KIA SPORTAGE ESTATE 1.6T GDi 241 PHEV 3 5dr Auto AWD

Kia has evolved its Sportage family SUV. Jonathan Crouch drives the fifth generation version.

Ten Second Review

Kia's Sportage asks more searching questions of its family SUV rivals in this more dynamic-looking fifth generation form. There's a more up-market look and feel, more electrified engine technology - more of everything really. Well, except full electric power and real off-road ability anyway.

Background

Kia's Sportage is one of the most prolifically-selling cars South Korea has ever brought us. Europe likes this model line very much, which is why Europe has been given its own bespoke version of this car in this fifth generation guise. In place of the long wheelbase version sold in other world markets, our continent gets a shorter, sportier-looking version of the MK5 design which apparently has been tuned for our roads as well as for our preference in the size of our Qashqai-class family SUVs. It's certainly the most daringly-styled Sportage yet, both inside and out, with much borrowed from Kia's all-electric EV6, a similarly sized model which relieves the brand of the need to provide a full-battery version of this crossover. Mind you, it's possible to have just about anything else electrified beneath the bonnet, thanks to engineering shared across the board with this car's competitor and close cousin, the Hyundai Tucson. Let's take a look.

Driving Experience

So: choose your flavour of hybrid; mild, full or plug-in. All three forms are available here, based around the same 1.6 litre T-GDI petrol engine. Diesel power is no longer available. And there's no full-Electric version because this car's showroom stablemate, the EV6, fills that role says Kia. Because the brand's European division had to create a shorter Sportage design for their continent, they took the opportunity to more closely tailor ride and handling for the needs of European drivers. The mainstream engine options start with a conventional 1.6-litre unit in 148bhp form, available either in unlectrified form with manual transmission or in mild hybrid 48V guise with a 7-speed DCT auto. The two top 'proper' Hybrid petrol models only come with an auto. The full-Hybrid HEV Sportage variant delivers the 1.6 T-GDI engine with a 44.2kW electric motor and a 1.49kWh battery delivering a total output of 226bhp. With top-spec trim, the HEV Hybrid can also be had with AWD. The top PHEV Plug-in variant only comes in AWD form and uses the same engine paired to a 66.9kW electric motor powered by 13.8kWh battery to give a total output of 261bhp and an electric driving range of around 35 miles. In all its guises, this Sportage is superbly refined. Like its rivals, it's never likely to feel fun or entertaining; the steering is particularly light and relatively feel-less, though that's great in town. But there's plenty of cornering grip, it's wieldy on urban roads, easy to park and a quiet highway cruiser, with the usual semi-autonomous driving tools available to take the strain out of long trips.

Design and Build

Like the all-electric EV6, this MK5 Sportage has been designed under Kia's 'Opposite United' ethos. Which you could guess from a glance at the visual elements the two models share - the boomerang-style headlights, swollen rear arches, the concave tailgate shaping and the prominent spoiler. Europe gets a short wheelbase version of this model - and won't be offered the longer version of this design available to other world markets, both variants sitting on the same N3 platform that undergirds this car's close cousin, the identically engineered Hyundai Tucson. Shared parentage with the EV6 is also evident inside, where the dashboard gets a gently curved display incorporating two 12.3-inch digital screens. Other key controls are operated via a row of multimedia haptic buttons, which can change function depending on drive mode selection. Though the European Sportage is 85mm shorter than the long wheelbase global model, it's 30mm longer than the previous generation design and that frees up 10mm more wheelbase length for a couple of adults to sit comfortably in the rear - three at a pinch. The boot's around 10% bigger than before too, Kia claiming 591-litres of stowage space, extendable to 1,780 if you fold the rear bench. These figures drop fractionally with the HEV Hybrid (587-litres and 1,776-litres). And further with the PHEV (540-litres and 1,745-litres).

