Living with a few different versions of it over a longer period shines a different light on our Best Mid-Size SUV of 2022
- Which engine is best in Kia Sportage – petrol, turbo-petrol or diesel?
- What’s so good about the Kia Sportage diesel engine?
- Are the petrol engines in the Kia Sportage worth looking at?
- How much does the Kia Sportage cost?
- What equipment comes with the Kia Sportage?
- How safe is the Kia Sportage?
- What technology does the Kia Sportage feature?
- What powers the Kia Sportage?
- How fuel efficient is the Kia Sportage?
- What is the Kia Sportage like to drive?
- What is the Kia Sportage like inside?
- Should I buy a Kia Sportage?
We know the new-generation 2022 Kia Sportage is one of the best mid-size SUVs in class, having lined it up against the top-performing models in carsales’ Best Cars awards program – which it won – and running it through its paces in a variety of different settings in single car reviews. But this is different. Here we have the chance to not only live with the SUV over an extended period to see how it stacks up on a longer-term basis, but to move through three different powertrains and model grades to ultimately settle on what we reckon is the best example of Kia’s fifth-generation Sportage.
Which engine is best in Kia Sportage – petrol, turbo-petrol or diesel?
UPDATED 23/01/2023: There’s still no hybrid powertrain available in the 2023 Kia Sportage, leaving the three four-cylinder engines as your only choice – 2.0-litre petrol, 1.6-litre turbo-petrol and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, all of which we’ve detailed with specs etc further down in this review.
We’ve also now had the chance to drive each of these three back-to-back, several weeks at a time and across a broad range of conditions.
All have markedly different characteristics, but when a regular mix of urban and open-road touring miles are thrown in, the diesel emerges as the best all-round powertrain.
Yes, you pay a premium at the dealership and the bowser, but for the sheer blend of effortless performance and frugal fuel consumption, the oil-burner is a beauty.
Over more than 1500km, mostly country kays but with short city stints included, we averaged 6.4L/100km – just a 100ml sip over the official laboratory-based combined-cycle figure the manufacturer supplies.
In comparison, over similar distances and conditions, the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol consumed 8.3L/100km and the natural-breathing (non-turbo-assisted) 2.0-litre petrol was also close to this mark at 8.1L/100km.
So the diesel has a clear advantage in terms of economy and CO2 emissions, but our recommendation runs deeper than that.
What’s so good about the Kia Sportage diesel engine?
This is a smooth and muscular engine that has plenty of room to shine in the 2023 Kia Sportage, adding only 250kg to the tare weight compared to the lightest petrol model but never feeling breathless in a family-oriented five-seat SUV that still only tips the scales at 1760kg.
The surge from easy applications of the accelerator, at low revs, never fails to impress, and strength across the engine’s mid-range is always welcome whenever the driver asks for more with a quick overtaking move and the like.
A trip to a favourite beachside destination with two adults, three grown-up kids and a couple of wimpy dogs on board did take the edge off performance, but didn’t melt it, while a longer tour with two occupants and a full load was accomplished with ease.
There is some diesel clatter heard at standstill and parking speeds, but it’s nothing like a more agricultural diesel engine (as found in our ML Mitsubishi Triton ute, for example) and, besides, I’m not the only one in our household to find something reassuring about the trademark rattle and hum. Give me the sound of combustion over silence any day.
Cruising on the open road, the engine is quiet and barely ticking over at 1500rpm in top (eighth) gear, while the smooth and efficient transmission is always at the ready to kick down when required.
Are the petrol engines in the Kia Sportage worth looking at?
For sure. Our real-world economy of about 8.0L/100km in both the naturally aspirated and turbocharged petrol engines is pretty darn good, and both engines perform capably in the 2023 Kia Sportage.
Our higher consumption in the 1.6-litre T-GDi turbo-petrol is partly due to the fact that the engine invites exploration in the upper reaches of its rev range, with its smooth and lively characteristics that come on strong as the tacho needle winds its way around toward redline.
That’s all well and good around my place where a winding stretch of road is, well, less than a minute away. You can dial up the engagement factor, with or without Sport mode engaged, and revel in the engine’s perkiness, raspy exhaust note and the fun it offers in concert with the manual shift paddles and the car’s accomplished chassis dynamics and all-wheel drive grip.
But across a broad range of driving conditions, we’re less enamoured with the 1.6T and its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the latter proving to be a faithful partner out on the open road but something of a millstone at lower speeds.
There’s an elasticity with this powertrain that feels great when you stretch it, but which loses its lustre as it contracts. This is most obvious in stop-start and cut-and-thrust inner-city traffic, where the Sportage turbo/DCT combo is often caught hesitating, bogging down, shifting erratically, overreacting at times and always asking the driver to go easy on the throttle.
As if to rail against our impatience, the Sportage turbo also produced an almighty thump in the driveline and flare from the engine on more than one occasion when reversing with a bit of haste.
That leaves a lasting impression which sees us recommend the 2.0-litre petrol engine, with its traditional torque-converter six-speed auto, over the 1.6T/DCT.
