• Go for the diesel if you’re after economy
• No plug-in hybrid or EV versions
• Servicing and running costs competitive

What are the running costs?

The Sportage may well offer a wide range of engines, but there are some slightly disappointing fuel economy figures from some of the engines. If you want the entry-level 1.6-litre GDi, claimed fuel economy sits between 34.9mpg and 35.7mpg depending on the model you choose. Go for the more powerful 1.6-litre T-GDi and economy figures lie between 31.7mpg for an AWD automatic and 34.9mpg for a front-wheel-drive manual version. Since both engines require working hard in order to make progress, we suspect it’ll be quite difficult to match those figures on a regular basis.

The diesel fares better for fuel economy. The 1.6-litre CRDi mild hybrid with 136hp claims between 47.9mpg and 50.4mpg with the manual gearbox. Choose the automatic front-wheel-drive version and this ranges between 47.1-50.4mpg, and the all-wheel-drive version sees this drop to as low at 42.8mpg.

The 1.6-litre CRDi mild-hybrid averaged 44.2mpg with ease during our time of testing and we suspect this would be marginally higher on longer motorway journeys.

The CO2 emissions for the Sportage are comparatively high when listed alongside rivals like the Renault Kadjar and SEAT Ateca. The best performer for CO2 emissions is the 1.6 CRDi automatic, emitting 141g/km in ‘2’ spec.

1105

The petrols generally emit more CO2 emissions. The entry-level 1.6 GDi produces 166g/km in ‘2’ spec, while the T-GDi engine has a minimum of 185g/km.

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

Servicing and warranty

Kia’s servicing prices are competitive and its main dealers can offer various options to help spread the cost. It’s worth noting that, while the diesels and the non-turbocharged petrol model have recommended service intervals of 20,000 miles or 12 months, the turbocharged petrol engine must be serviced every 10,000 miles or 12 months.

All diesels come with an 18-litre AdBlue tank, with the ability to check the how full it is by scrolling through the trip computer.

In terms of warranty, all of Kia’s cars come with a seven-year, 100,000-mile package as standard.

Reliability

• No recalls since launch
• Kia’s reliability record is great
• Reassuring warranty

Over the years, Kia has built up an enviable reputation for reliability, and the Sportage has lived up to it so far, with no official recalls for this model since it was launched in 2016.

In fact, the reason the firm is able to offer such long warranties on all its products is a direct result of confidence in its build quality and use of materials, and they’re better than ever in the fourth-generation Sportage. Everything feels solid and like it will last, while the mechanical components have been around long enough to now be proven.

1105