Market and Model

Pricing is quite a bit higher than it used to be for a Sportage, sitting in the £28,500 to £45,500 bracket. There are the usual Kia '2', 'GT-Line', '3', '4' and 'GT-Line S' trim levels. The full-Hybrid variants start from around £35,500 - the Plug-in Hybrids from around £40,000. Across the range, connectivity's a strongpoint - not only with the large 12.3-inch cabin screens (both for the instrument cluster and the centre stack monitor) but also with telematics. The brand also offers its 'Kia Connect' smartphone app which allows customers to connect remotely with their cars. A clever 'User Profile Transfer' feature enables users to back up their in-vehicle Kia Connect preferences via the cloud and transfer settings from one vehicle to the next. Top 'GT-Line S' variants get an upgraded Harmon Kardon sound system. In all its forms, this Kia is fitted with a wide array of Advanced Driver Assistance System technology - what Kia calls 'Drivewise' features. There's a 'Forward-Collision Avoidance assist system with Junction Turning' that should help you avoid collisions at junctions; and 'Highway Driving Assist' helps you maintain a set distance to the car in front and keeps this Kia in the middle of its lane. This Sportage can also offer Blind Spot Assistance and a navigation-based cruise control system that automatically reduces speed for the corners. With top spec, there's even a Remote Smart Parking Assist system that can park the car for you into tight spaces while you stand outside it controlling things from the key fob: neat.

Cost of Ownership

Let's get to the WLTP figures. The base unelectrified manual model returns 41.5mpg on the combined cycle and 154g/km of CO2. The 48V mild hybrid auto version of the company's 1.6 T-GDI Smartstream petrol drivetrain puts out 147g/km of CO2 and should return 43.5mpg on the combined cycle. The full-Hybrid HEV petrol model improves that showing to 129g/km and 49.6mpg in 2WD form (146g/km and 37.7mpg in AWD HEV form). For the PHEV AWD model, it's 25g/km and 252mpg, along with an all-electric driving range of around 35 miles. Charging a PHEV Sportage from a 3-pin ICCB supply takes 6 hours and 30 minutes (empty to 95%). Use the kind of 7kW wallbox you'd obviously install at home if you were to choose a Plug-in Hybrid and that time drops to 1 hour and 42 minutes. As usual with Kia, there's a 7 year or 100,000 mile warranty which, since it can be passed from owner to owner, should help the impressively strong residual values. You might want to note that roadside assistance cover is limited to one year, but you do get a long 12 year bodywork warranty. Maintenance costs can be kept down by opting for Kia's 'Care-3' or 'Care-3 Plus' servicing packages, which offer a fixed-cost and inflation-proof servicing plan for the first three or five years, something which can also be passed on to subsequent owners.

Summary

In theory, a lot of boxes have been ticked here. This fifth generation Sportage has been aligned in size and drive dynamics more closely to the needs of our market. It offers new full-Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid engine options in a class where rivals typically only provide either one or the other. And the smart cabin finally puts paid to any memory of Kia's budget brand roots. But the South Korean maker's now not afraid to charge decent money for this car. And it must face a set of very determined rivals, not least Nissan's Qashqai, the segment sales leader. This Sportage though, having long been edging closer to its Japanese arch-rival, now feels ready to bother it more acutely in this fifth generation form. If you're shopping in this segment, it's a car you have to try.

Body Glass

All round electric windows with drivers and front passenger auto up/down function

Automatic window defogger

Heated rear window

Rain sensing wipers with aero blades

Rear privacy glass

Rear wiper

Tinted rear glass

Brakes

Anti-lock braking system (ABS)

Dynamic brake control

Electronic parking brake with auto hold function

Electronic stability control with downhill brake control

Hill start assist control (HAC)

Multi collision brake assist

Traction control

Vehicle stability management

Chassis/Suspension

Terrain mode select (Mud, Snow, Sand)

Communication

Apple car play/Android Auto

E-call

Driver Aids

Tailgate

Driver Convenience

Drive mode selector

Driver attention warning

Emergency stop signalling system

Forward collision avoidance assist (FCA) - city/pedestrian/cyclist/junction covering

