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By Jonathan Crouch

Kia has evolved its Sportage family SUV. Jonathan Crouch checks out the revitalised version of the fifth generation model.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 35

Kia has revitalised its MK5-era Sportage with trendier looks, sharper engineering and a nicer cabin. If you're after a mid-sized mainstream brand combustion-powered family SUV, it still needs to be high on your shopping list.

Backgroundword count: 173

Much of Kia's seismic transformation into a major UK brand can be attributed to one model, the Sportage mid-sized SUV. Hardly anyone noticed when the very first MK1 NB version was launched back in 1993, but the sales momentum gathered pace through subsequent generation models launched in 2004, 2010 and 2015. The current NQ5-era car introduced in 2021 has continued this trend, with 124,000 sold here since launch. But quite a lot's happened since then, with all-new segment rivals introduced from Volkswagen, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen, Jeep and Toyota, as well as heavily revised models from Ford and Nissan in this segment. Along with an updated version of the car that shares all this Kia's engineering, the Hyundai Tucson. Hence the need for the MK5-era Sportage to get a far-reaching update, announced in Summer 2025. The exterior design gets an EV-style makeover and the cabin's been usefully updated. Plus media connectivity has taken another step forward and there have been engineering updates to the Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid drivetrains. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 311

There are no longer any un-electrified Sportage models - and no diesels either. The entry point in the range is now occupied by the 48V mild hybrid turbocharged 1.6-litre four cylinder petrol unit that most customers want. This sends 147bhp to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual clutch auto gearbox. 0-62mph takes 9.9s en route to 119mph. As usual with a mild hybrid set-up, the electrical system can't ever power the car solely by battery, but it does power some of the ancillaries, including the start/stop system. Ideally with your Sportage, you'd stretch to the full-Hybrid HEV version, which unlike the base powertrain does get some changes as part of this facelift, upgraded by 28bhp to 235bhp, courtesy of a more powerful 64kW electric motor mated to a 1.49kWh battery pack. As before, this drivetrain is paired to either a six-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels, or an optional all-wheel drive set-up in the top-spec 'GT-Line S' variant. The biggest engineering upgrade for this NQ5-era Sportage applies to the PHEV powertrain, which gets a 42bhp uplift in power, which takes it to a combined output of 283bhp. It's also now available in front-driven form for the first time, as well as in AWD guise, which makes the entry price more accessible. We don't expect the battery range though, to match that of rivals like PHEV versions of rivals like the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid. Perhaps a touch ironically given the model name, this Sportage isn't particularly 'sporty' to drive - there's something that hasn't changed - but if you're a typical prospective customer, you won't be too bothered about that. You sit quite high, the ride's a fraction on the firm side and body roll's quite well controlled, though not to the point where you might be encouraged to test out the car's handling limits.

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