2026 Kia Sportage review: Australian first drive

If you appreciate choice in your medium SUV, the facelifted Kia Sportage may be just what you're looking for. The South Korean model has just undergone a midlife facelift, featuring improvements to the driveline and a wider range of trim levels to choose from.

The Sportage has always been a popular model for the brand, making an appearance in the Top 10 of new cars sold in 2024 and ranking as the fourth-most popular in the medium SUV segment, behind the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, and Mitsubishi Outlander.

In hopes of elevating that position, Kia has given the fifth-generation Sportage its first facelift since the model's introduction in September 2021.

It's clear the Sportage is the car for people who appreciate choice. There are five driveline options and four different trim levels to mix and match. You can find all pricing and equipment information here.

The range starts at $37,990 before on-road costs (ORCs) for the 2.0-litre petrol FWD S base trim, and extends to the range-topping 1.6-litre turbo hybrid AWD GT-Line for $60,370 before ORCs. In total, there are 13 different trim and powertrain combinations available across the board.

New for the facelift is an updated look inside and out, featuring reworked lighting on the front and rear, a revised steering wheel, updated air vents, keyless entry across the range, and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen with both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now available across the range.

Over the pre-facelift model, the SX+ grade now gets Highway Driving Assist, a wireless phone charger, and heated steering wheel. The GT-Line now adds a head-up display and a dynamic welcome light.

Much of the underpinnings remain the same, with minor steering adjustments across the board, and suspension changes for the hybrid version. However, the biggest change comes from Kia ditching the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which is replaced by an eight-speed torque converter unit – the same transmission offered in diesel versions.

The seven-speed gearbox mated to the 1.6-litre turbo petrol variants was a hot topic among automotive media, with many complaining that it was "clumsy" and "clunky". Kia listened and went for a more conventional torque converter unit, and it seems to have ironed out some of the teething issues.

Across all trim levels, the new Sportage offers a spacious and comfortable drive. Entry and exit don't put too much stress on your knees, and the roof line is tall enough to ensure you don't strike your head or need to crouch down to jump inside.

The rear seats have sufficient space to comfortably accommodate three children or two adults/teenagers. For the more vertically gifted humans, you may feel a little cramped in the back if you have a similarly tall driver. You do sit noticeably high in the rear seats.

Boot space remains unchanged, measuring 543 litres (586L in the hybrids) with the rear seats up and 1829L (1872L in the hybrid) with the seats folded flat. Compared to rivals, the Toyota RAV4 offers 580L of cargo space to the rear seats, the Hyundai Tucson provides 539L, and a Mitsubishi Outlander has 485L in five-seat variants or 478L in seven-seaters.

The wireless Apple CarPlay works well across the board, and the touchscreen is extremely intuitive. Within a three-hour drive, not once did my phone disconnect from the screen – nor did it ever stutter in its connectivity.

Safety remains paramount, and since the update is only a cosmetic change, the five-star ANCAP rating it achieved in 2022 remains valid. Every Kia Sportage is equipped with driver-assist systems, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with vehicle, pedestrian, and cyclist detection, as well as junction intervention. Safe-exit, lane-keep, and lane-centring assists are also standard.

There are seven airbags throughout the cabin (dual front airbags, front-seat side airbags, head-protecting curtain airbags, plus a centre airbag to prevent front-seat occupants from clashing in the event of a side impact). The rear seats feature two ISOFIX points for the outboard seats and three top-tether points.

The only mildly annoying part of the safety systems comes from the dinging of the Intelligent Speed Limit Assist warning; it often gets confused with non-active school zones and beeps incessantly. You'll need to switch this off every time you drive.

Visibility from all corners is excellent thanks to thin pillars that provide a 360-degree view around you, making merges, tight corners, and parking a whole lot easier.

Road and wind noise are kept to a minimum. There is some minor wind rustle in adverse weather conditions on the freeway, but it's nothing that will annoy in the long run.

In terms of ride comfort, all of the different powertrains are slightly different. The most comfortable of the bunch is the 1.6-litre AWD non-hybrid – its ride is well damped on Australian roads. There is more body roll than expected through tight corners, but even big potholes didn't rattle my bones too hard. The steering in this trim is also super light.

The diesel AWD would be my next choice in terms of ride. It's marginally firmer than the 1.6 turbo, but it still soaks up bumps well without any sharp intrusions inside the cabin. The steering on this variant is also slightly heavier than that of the 1.6-litre AWD, but again, it remains an easy car to steer.

The firmest ride came from the hybrids, likely due to being the only version that had suspension tweaks and not just a tweaked steering tune. The bumps were more noticeable than any other variant, but not over the top. The FWD hybrid had the heaviest steering of the bunch.

The firmer suspension did make the car a lot more natural through tight cornering, but hitting the racing circuit is not what this car was designed for.

Across all powertrain options, the brakes are extremely touchy and will need some getting used to during day-to-day driving. I guarantee that the first time you take the Sportage for a spin, you'll likely jump on the brakes a little too hard and jolt yourself into the seatbelt.

