Say hello to…
…the updated Kia Sportage, a heavily facelifted version of the fifth generation of the model that was introduced in 2022. The latest version retains all the great practicalities of the 2022 car, but adds the latest technology and brings the car’s look into line with Kia’s current styling.
Kia has also mildly revised the engine line up to include a 1.6 petrol with and without hybrid tech and a plug-in hybrid that’s due out later this year.
Kia offers three trim levels:
- Pure
- GT-Line
- GT-Line S
Standard equipment on the Pure includes 17-inch alloys, LED headlights, 4.2-inch digital driver’s display, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, 4x USB sockets, wireless Apple CarPlay and Andoid Auto, 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats, aircon and power-folding door mirrors.
GT-Line adds 18-inch alloys (19s for the hybrid), LED front fog lights, heated front seats, heated steering wheel and rear privacy glass.
GT-Line S adds adaptive headlights, panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, powered boot lid, head-up display and wireless phone charger.
Is The Kia Sportage Suitable For My Fleet
A seven-year warranty, space for a family and their luggage, the Sportage ticks all the practicality boxes a business driver would need. While the plug-in hybrid version will be the most tax efficient, the petrol hybrid, for the moment, is a strong second choice. High levels of standard kit and decent fuel efficiency also go in its favour.
Leasing A Kia Sportage
Gateway2lease is offering the Kia Sportage in HEV GT-Line spec for £314 a month on a 3+36 contract with 10,000 miles a year. Monthly maintenance costs are forecast at £70 a month, according to Gensen Reports, and Class 1A NIC comes in at £114 a month.
Driving A Kia Sportage
Picking the petrol hybrid version of the Sportage over the regular ICE petrol brings a marked improvement in the driving experience.
Kia has engineered the hybrid to even out the power delivery, which means the full hybrid is easier and smoother to drive. This is particularly noticeable when you set off, or pull away from a junction. There’s also the advantage of not having to work the car as hard to make the same level of progress, which in turn means a more refined and quieter drive.
Continuing the refined drive theme, the suspension is well-judged for UK roads. The ride is comfortable and there’s a good balance with decent, predictable handling. The steering doesn’t have a lot of feedback, although there is a good weight to the steering that makes the car feel stable on the motorway.
There are drive modes which offer either a sportier or more economic drive beyond the standard setting, but in reality standard is just fine and there’s little point in changing this.
The infotainment system is easy to follow and responds swiftly to inputs. Kia offers a programmable shortcut to jump straight to the speed warning and lane-keeping section making turning these off easy enough, even if it does take a few more button presses than the best in class.
It’s easy to see why the Sportage is the UK’s second best-selling car; everything is done well and there’s nothing to put you off buying one.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Kia Sportage
A great all-round family SUV that’s super-easy to live with.
Kia Sportage
- Model: Sportage GT-Line 1.6 HEV auto
- Power: 235hp
- Torque: 265Nm
- Max speed: 121mph
- 0-62mph: 7.9sec
- Official mpg: 50.4mpg
- Test mpg: n/a
- CO2 emissions: 128g/km
- BIK tax band 2023/24: 31%
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
Why not join the conversation on SME fleets – visit our LinkedIn SME Fleet Discussion page