile section, and likewise lastly provides potential Sportage house owners an electrified choice. I’ve little doubt that Kia Australia will promote each one it may well get, if present market tendencies are a information.
All in favour of shopping for a Kia Sportage? Get in contact with considered one of CarExpert’s trusted sellers right here
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