Moving on to the differences between the variants, I first jumped into a Sportage SX diesel, which, over the base Sportage S variant, features a few extra creature comforts, including satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, and 18-inch alloys, among other small additions.

The SX is not exactly built to make you feel special. Everything is clad in hard plastic, but weirdly mixed with a few glimpses of luxury, such as a 12.3-inch screen that pairs with a smaller digital dash and elegant climate controls.

For a diesel, the engine is quiet, well refined, and doesn't have the diesel vibrations that seem to plague other cars. It makes sense why it was the most popular powertrain option for the previous Sportage, accounting for about 35 per cent of all model sales.

It's certainly not the most powerful engine at 137kW (unchanged from pre-facelift), but its 416Nm figure gives you a nice bit of pep off the lights without working itself too hard.

What a wonderful gearbox the eight-speed torque converter automatic is around town. There is no hesitation and stuttering – just pure seamless changes through the gears to maximise efficiency. The only thing I struggled with was the transmission's predilection to shift into a higher gear at freeway speeds, so I manually clicked down a gear for zippy overtakes.

We didn't get a long time to dart around the test loop in the diesel, but the dash did show 6.9 litres per 100 kilometres with some spirited driving, which exceeds the 6.3L/100km claimed combined efficiency.

Next on the list to drive was the SX trim 1.6-turbo hybrid FWD, which lists at $46,450 (plus on-road costs), and the AWD SX hybrid, which retails for $49,450 plus on-road costs.

This is the variant Kia will want to promote in view of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) to offset the emissions from diesel and non-turbo four-cylinder engines in its fleet.

The engine characteristics were remarkably similar to that of a non-hybrid version, which, for those yet to be converted down the EV route, could be a positive. No outrageous regenerative braking (although you have three levels to choose from through the paddles on the steering wheel), no noticeable crossover into internal combustion mode, and no extra cables to worry about – since it's a closed-loop system.

The hybrid retains the old six-speed transmission from the pre-facelift, so there have been no drivetrain changes. But again, vibrations and engine noise are minuscule, making for a comfortable ride in the cabin.

The combined power of the hybrid and petrol engines is 173kW and 367Nm, which gives the Sportage ample punch away from a standstill, but the gearing of the six-speed transmission isn't conducive to swift overtakes on the freeway.

There isn't a huge difference between the FWD and AWD hybrids when it comes to actual driving. The AWD feels slightly more planted and has more purchase on the bitumen from a standstill sprint, but overall, the comfort and driving experience are very similar.

The FWD averaged around 6.1L/100km on the test loop, while the AWD reached upwards of 6.5L/100km. I don't doubt these figures would decrease significantly with a longer loop, but they're still quite a bit off from the claimed combined numbers of 4.9L/100km (FWD) and 5.3L/100km (AWD).

Jumping into the Sportage GT-Line 1.6-turbo AWD non-hybrid, which retails for $53,990 (plus on-road costs), I feel this is where the Sportage really shines. The head-up display, power-adjustable passenger seat, 64-colour ambient cabin lighting, and 12.3-inch curved digital instrument cluster make the interior feel significantly nicer than that of the S and SX trims. The addition of ventilation for the perforated seats is a welcome gesture, too.

The non-hybrid AWD 1.6-turbo petrol was my favourite of the bunch; its characteristics make for a smooth drive in traffic. The 132kW and 265Nm outputs are ample to get you out in front of traffic at the lights, and the new eight-speed transmission complements the car well.

The transmission is certainly an improvement over the old model, but it does take a second to kick down a gear following a hasty press of the accelerator during an overtake.

As I mentioned earlier, the suspension is optimised for this powertrain layout. The way it steers, the comfort levels, and the overall refinement seemed to be the best in the 1.6-litre AWD non-hybrid model.

It is quite thirsty, though. I drove this one the longest of all, and through freeway driving, busy traffic, and suburban settings, this one hit me back with a reading of 7.9L/100km – marginally more than the claimed combined consumption of 7.5L/100km.

Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to drive the entry-level level S ($37,990 before on-road costs) and SX trim ($40,480) with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder and FWD, which makes up a whopping 30 per cent of all Sportage sales. However, it's looking dire for the entry-level engine, as it could be on the chopping block with NVES regulations.

Overall, the Sportage is an impressive medium SUV for the money. Finding an established brand selling a mid-sized SUV in this price range – particularly with a hybrid powertrain option – is no longer a given, and Kia seems to hit the mark well.

The model hasn't undergone the most drastic of changes compared to the outgoing pre-facelift, but at least for me, it looks better with its new lighting system.

If it were up to me, I would pay the extra few dollars to upgrade to a GT-Line or SX+ trim level just to get the nice leather-accented interior, and I would certainly keep my eye out for a diesel or 1.6 turbo non-hybrid powertrain option.

Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.

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