• Sportage no longer the bargain choice
• Plug-in model is the cheapest to run
• Long warranty impresses

What are the running costs?

Sportages aren’t as cheap as they used to be, with the versions you’d actually want starting in the mid £30,000 range. Plug-in hybrid versions are the cheapest to run, if the most expensive to buy. The outgoing Sportage PHEV is capable of 43 miles of EV-only range in official WLTP testing and emits just 25g/km of CO2 emissions, we still don’t know the figures for the replacement.

Front-wheel drive hybrid models are the most efficient non-plug-in versions, with some versions dipping below 130g/km, not bad for the class. The mild hybrid models are best left to private buyers who don’t have to worry about CO2 figures for BIK company car tax.

15

During our time on test, a mild hybrid Sportage achieved 35-40mpg, the full hybrid Sportage managed a reasonable 40-45mpg, while the plug-in hybrid model returned a more impressive 80mpg – although you’ll only see those figures on the trip computer if you keep the battery topped up.

View detailed MPG and CO2 figures on the Kia Sportage specs pages

Servicing and warranty

Kia offers a strong seven year/100,000 mile warranty as standard for the Sportage. This used to be class-leading but now Toyota, Lexus and Suzuki offer gigantic 10 year warranties, subject to dealer servicing.

The Sportage is available with a fixed price servicing plan so you can spread the cost out monthly if you wish. Intervals are every 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Reliability

• Kia’s overall reliability record is good
• No major concerns have appeared
• Two recalls for early models

Kia has a generally good record for reliability and the previous generation Sportage was no exception. There were a couple of recalls on that model but it has proven to be reliable transport.

There have been two recalls issued for this generation of Sportage, both in 2022. One was for the vacuum pump and other for the driver cluster not booting up correctly.

Do you own a Kia Sportage? We’d love to hear your experiences in the form of an owner’s review.