Front and rear parking sensors

Highway Driving Assist (HDA)

Intelligent speed limit assist

Lane Following Assist (LFA)

Lane keep assist

Motor driven power steering

Rear view monitor

Reversing camera system integrated into centre fascia screen

Smart cruise control with stop and go functionality

Speed limiter

Driver Information

12.3" Driver display screen

12.3" Touchscreen navigation system

Kia Connect (UVO)

Low washer fluid warning

Trip computer

Windscreen washer level indicator

Driving Mirrors

Automatic dimming rear view mirror

Body colour door mirrors

Electrically adjustable/heated/folding door mirrors with LED indicators

Interior electrochromic mirror

Embellishment Trims

Aluminium pattern finish centre fascia and door garnish

Entertainment

1x USB-C port in front

2 rear USB-C ports

6 speaker audio system

Bluetooth audio streaming

DAB Radio with MP3

Steering wheel mounted audio controls

USB C type charging ports on centre console

USB port for connection of a media device

Exterior Body Features

Black bumpers with silver accents

Black radiator grille with silver surround

Black side sill and wheel arch body mouldings

Body Colour Exterior Door Handles

Rear roof spoiler

Rear side wing doors

Rear spoiler

Satin finished beltline

Silver front and rear skid plate

Silver roof rack

Silver window surround

Exterior Lights

Automatic headlight control system

High beam assist

LED daytime running lights

LED front fog lamps

LED headlamps (low and high beam - MFR type)

LED High mounted stop light

LED rear combination lamp

Rear fog lamp

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Automatic air conditioning

Rear air conditioning

Ventilation ducts to rear compartment

Interior Features

12V power socket in front centre fascia and luggage compartment

3 x passenger assist grips

Centre console storage box

Cloth/artificial leather upholstery

Cupholders in rear armrest

Drink holder at centre armrest

Front and rear door storage

Gear shift indicator

Heated steering wheel

Leather steering wheel

Luggage area load cover

Luggage area parcel shelf

Luggage board

Luggage compartment under floor storage

Luggage net with hooks

Manual adjust steering wheel

Metal paint interior door handles

Paddle shift controls

Rear coat hooks

Interior Lights

2nd row personal lamps

Door courtesy lamps

Front cabin, rear & luggage compartment lights

Glovebox illumination

Overhead console lamp

Rear cabin light

Safety

Active front headrests

All round 3-point seatbelts

Dual front side airbags

Dual horn

Front passenger airbag cut-off switch

Front seatbelt pretensioners + load limiters

Height adjustable front seatbelts

Impact sensing auto door unlocking

Rear airbags

Rear door child safety locks

Rear seat alert system

Seatbelt reminder warning

Twin curtain airbags

Twin front airbags

Tyre pressure monitoring system

Seats

3 seat bench in 2nd row

40/20/40 split folding rear seat

All-round height adjustable headrests

Drivers seat power lumbar support

Electric height adjustable front seats

Front seat and rear pockets

Heated front and outer rear seats

ISOFIX Child seat top tethers and anchor fixings outer rear seats

Single front passenger seat

Security

Customisable automatic door locking

Customisable automatic door unlocking

Door deadlocks

Engine Start/Stop Button with Smart Entry System

Locking wheel nuts

Smart key with motion sensor

Speed sensitive auto door locking

Thatcham category 2 security alarm and immobiliser

Visible vehicle identification number

Towing

Trailer stability assist

Vanity Mirrors

Driver and front passenger side sunvisors with illuminated vanity mirrors

Wheels - Alloy

19" Alloy wheels

Wheels - Spare

Tyre mobility kit

Electric Vehicle Data

Battery Capacity % guaranteed under warranty: 70

Battery Capacity in kWh: 13.8

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Charge Time (Mins): 327

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Percentage Change: 10-100

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Power Supply - kW: 2.3

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Charge Time (Mins): 105

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Percentage Change: 10-100

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Power Supply - kW: 7.2

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Charge Time (Mins): N

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Percentage Change: N

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Power Supply - kW: N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Charge Time (Mins): N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Percentage Change: N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Power Supply - kW: N

