Kia Sportage 2026 review: S Hybrid | Toyota RAV4 rival tested

As with its Hyundai Tucson cousin, the last two generations of Kia Sportage have long been good cars in search of better petrol powertrains.

The old 2.0-litre atmo unit lacked spark and the 1.6-litre turbo was too highly strung for a family runabout.

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A pricing coup?

The entry-level S Hybrid, from $44,490, drive-away, puts the base Sportage right in the Chinese electrified mid-sized SUV heartland.

Inevitably, several plug-in hybrid (PHEV) rivals cost less and yet bring more equipment, like the BYD Sealion 5, Chery Tiggo 7, Geely Starray and Jaecoo J7. But cheapness is their main attraction and most suffer from some worrying deficiencies.

Oddly, though, the S overlaps with some hybrid-only alternatives from China, like the GWM Haval H6 and MG HS, though again, both require more development.

The Kia undercuts Japanese base-grade hybrid equivalents, such as the Nissan X-Trail e-Power, Honda CR-V e:HEV and, of course, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid that begins from about $6000 more.

That said, the S isn’t scant on spec, with much of the expected convenience basics, like climate control, a reversing camera, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and alloy wheels.

You’ll also find:

• A space-saver spare wheel – thank you, Kia
• Seven years of free Kia Connect remote app services access
• Keyless entry and start
• A 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
• Adaptive cruise control
• Front and rear parking sensors

In other words, all you need and a bit more besides. There’s no wireless phone charger or heated front seats at this price point, though.

Still looking good half-a-decade on

Now in its fifth generation since 1993, today’s Sportage has been an especially strong seller worldwide.

Maybe that’s why last year’s facelift is subtle. An obvious difference is the removal of the fussy inverted ‘V’ LED lighting up front, connecting the mid-sized SUV to some of its younger SUV siblings.

Similarly, the Sportage’s cabin presentation has also weathered well.

A lesson in digitised interfaces

At first glance, you’d be hard pressed to pick this as the entry-level Sportage.

Yes, the seats are cloth instead of modish synthetic leather (though vinyl belongs in record sleeves not in SUVs) and the driver’s side lacks lumbar adjustment. But these are the only real concessions to cost cutting.

Dominating things is Kia’s classy, curved dual-display dash, which remains visually contemporary and operates smartly, swiftly and smoothly, while a row of fixed virtual buttons below responds on the first touch and are paragons of clarity. China (and Mazda CX-5), please heed, since the Hyundai Motor Group knows how to balance dashboard design and ergonomics effectively.

The front seats provide adequate comfort and support, the driving position is faultless, the ventilation works fine, there is an abundance of storage and the quality of execution stands out.

As with the spacious front row, back-seat entry and egress is effortless. The Sportage’s roomy rear features cushions are fixed, but remain adequately comfy, aided by backrests that recline a little. Also present are air vents, cupholders, USB-C ports and a folding armrest. Not bad for a base bus.

Further back, even with the spare wheel, VDA luggage capacity is a decent 586 litres, expanding to 1872L with the 60/40 split-fold backrests dropped. Electrification need not compromise practicality.

Having your cake…

The S Hybrid 2WD uses a 132kW/265Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol hybrid engine, paired to a 47.7kW/264Nm electric motor, driving the front wheels via a six-speed torque-converter automatic.

Combined outputs are 173kW and 367Nm, while a 1.49kWh lithium-ion battery is located by the multi-link rear axle.

The result is remarkably velvety performance, from stepping off the line in EV-first mode, to maintaining a strong and steady pace at speed once the internal-combustion engine seamlessly pipes in.

A world away from the wheezy old 2.0L unit, the Sportage is especially adept at delivering immediate, muscular throttle response, especially in Sport mode, for satisfyingly instant overtaking, though it’s also refined enough to be licence-losingly rapid even before the driver notices. Beware.

This fluid ease also describes the handling set-up, with engagingly linear steering for quick yet controlled cornering capabilities aided by finely calibrated brakes (not always a given in hybrids).

While not as supple as, say, the latest CX-5’s, the S Hybrid's suspension tune remains acceptably firm. And, save for the tiring speed-sign warnings, the ADAS tech is sufficiently calibrated for Australian roads. Again, not a given nowadays.

Fixes for the next model should include grippier tyres than what the Nexen Roadian rubber provide in the wet and a tighter turning circle.

Still, the S Hybrid shows that the Sportage has evolved and matured remarkably. A far cry from the dynamic calamity of the earliest generations.

…without all the calories!

Pump-to-pump, we averaged 5.8 litres per 100km over a week’s worth of often-spirited inner-urban, freeway and performance-testing driving, against 5.2L/100km on the trip computer and Kia’s claim of 4.9L/100km.

In theory, the Hybrid 2WD is capable of 1060km between refills of (91 RON standard) petrol.

The sensible stuff

Finally, tested back in 2022, the Sportage garnered a maximum five-star ANCAP rating, largely for “good” occupant protection.

The long role call of ADAS tech includes multi-faceted autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane-support systems, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist and safe exit warning.

Meanwhile, there’s a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and up to eight years of roadside assistance if serviced at Kia. Intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km.

Capped-price servicing is listed at $353, $561, $422, $880, $397, $703 and $716 over the first seven years, totalling $4032. That’s $1185 more than the albeit-$6K-costlier base RAV4 over the same period.