2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid review

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 crucial segments.

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 phase has been restricted to the GWM Haval H6 Hybrid, Subaru Forester Hybrid (extra a mild-hybrid at that) and extra just lately the Honda CR-V and ZR-V e:HEVs; except you rely 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 we now have the brand new 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid, a crucial new variant for the Korean model that has been years within the making for Australia. It’s a automotive the CarExpert workforce 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 resulting from launch till June or July this yr – so Kia has pipped its Korean mum or dad within the race to deliver hybrid to market.

It’s price noting the Sportage Hybrid (HEV) might be provide restricted at launch. Kia has locked in a month-to-month allocation of 300 items in the intervening time, which equates to about 20 per cent of the nameplate’s month-to-month quantity in Australia.

Obtainable 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) possibility being obtainable abroad and likewise supplied by most rivals.

Ought to or not it’s in your purchasing checklist? Learn on to search out out.

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.

In SX guise the Sportage HEV instructions an $8000 premium over the identical trim stage with the bottom 2.0-litre petrol with front-wheel drive and auto, and $3000 over the two.0-litre turbo-diesel with all-wheel drive.

The GT-Line HEV, in the meantime, is $2500 dearer than the GT-Line 2.0D AWD which makes it the most costly model of the Sportage to be supplied in Australia at the moment.

2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid pricing:

• 2024 Kia Sportage S 2.0 FWD 6MT: $32,995
• 2024 Kia Sportage S 2.0 FWD 6AT: $34,995
• 2024 Kia Sportage S 2.0D AWD 8AT: $40,395
• 2024 Kia Sportage SX 2.0 FWD 6MT: $35,550
• 2024 Kia Sportage SX 2.0 FWD 6AT: $37,550
• 2024 Kia Sportage SX 2.0D AWD 8AT: $42,950
• 2024 Kia Sportage SX HEV FWD 6AT: $45,950
• 2024 Kia Sportage SX+ 2.0 FWD 6AT: $42,950
• 2024 Kia Sportage SX+ 1.6T AWD 7DCT: $44,050
• 2024 Kia Sportage SX+ 2.0D AWD 8AT: $47,450
• 2024 Kia Sportage GT-Line 1.6T AWD 7DCT: $49,920
• 2024 Kia Sportage GT-Line 2.0D AWD 8AT: $52,920
• 2024 Kia Sportage GT-Line HEV: $55,420

Costs exclude on-road prices

To see how the Sportage strains up towards its rivals, take a look at our comparison tool.

What’s the Kia Sportage Hybrid like on the within?

It’s a reasonably acquainted place if you happen to’ve ever sat in a current-gen Sportage, if for a number of small distinguishing options.

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 ‘primary’ digital instrument cluster with clock radio-like tacho and speedo counters.

The principle distinction you’ll discover is the Sportage Hybrid picks up the rotary shift-by-wire selector instead of the normal 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 mild when the automobile is driving with out the petrol engine working, and also you get an extra widget within the 4.2-inch TFT supervision show which exhibits the vitality stream between energy sources.

The identical might be stated for the touchscreen, which presents excessive decision and a handy guide a rough response like another Sportage with this infotainment system. The differentiating issue is the extra ‘Hybrid’ sub-menu with vitality stream graphics and hybrid-specific knowledge.

It’s a disgrace there aren’t any Kia Join providers or wi-fi smartphone mirroring, given that is slowly rolling out throughout Kia’s lineup; but it surely’s fairly logical to think about these might 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 properly. The native infotainment interface stays stable with its response and have set good for the category. The digital devices are very primary within the SX and the high-end 12.3-inch digital cluster within the GT-Line seems 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 flexibility to supply two foremost management panels within the one strip.

Not like another contact controls, these are fairly intuitive to make use of and save area in a means that gained’t go away you pulling your hair out. That stated, correct suggestions like haptic vibrations can be good, moderately than beeps.

Consolation up entrance is sweet within the cloth-trimmed SX we examined, with loads of handbook adjustment within the seat and steering wheel to discover a snug 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. In case you get chilly fingers in winter, the GT-Line HEV’s unique heated steering wheel is a pleasant contact too.

In case 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 it’s possible you’ll battle 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 space for storing round them.

A deep bin below the padded centre armrest provides additional storage quantity, although the door pockets could possibly be bigger. The latter is a grievance I’ve leveraged at nearly each Hyundai and Kia product on this newest massive automotive platform.

The second row is one other Sportage spotlight, with some of the spacious rear benches in school.

Two adults might be more than pleased within the rear, whereas the flat bench and flooring means three will match throughout with out an excessive amount of bother for shorter journeys – I attempted it with mates and obtained 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 prime tether and ISOFIX factors.

In case 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 inside sides of every entrance seat. No additional zone of local weather although…

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 an enormous ol’ 1829 litres with the second row folded.

There’s nonetheless area to stow the cargo blind below the boot flooring if that you must carry taller gadgets, and the Sportage HEV nonetheless presents an area saver spare below the boot flooring.

Whereas the RAV4 Hybrid additionally presents an area saver spare, a whole lot of electrified rivals are solely fitted with tyre restore kits.