Battery Leased: 0

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

Charging Port Location: Right Side Rear

Coupler/Connector Type: Type 2

Maximum Charging Rate - kW: 7.2

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Mileage: 100000

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Years: 8

Usable Battery Capacity: N

WLTP - EC AC Weighted (kWh/100km) - Comb: 18.5

WLTP - EC AC Weighted (kWh/100km) - Comb - TEH: 18.9

WLTP - EC AC Weighted (kWh/100km) - Comb - TEL: 18.1

WLTP - EC AC Weighted (miles/kWh) - Comb: 3.4

WLTP - EC AC Weighted (miles/kWh) - Comb - TEH: 3.3

WLTP - EC AC Weighted (miles/kWh) - Comb - TEL: 3.4

WLTP - Equivalent AER (km) - Comb: 64

WLTP - Equivalent AER (miles) - Comb: 40

Emissions - ICE

CO: 0.106

HC: 0.013

HC+NOx: N

Noise Level dB(A): 67

NOx: 0.005

Particles: 0.0004

Standard Emissions: EURO 6e-bis

Emissions - PHEV

WLTP - CO2 Weighted (g/km) - Comb: 27

WLTP - CO2 Weighted (g/km) - Comb - TEH: 28

WLTP - CO2 Weighted (g/km) - Comb - TEL: 25

Engine and Drive Train

Camshaft: DOHC

Catalytic Convertor: No

CC: 1598

Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE

Engine Layout: FRONT TRANSVERSE

Fuel Delivery: TURBO DIRECT INJECTION

Gears: 6 SPEED

Transmission: AUTO

Fuel Consumption - ICE

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: 0

Fuel Consumption - PHEV

WLTP - FC Weighted (l/100km) - Comb: 1.2

WLTP - FC Weighted (l/100km) - Comb - TEH: 1.2

WLTP - FC Weighted (l/100km) - Comb - TEL: 1.1

WLTP - FC Weighted (mpg) - Comb: 235.4

WLTP - FC Weighted (mpg) - Comb - TEH: 228.5

WLTP - FC Weighted (mpg) - Comb - TEL: 256.1

General

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: No

Badge Engine CC: 1.6

Badge Power: 241

Based On ID: N

Coin Description: T GDi PHEV AWD

Coin Series: 3

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Generation Mark: 5

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 26E

NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: N

NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: N

NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: N

NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: N

NCAP Safety Assist %: N

Service Interval Frequency - Months: 12

Service Interval Mileage: 10000

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 100000

Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 7

Timing Belt Interval Frequency - Months: N

Timing Belt Interval Mileage: N

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Performance

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

0 to 62 mph (secs): 8.4

Engine Power - BHP: 241

Engine Power - KW: 180

Engine Power - PS: 0

Engine Power - RPM: 5500

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 258

Engine Torque - MKG: 35.7

Engine Torque - NM: 350

Engine Torque - RPM: 3500

Top Speed: 115

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

RDE Certification Level: RDE 2

Tyres

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Tyre Size Front: 235/50 R19

Tyre Size Rear: 235/50 R19

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Style: N

Wheel Type: 19" ALLOY

Vehicle Dimensions

Height: 1645

Height (including roof rails): 1650

Length: 4515

Wheelbase: 2680

Width: 1865

Width (including mirrors): N

Weight and Capacities

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 42

Gross Vehicle Weight: 2415

Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 1715

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 540

Max. Loading Weight: 510

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1210

Minimum Kerbweight: 1905

No. of Seats: 5

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 10.9

Exterior Body Features

Premium paint

Paint - Metallic

Metallic - Infra red

Paint - Special

Premium paint - Dark penta metal

Premium paint - Experience green

Premium paint - Fusion white

Premium paint - Phantom black

Trim - Part Leather

Cloth/Artificial leather - Black