Kia Sportage review

At launch your entry points were either a 1.6-litre turbo petrol or same sized diesel, both connected to a six-speed manual gearbox. However, these are currently unavailable.

So, your current entry point is the 1.6-litre petrol with 48-volt mild hybrid tech (again, no diesel currently), outputting 157bhp and returning a 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds. It’s paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, but can also be had with a seven-speed dual clutch auto gearbox. It claims 49.8mpg, but in practice we peaked at 42.6mpg in ‘eco’ and 38mpg in the ‘normal’. See, driving modes do make a difference.

The full hybrid powertrain is available in two- or four-wheel drive form. It pairs the same 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with a six-speed auto gearbox, a small battery and an electric motor. The result is a handy 212bhp and a claim of 44.8mpg, with the AWD version only slightly worse off for fuel economy.

The top-spec plug-in hybrid carries a 13.8kWh lithium-ion battery connected to the – you guessed it – 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine. Kia reckons you’ll get 248bhp when both motor and engine are working together, and around 43 miles of emissions-free running when you’re on electric power alone.

That’s a whole lot of variants. Which have you driven?

All of them, so let’s kick off with the mild hybrid petrol. The 48-volt architecture essentially acts as a more capable stop-start system, and you’ll occasionally move away from a standstill on electric power, but there’s no meaningful all-electric range.

It’s also far from a quick car, with an alarming moment of hesitation when you put your foot down as the different systems work out how best to manage forward propulsion. On the move it’s reasonably quiet and refined, though, with smooth gear changes and decent feel to the brakes.

So what about the full hybrid?

Based on our experience, this is where our money would go if we were buying a Sportage. The full hybrid offers smoother transitions between electric and petrol power, and, with a 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds when only two wheels are driven (versus 8.0s in the all-wheel drive version), it feels far more responsive than the mHEV.

Understood. And the plug-in hybrid?

Kia has nailed its efficiency when it comes to electric motors and the Sportage PHEV is no exception, offering up to 43 miles from its 13.8kWh battery on paper.

We reckon you'll get 35-40 miles from a single charge on a warm day (good for battery performance) on a mix of town and A-roads. Sure, it's a little sluggish in EV mode - the motor only manages 90bhp alone - but if you really must floor it then the engine will spring into action briefly (and noisily) to get you up to speed. Despite the extra power, it’s only a tenth quicker to 62mph than the all-wheel drive full hybrid.

How’s the Sportage in the corners?

Let’s be real, this is a family SUV so track-friendly handling here is about as useful as the ‘g’ in lasagne. That said, Mercedes protégé Doriane Pin drives one of these and if a practical Kia is good enough for a Spa 24H class winner, it’s good enough for you.

There’s not a great deal of steering feel, but the Sportage rides well and smooths out rough roads even on optional 19in wheels. It’s not as soft as a Citroen C5 Aircross and not as sporting as a Seat Ateca, but the balance works.

Remember this generation of Sportage is the first to get a bespoke Euro-spec car with a shorter wheelbase than the one sold in the rest of the world (although Kia is at pains to point out that headroom, legroom and luggage space all increase over the old one). Vikings, rejoice!