There are no sporting pretensions here, and we suspect most Sportage owners will prefer the consistency brought with the milder-mannered petrol and make do with the lower output.
Whether around town or further afield, there is sufficient power and responsiveness to make relatively light work of most situations, with the caveat that much of our driving was done with one or two adult occupants and only occasionally with a decent load.
When we did push it to extremes – that long-distance pre-dawn dash to the airport we mentioned earlier, with three big blokes packing in way too much luggage – the Sportage 2.0 MPI was handicapped but not hamstrung, lacking pulling power on uphill stretches but always willing and never defeated.
Overall, the base petrol Sportage slots into daily routines with ease and manages acceptably under exceptional circumstances, making it our pick after the diesel.
How much does the Kia Sportage cost?
You’ll be the ultimate judge on which version of the 2023 Kia Sportage is worth the outlay, should you get down to the business of choosing model variants after studying the formidable form guide for this top-selling vehicle category.
This is where the Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson (a close relation to the Sportage), Ford Escape, Volkswagen Tiguan, Mazda CX-5 and a variety of other mid-size SUVs are all worthy contenders.
The Kia Sportage currently spans 11 model variants and will expand further as more options become available to the Australian market, including petrol-electric hybrid.
Pricing currently opens at $32,445 plus on-road costs for the 2023 Kia Sportage S with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and six-speed manual transmission (driving the front wheels only), with a six-speed automatic adding $2000.
It’s this auto version of the S petrol that forms part of our Sportage long-term test triumvirate, sitting as the gateway into the range at $34,445 plus ORCs given most buyers automatically choose the self-shifter.
At the other end of the spectrum, the 2023 Kia Sportage GT-Line with 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and an eight-speed auto (driving all four wheels) is priced at $52,370 plus ORCs.
That’s a hefty 20 large above the Sportage S and a natural inclusion for this test, given the price disparity and our desire to assess whether it’s worth splashing that much cash on the top-shelf model – and an oil-burning diesel one at that.
Slotting in between is the mid-series 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ with 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol power, combining with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission and all-wheel drive. The SX+ 1.6T is priced at $43,500 plus ORCs, which keeps it roughly $9K clear of our other two long-termers.
There are other combinations in the Sportage line-up, but our three models on test cover all powertrain options currently available and the most popular grades.
What equipment comes with the Kia Sportage?
We’ve written plenty already about the 2023 Kia Sportage and the relatively high levels of standard equipment it carries – particularly at the top end of the range, which is where you pay handsomely for it, too.
See our Australian pricing and spec news story and our separate detailed account of the model range. There are also links to individual reviews on the Sportage at the bottom of this page.
Distilling it down, all models have five seats, four cup holders (two front and rear), four bottle holders (one in each door), at least six-way driver’s seat adjustment, a minimum of six speakers for the stereo, a leather-clad multifunction steering wheel (adjustable for both reach and rake), soft material on the dash, power windows/mirrors, air-conditioning, rear air vents, a 60/40-split folding rear bench seat, a cargo cover and roof rails.
So it’s pretty easy to get comfortable, there’s a useful amount of versatility and basic needs of the driver and up to four passengers are well covered.
For security, there’s an alarm, remote locking and a headlight escort function, and we’re thrilled to report that all models have a full-size alloy wheel as standard too, taking a bit of extra weight on board and losing a little boot space in the name of ultimate convenience and, we’d suggest, safety.
We’ll dive further into the key differences between the models as we settle into them during our test.
How safe is the Kia Sportage?
There’s an impressive array of safety equipment fitted to all versions of the 2023 Kia Sportage and, importantly, a maximum five-star ANCAP rating that independently verifies its protectiveness of all occupants – and other road users – in the event of a crash.
The driver and front passenger are surrounded by airbags – frontal, side, head and a centre airbag between them – while those in the back stalls have curtain airbag protection.
Driver assist safety tech is simply vast for a non-prestige brand selling cars at this price point, starting with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – covering pedestrians, cyclists and junction assistance – and extending to lane support (keeping you in a lane as well as watching cars behind), blind spot monitoring and intervention, rear cross traffic alert, driver attention alert (including the handy lead vehicle departure alert), safe exit warning, a rear-view camera, multi-collision braking and more.
Sportage models with automatic transmission have trailer stability assist in the suite of electronic handling devices, as well as adaptive cruise control (with stop-and-go), more sophisticated blind spot assistance and automatic high beam on the LED headlights.
Higher-grade projector-type LED headlights are reserved for the GT-Line, which is one reason for considering the top-shelf model grade. Others include its fitment of parking collision avoidance assist when reversing, a surround view monitor with 3D mode and a blind spot view monitor in the instrument cluster.
What technology does the Kia Sportage feature?
Tech is the other key area that splits apart the pack of 2023 Kia Sportage models.
Where the Sportage S is fitted with an 8.0-inch colour touch-screen infotainment system, the SX and SX+ offer a larger 12.3-inch LCD screen and the GT-Line goes a step further with its curved display that encompasses the 12.3-inch central display and another 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
On the latter, the lower-tier models all make do with a basic digital instrument panel with a 4.2-inch multifunction LCD display.
