2022 Kia Sportage SX+ 1.6L turbo petrol review - Long-term owner

Multimedia and safety technology: 9/10

Safety has been taken very seriously in the SX+. It has all the modern safety equipment, including lane assist and front and rear parking sensors. I find some safety options to be very sensitive and there are lots of beeping, but I think that’s the case with most modern cars. The multimedia display is very easy to use and looks great, and the steering wheel controls are also easy to use.

Practicality: 10/10

The cars interior is very practical. Seats are very comfortable and easy to adjust. Lighting is good. There’s space to put bottles and phones. Dash display is easy to navigate. The phone charging ports are in good locations, and there is plenty of space for a family. Boot space is also good with lots of room for prams or bags to go on holidays.

Driving: 4/10

Driving the Kia is unfortunately not the best. I also have a Toyota Camry and the Camry drives a lot smoother in terms of acceleration and suspension. The main problem is the gearbox is not smooth in transitioning gears and acceleration is jerky especially on hills. Going down hills, the motor sounds like it’s going to blow up it’s that loud. Driving on a flat road isn’t too bad and I use Sports mode, which makes it a bit more responsive.

2022 Kia Sportage SX+ (Image: Lee Marsh)

2022 Kia Sportage SX+ (Image: Lee Marsh)

2022 Kia Sportage SX+ (Image: Lee Marsh)

2022 Kia Sportage SX+ (Image: Lee Marsh)

2022 Kia Sportage SX+ (Image: Lee Marsh)

2022 Kia Sportage SX+ (Image: Lee Marsh)

Running costs: 6/10

I was expecting the 1.6-litre turbo to have better fuel efficiency than it does. It also uses more than advertised by Kia. Dropping the kids off at school or doing the shopping uses in between 9.5 and 10.5L/100km and freeway driving uses 8 to 8.5L/100km. so freeway driving isn’t to bad. We only use premium 98, so it isn’t cheap, but it could be worse.

Reliability: 9/10

Reliability so far has been very good. We have just had a warning symbol come up on the car, so it needs to be looked at. But apart from that, there has been no problems with the car. Build quality seems good, so I’m confident the car will last. I am hoping the warning symbol is nothing serious and can be resolved quickly.