New Kia Sportage on sale now: family SUV gets bold makeover and £30k starting price
Petrol and full-hybrid versions of the big-selling mid-size SUV are available now, with plug-in hybrid to arrive later
Order books are open for the new Kia Sportage, with prices starting from £30,885 – only slightly more than the outgoing version of the brand’s global best-seller. The already bold-looking mid-size SUV has received a sleek makeover, slick new interior and much simpler trim structure.
The Sportage is available to order now with either a pure-petrol engine or an updated full-hybrid powertrain, which costs from £34,425 – nearly £2,000 less than it did before. A plug-in hybrid version will rejoin the line-up later this year. All three models will be available in the new entry-level Pure specification, plus GT-Line and GT-Line S.
Standard equipment across the range includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, a reversing camera, parking sensors all-round and multiple driver assistance features, such as driver attention monitoring and Kia’s ‘lane-follow assist 2.0’. Smart cruise control with stop and go functionality also comes as standard on models without a manual gearbox.
Entry-level Pure models feature 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 4.2-inch driver’s display, black cloth seats and silver roof rails. You can only get the base petrol engine with a six-speed manual gearbox in this trim, while higher-spec models have the option of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, or come with it as standard.
Upgrading to GT-Line (a jump of £2,500) also adds 18-inch or 19-inch rims, depending on whether you go for a petrol or hybrid model, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, leather and suede seat upholstery, plus sportier styling complemented by gloss black trim.
Finally, range-topping GT-Line S cars go all out, with a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, a panoramic sunroof that can be opened, a 10-inch head-up display, eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, wireless charging pad, ventilated front seats, a 360-degree parking camera system and blind spot monitoring, among other driver assistance tech. GT-Line S costs £5,200 over the GT-Line.
Design, interior and tech upgrades
All Sportages feature the same fundamental set of upgrades, starting with new exterior styling inspired by Kia’s more eccentric EV models. This includes a set of new, more vertical LED headlights with stylised ‘Star Map’ daytime running lights that bleed into the grille. GT-Line models then feature a blockier lower bumper graphic with integrated foglights.
The rear lights are the same shape as before, but feature a new all-LED interior. Under these is a restyled bumper, with the GT-Line models once again receiving chunkier design features. The exterior updates are finished off with some new colour options, plus a range of fresh 17-19-inch wheels.
While subtle, the exterior design’s updates help align the Sportage with its newer and more dramatically-styled ICE and EV range mates.
This is arguably more evident inside the cabin, because while the Sportage might look pretty similar outside, it’s a completely different story inside. Kia has fitted a brand new and much sleeker dashboard, listening to customers in order to ensure that the bits they like stayed put, but the bits they didn’t were replaced.
This starts with the upper dash, which is more streamlined, thanks to the loss of the large air vent that previously framed the screen housing. Smaller bezels and a thinner casing make the screens look sleeker and more hi-tech, despite being largely identical to before in terms of size and operation.
All models get a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, but it’s only GT-Line S models that, for now, get a second digital display in front of the driver. Entry and mid-spec models will replace this with a smaller 4.3-inch centre screen and rudimentary digital instruments on either side.
The touchscreen’s interface is updated to the latest system and integrates new functionality, such as the ability to connect multiple Bluetooth devices. This will allow you to do things, such as run Google Maps or Apple CarPlay from one device and stream music from another. There’s also a new shortcut function – activated by swiping down from the top of the screen – that gives quick access to commonly used features.
Kia has also rolled out a new AI-powered voice-control function that, as in other cars, enhances both the functionality and understanding of your voice commands, and can be used to do everything from set complex navigation routes with stops or point-of-interest information, to recommending music.
For even more tech, high-specification models feature a 10-inch head-up display, which is now capable of receiving information from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for things such as navigation prompts and music information.
Below the main touchscreen is the same variable set of touch-sensitive switches for the media or air-conditioning, but there’s still the same two knobs on both sides for that tactile touch.
Between the front seats is a similar arrangement of knobs and switches that control the gearbox and heated steering wheel and seats, but crucially, the surround is now a brushed metal-effect, rather than gloss black. This was requested by customers and should avoid scratching and smudging.
The steering wheel has also been brought over from newer models, and features a futuristic two-spoke design, with GT-Line models picking up a white contrasting insert that matches the trim on the seats.
A large part of the reason the Sportage has been such a huge success in the UK is its relative spread of powertrain options. All share a fundamental 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine at their core, but if you fancy something more economical than the standard pure-petrol model, it’s available with hybrid assistance.
The entry-level pure-petrol is available with a six-speed manual, or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which powers the front wheels and produces 147bhp.
Next up is the full-hybrid, which in this generation has been upgraded by 28bhp to 235bhp, plus 280Nm of torque, thanks to a more powerful electric motor. This is paired to a six-speed manual automatic transmission that drives the front wheels, or an optional all-wheel-drive system in the top-spec GT-Line S.
Finally, Kia’s PHEV powertrain has received the biggest upgrade, thanks to a 42bhp lift in power to 283bhp combined. Kia hasn’t spilled all the technical beans, though, so there’s no confirmation of any improvements to the existing car’s 40-mile electric range. This was already only average for the class in terms of range, but as the Volkswagen Tiguan is now capable of up to 77 miles, with a number of Peugeot and Citroen PHEVs with similar ranges just around the corner, this might well be one of the new model’s Achilles’ heels, as it won’t quite qualify for the full tax benefits of some rivals.
The key rivals
This is where Kia’s biggest threats lie, because the cars it’s up against in 2025 are very different to its initial release three years ago. These days Volkswagen’s new Tiguan and its Cupra Terramar cousin offer considerable uplifts in hybrid technology, and completely outdo the Kia in terms of interior tech and quality. However both are more expensive than the Kia.
The Hyundai Tucson offers a very similar combination of attributes, and forthcoming all-new interpretations of Japanese rivals such as the new Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5 will also be tough competitors when they arrive. But for now, Kia’s Sportage is sure to retain a very large share of the huge C-segment in the UK; how long that lasts is the question.
The new Kia Sportage is coming but that should mean great deals on the current car...
Latest used Kia Sportage deals
2023 Kia
Sportage
11,052 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £33,000
2023 Kia
Sportage
16,749 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £31,195
2023 Kia
Sportage
15,013 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £30,990Find a car with the experts