What’s below the bonnet?

The Sportage Hybrid attracts upon the identical turbocharged drivetrain because the bigger Sorento Hybrid.

It’s price noting our indicated gas financial system determine was achieved over 900km of principally 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.

How does the Kia Sportage Hybrid drive?

In case you already appreciated how the Sportage drives, the hybrid does little to vary an already successful method.

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 potential 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 potential to do that, it doesn’t at all times do that. That is probably 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 cheap 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 appreciated 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 keep 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 slightly to the setups employed by rival producers. The electrical motor is mounted to the six-speed computerized transmission, versus driving by way of a hybrid transmission module or e-CVT.

This implies you may 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 might really feel slightly odd occasionally if 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 identified with a distinctively buzzy be aware when working, and it usually will are available in at excessive revs. It’ll rapidly spin to 2000rpm when it first activates, and infrequently gained’t shift up till about 3000rpm.

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 could possibly 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 a number of overtakes on the nation highways heading in direction of Echuca, and I seen the Kia had a shocking 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 supply 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 effective however not fairly as relaxed as some CVT-equipped hybrids nor its ICE siblings. In case you’re touring as a rule, the Sportage 2.0D might be extra relaxed and extra economical.

Like petrol and diesel fashions, the Sportage HEV will get a neighborhood trip 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 stability between general consolation in addition to dealing with precision, to the purpose the place it’s one of many phase benchmarks.

The correct steering tune means it goes the place you level the wheel and likewise offers you an honest 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 evokes confidence on patchy roads and in inclement climate. Advantages of being based mostly on a bigger platform moderately than a smaller one, methinks…

As for help programs, 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 can be plaguing the most recent Hyundai and Kia merchandise.

The adaptive cruise management system works properly, and you need to use Lane Following Help to facilitate semi-autonomous freeway driving in lieu of the corporate’s moderately spectacular Freeway Driving Help that’s obtainable overseas.

If the lane centring perform is slightly an excessive amount of for you, there’s commonplace lane departure warning and lane preserve help features to maintain you inside the strains, and Kia matches blind-spot and rear cross-traffic assists which is able to actively intervene to keep away from a collision, moderately 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
• 6-speaker audio
• Material upholstery
• Leather-based-appointed steering wheel
• Twin-zone local weather management
• Digital parking brake with auto maintain
• Area-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 protected?

All variations of the Kia Sportage put on a five-star ANCAP security score, based mostly on Euro NCAP testing from 2022.

The Sportage managed 87 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 87 per cent for youngster occupant safety, 66 per cent for susceptible highway customers and 74 per cent for security help.

It’s price noting the European-spec Sportage differs a bit from the automobile bought in Australia and New Zealand, and ANCAP acknowledges that extra knowledge provided by Kia exhibits that equal efficiency might be anticipated for native variations.

Commonplace security gear contains:

• 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
• Secure Exit Warning
• Tyre stress monitoring

GT-Line provides:

• Blind Spot View Monitor
• Encompass-view digicam
• Parking Collision Avoidance Help – Reverse

How a lot does the Kia Sportage Hybrid price to run?

Kia covers its lineup with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre new automotive guarantee. For electrified merchandise just like the Sportage HEV, high-voltage elements just like the on-board charger, electrical motor and battery system are lined for seven years or 150,000 kilometres – whichever comes first.

The Sportage HEV is topic to barely shorter service intervals than the diesel and naturally aspirated petrol variations, requiring upkeep each 12 months or 10,000 kilometres just like the 1.6 T-GDI variations.

Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDI HEV service pricing:

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 presents a five-year pre-paid service plan for the Santa Fe Hybrid which makes use of an similar drivetrain for $2295 – almost $700 lower than what Kia costs over the identical interval for the Sportage HEV.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Kia Sportage Hybrid

If it wasn’t handicapped by provide, I believe the Sportage HEV might catapult the Korean SUV into rivalry for phase management on the VFACTS gross sales charts.

The most recent 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 is probably not as outright environment friendly as a RAV4 Hybrid and even the GWM H6 Hybrid, however the Sportage HEV presents 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 under $40,000 can be good to have, and the month-to-month cap of 300 items probably 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 largest menace comes from inside its family tree, because the upcoming Hyundai Tucson Hybrid needs to be much less affected by provide constraints and can supply a wider vary of variants when it arrives mid-year – together with the choice of all-wheel drive.

The facelifted Tucson may also deliver with it newer tech not at the moment supplied by the Kia, together with the wonderful new ccNC infotainment interface, linked providers, and the most recent suite of Hyundai-Kia help programs. We’re betting that Hyundai may also regulate ongoing upkeep prices higher than Kia, too.

Till then, although, the Kia Sportage HEV presents an ideal various to present hybrid staples in Australia’s best new automobile phase, and likewise lastly offers potential Sportage homeowners an electrified possibility. I’ve little doubt that Kia Australia will promote each one it might get, if present market developments are a information.

Click on the photographs for the total gallery

MORE: Buy a Kia Sportage
MORE: Everything Kia Sportage