• Good choice of engines
• No more diesel
• Front or four-wheel drive

Kia Sportage petrol engines

The range kicks off with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, aided by mild hybrid tech, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox with power delivered to the front wheels. Performance is fairly tepid due to the Sportage’s size, weight and only 145hp to play with, although there’s enough poke low down to make fairly relaxed progress.

The mild-hybrid system uses a small electric motor to help the engine at low revs and the 48V battery means it can shut its engine off for longer periods than the regular petrol. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox can also be optioned with the mild hybrid powertrain.

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Kia Sportage diesel engines

When launched, the Sportage offered a choice of two diesel engines, and neither were particularly powerful for the class. The entry-level 1.6-litre had 115hp, on par with the basic Ateca and Karoq for power but not torque on account of those car’s larger 2.0-litre engines. That helps explain why the base diesel Sportage took nearly 12 seconds to go from 0-62mph.

The more powerful 136hp version of the 1.6 diesel featured mild hybrid tech to reduce emissions and improve economy despite the power boost. Even so, judging by the official performance figures it’s nowhere near as strong as 150hp versions of the Volkswagen Group 2.0-litre diesel, let alone punchier 200hp variants. You’ll have to look at the used forecourts for a diesel Sportage now though, both have been discontinued.

Hybrid engine

The full hybrid Sportage HEV has a more powerful version of the 1.6-litre engine combined with a larger battery and electric motor. That means it can run for short distances on electric power alone while peak power jumps to 231hp with both engine and electricity working together. It’s noticeably swifter on the road than the mild hybrids but even so, performance isn’t particularly strong compared to the wider class, with mid-range petrol Atecas and Karoqs proving similarly brisk. The full hybrid is only available with a six-speed automatic, but can be optioned as either front- or all-wheel drive.

Kia Sportage plug-in hybrid engine

The plug-in hybrid version currently combines the 1.6-litre T-GDi engine with a 70kW electric motor powered by a 13.8kWh battery pack. The high-voltage battery sits centrally between the two axles under the body of the SUV, ensuring a balanced weight distribution and an interior space that is practical, comfortable and versatile. This results in a maximum power output of 265hp – and a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds and maximum speed of 119mph. All plug-in hybrid Sportages feature all-wheel drive. Kia is in the process of updating the plug-in hybrid Sportage and we’ll update the review once we know what’s new.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Focus on comfort
• Rivals are more fun to drive
• Performance adequate, but nothing more

Comfy and refined, rather than anything particular sporting. If you do want a family SUV with a bit of vim to its handling, check out the Seat Ateca or Ford Kuga, but if you just want something that’s serene, relaxed and secure, the Kia Sportage is spot on. There are three drive modes – Sport, Normal and Eco – but even in Sport the steering is very light and a little inconsistent. It’s great for wheeling around roundabouts and tight town roads, but could be more confidence-inspiring in faster bends.

If you want a mild hybrid Sportage you’ll need to work the engine hard to get the most out of it. The six-speed manual gearbox works well for eking out performance on a short slip road or for the occasional overtake, so long as you’re prepared to sacrifice a little fuel economy. It’s certainly fast enough in the full hybrid ‘Sportage HEV’ guise, and while the six-speed automatic gearbox shifts quite slowly, it’s also smooth and does what you expect it to.

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Ride comfort is mostly good, especially at town speeds when it soaks up patchwork surfaces well. At higher speeds you get a heavy thump and shudder through the cabin over bigger potholes or sunken drain covers, but generally the spongey, long-legged gait will keep everyone on board happy. The Sportage does roll quite noticeably in corners, but nothing too dramatic and there’s plenty of grip.

Its impressively quiet even on the motorway, with wind, tyre and even engine noise just a calm, distant thrum. As long as you avoid accelerating very aggressively, which has the coarse-sounding petrol engine revving too hard in the mild hybrid, hybrid and PHEV models, the Sportage is impressively hushed. The PHEV powertrain is also programmed to run on electric power as often as it can, which further reduces noise in the cabin.

Ultimately, this just isn’t a car that encourages or feels very at home in fast driving, and that’s absolutely fine because the Sportage is one of the more comfortable and refined options in the class, which is sure to be of more value to most buyers.