First review Kia Sportage (2022): for the same money 100 hp more than the Volvo XC40!

What is striking about the new Kia Sportage (2022)?

Apart from the fact that the new, sharply cut Kia Sportage is still an SUV, it does not resemble its friendly-looking predecessor with its convex toe. Still, the Sportage has not become such a striking appearance as the electric Kia EV6. Not seen from the side or behind, anyway. Just a sleek, modern SUV, with the same Tonka-esque look as the Volvo XC40. If the midi SUV segment were a high school class, the Kia Sportage would be the neat hockey girl. With regular facial features and in neat designer clothes. But if you look the Sportage straight in the face, that hockey girl suddenly appears to have a heavy make-up and a huge piercing through her nose. At least that’s how we experience the front of the Sportage, with the separate, two-piece lamp units that are involved in a fierce battle for attention with lavish grid work.

In today’s world you might expect that Kia would also supply the new Sportage – just like the Kia e-Niro – with an all-electric powertrain. That is not the case. It is, however, available in three hybrid flavors: mild, ‘normal’ and plug-in. In all cases, a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo engine is the heart of the powertrain. The Sportage 1.6 T-GDi Mild Hybrid has 150 hp and is only available with a manual gearbox. The front-wheel drive Sportage 1.6 T-GDi Hybrid (230 hp) and the four-wheel drive Sportage Plug-in Hybrid (265 hp) have a conventional six-speed automatic transmission. For the Sportage, Kia has said goodbye to the seven-speed dual clutch transmission.

What are the advantages of the new Kia Sportage (2022)?

For some it is swearing in church, but Kia seems to be becoming the Asian Volkswagen a bit. It’s not all that exciting, but the brand currently makes very solid, well-finished cars that don’t bump anyone against the head. The finish of the interior is neat, the driving characteristics are a nice compromise between comfortable and the operation raises few questions. We deliberately looked up many speed bumps and cobbled streets and the Kia Sportage took them with flying colors. The suspension manages to convince with supple suspension, but with a nice firm damping effect, and there are hardly any rolling noises audible. In addition, the Sportage delivers excellent performance: switch the Eco mode for Sport and the drivetrain responds more alertly to your itchy right foot. If desired, you can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds or do a quick intermediate sprint when merging. If you don’t do this too often, the Sportage rewards you according to Kia with a consumption of only 5.6 liters of petrol per 100 kilometers (1 in 17.9). Whether you achieve this in practice remains to be seen.

In the back, the Sportage is quite spacious, and the seating position is more pleasant than in the Kia EV6. Keep in mind that a panoramic roof (standard from DynamicPlusLine) provides light, but at the same time steals headroom. In the family arrangement of the rear seats, the trunk of the Sportage Hybrid offers 587 liters. In the other two versions it is slightly less. By completely flattening the three-piece bench, you create a flat loading floor with a capacity of 1776 liters.

Already in the basic ComfortLine version, the new Kia Sportage offers you LED headlights, air conditioning, a reversing camera, 17-inch alloy and various safety assistants. For the large, curved touchscreen (photo) with built-in navigation, you need to purchase at least the DynamicLine. Shift paddles, three-zone climate control and an adjustable lumbar support in the driver’s seat are also available part of the deal. In the Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid you also get paddle shifters, adaptive cruise control and highway assistant (semi-autonomous driving).

What are the disadvantages of the new Kia Sportage (2022)?

We drive the Sportage in the super complete GT-PlusLine and it is difficult to catch the car making mistakes. But if we go looking for nails at low tide, we find them. For example, it is strange that the rear wiper wipes the wrong way. As a result, a fairly large amount of dirt remains on the driver’s side of the rear window. The view obliquely to the rear does not remain due to the wide C-pillars and rising beltline. Fortunately, in the top version of the Sportage you also have the fancy blind spot cameras that show in the digital instruments what is happening diagonally behind you. But during the soaking wet test drive weather it seemed as if we were looking into a distorting mirror. Too bad. A final point of criticism is the engine noise. Because the chassis is so beautifully quiet and you hardly hear the engine when you drive quietly, it is all the more noticeable that the four-cylinder shows itself from a much rawer side – and hear – if you give it a lot of gas.

When will the new Kia Sportage (2022) come to the Netherlands and what is the price?

The new Sportage arrives at Kia dealers these days. So you can go for a test drive soon. If you are seriously interested, you must be prepared to spend at least 34,895 euros. That’s how much the Sportage 1.6 T-GDi Mild Hybrid Comfort Line with 150 hp costs. That is a hefty amount, but compared to the Volvo XC40 – there it is again – it is not that bad. As a T2, it costs more than 39,000 euros and then you get a three-cylinder engine with only 129 hp. For the same money you have a Sportage Hybrid with 100 hp more!

A Hyundai Tuscon in basic trim costs 100 euros more than its Kia brother with the same mild hybrid powertrain. Competitors such as the Ford Kuga (from 34,710 euros), Opel Grandland (34,490 euros) and Peugeot 3008 (from 36,360 euros) have to do it all with a three-cylinder in the basic version. The Volkswagen Tiguan is larger than the Sportage and has a 130 hp four-cylinder in the basic version. But it is also more expensive (38,990 euros). A selection from the price list of the Kia Sportage:

• 1.6 T-GDI Mild Hybrid (150 hp) ComfortLine – €34,895
• 1.6 T-GDI Mild Hybrid (150 hp) DynamicLine – €36,895
• 1.6 T-GDI Hybrid aut. (230 hp) DynamicLine – €39,895
• 1.6 T-GDI auto. Hybrid (230 hp) GT-Line – €43,895
• 1.6 T-GDI auto. Plug-in Hybrid 4WD (265 hp) DynamicLine – €42,095
• 1.6 T-GDI aut.Plug-in Hybrid 4WD (265 hp) GT-PlusLine – € 48,595

What do I think of the new Kia Sportage (2022)?

From the side and I think the new Kia Sportage is a beautiful, sleek SUV. But except for the separate C-pillars, it is not terribly distinctive. At the back, only the large black panel provides a little more distinctiveness. At the front, that’s a different story. You can’t argue with taste, but I think it’s really too much. Luckily you can’t see it when you’re in it. Inside, the Sportage is just as modern as the EV6, while I like the materials better – especially in the back. Furthermore, I am broadly pleased with the operation and ergonomics, although the changing function of the button panel for climate control or sound system continues to get used. The active cruise control works very pleasantly and is therefore useful even in busy Dutch traffic.

In summary, the new Sportage is everyone’s friend with Volkswagen allure. And that is often a guarantee of success. Although aspiring EV drivers will be disappointed that the new Kia Sportage is not available with a fully electric powertrain.