There’s an anomaly in that the base-model S is the only to offer wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – the rest need you to pack a cord with your smartphone – but it’s still the poor cousin in that it misses out on sat-nav, digital radio, the ‘sounds of nature’ listening tracks (no great loss there) and user profiles for favourite radio stations, Bluetooth priority, etc.
All models have two USB charge points at the base of the centre dash stack – one each for USB-A and C – plus a 12-volt power outlet in this position (there’s a second 12V outlet in the boot), but the tray for holding the phone only has a wireless charging pad on the GT-Line.
The Sportage flagship is also the only to feature a shift-by-wire rotary gear selector, LED interior lighting and ambient mood lighting.
What powers the Kia Sportage?
Our three long-term test models cover the full gamut of powertrain options currently available with the 2023 Kia Sportage.
At the entry level, the Sportage S has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 115kW at 6200rpm and 192Nm of torque at 4500rpm. It drives the front wheels only via a conventional six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission. A six-speed manual gearbox is also available.
While the 2.0-litre petrol can be specified in S, SX and, SX+ form, the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine is limited to the SX+ (as on test here) and GT-Line – and, with its forced induction, has more in the way of oomph, generating 132kW at 5500rpm and 265Nm from 1500-4500rpm.
It’s a slightly heavier car, partly owing to its all-wheel drive system that’s fitted standard. The transmission here is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
A diesel option is available right across the Sportage range, namely a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel that stumps up 137kW at 4000rpm and 416Nm from 2000-2750rpm. It comes with an eight-speed torque-converter auto, driving all four wheels via the on-demand AWD system.
How fuel efficient is the Kia Sportage?
We’ll be testing the mileage claims of all three 2023 Kia Sportage models over an extended period, but the combined-cycle (city/country) economy figures reported to federal authorities are a good place to start.
These official figures show that the least powerful engine is also the least economical, the 2.0-litre atmo consuming 8.1L/100km on regular unleaded petrol, according to Kia.
By comparison, the 1.6-litre T-GDi turbo-petrol – also on normal unleaded – delivers 7.2L/100km, while the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel offers the longest touring range with 6.3L/100km.
All Sportage models have a 54-litre fuel tank.
What is the Kia Sportage like to drive?
We’ve already driven the 2023 Kia Sportage in a variety of settings, and will use future updates on this page to detail our impressions over the longer-term.
As well as passing with flying colours in our rigorous Best Mid-Size SUV 2022 program – where the Sportage came out on top – Kia’s new-generation mid-size SUV also earned a coveted podium position in carsales’ 2021 Car of the Year award.
But long-term tests are different. It’s not a single drive route chosen by a car-maker that judiciously avoids roads that could highlight a weakness. It’s not restricted by a short-term loan period.
It’s our chance to see how well the car integrates into our lives.
With Sportage, we’ve made weekly solo runs between city and country, taken trips to the beach with kids and dogs, spent long hours waiting in hospital carparks, used the back seat as a mobile office, ventured off-road a little, and put the vehicle under extreme pressure with three men packing in way too much luggage and making a long-distance pre-dawn dash to the airport.
We’ve also encountered flash floods, dealt with punctures in the dead of night on a quiet country road and endured a few inexplicable quality glitches – things that tend only to surface once you’ve lived with a car for an extended period, and which leave a lasting impression…
What is the Kia Sportage like inside?
Interior comfort, layout, versatility and user-friendliness of the 2023 Kia Sportage is another area that’s won plenty of praise from the carsales team to date, but with this long-term test we’ll be assessing the SUV not only in isolation but with the advantage of moving between the model grades.
What’s clear is that the generational change has brought significant improvements to cabin fit and finish, material quality, presentation and general accommodation for front and rear occupants.
The cargo area holds 543 litres with the rear seats upright, while folding them down boosts that to 1829L max. The 60/40-split backrests are folded either manually or, on all models above the S grade, using the release levers in the side boot trim.
Should I buy a Kia Sportage?
That’s a question you might think we’ve already answered. But our long-term test shines a different light on the lauded 2023 Kia Sportage, and our forthcoming updates won’t be general in nature.
We’ll focus on elements that are great and simply not great at all – some of which are common to all Sportage models (and, indeed, some of its rivals), and others which are specific to trim levels and, in a couple of cases, individual cars.
We’ll have a better understanding of what we know is an excellent vehicle, and we’ll have nailed down our preferred engine choice and the best-value trim level.
As to whether the Kia Sportage remains best in class, that’s a question we’re now leaving open and will resolve in the weeks ahead.
2023 Kia Sportage S 2.0 MPI 2WD at a glance:
Price: $34,445 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 115kW/192Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 184g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)
20232 Kia Sportage SX+ 1.6T AWD at a glance:
Price: $43,500 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 132kW/265Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 164g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)
2023 Kia Sportage GT-Line 2.0 CRDi AWD at a glance:
Price: $52,370 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 137kW/416Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 163g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)
Keyword: Kia Sportage 2023 Long-Term Review