UPDATE GETS IT RIGHT
Fifth-generation Korean compact SUV has potential to take Canadian market by storm
If you've been sleeping on Kia, it's time to pay attention.
Though the brand has been improving in leaps and bounds over the past few years, its product lineup has been close-but-not-quiteperfect for Canada for quite some time. Pickup trucks and compact SUVS rule here, and Kia's not a truck company, so that makes smaller SUVS extremely important to the brand's success.
Sportage is Kia's compact SUV, and the previous-generation was certainly compact — too much so, in fact. It was a tighter squeeze in both passenger room and cargo relative to its competitors.
The fifth-generation 2023 Kia Sportage solves this problem and a few others: it's more attractive, more fuel-efficient, and there are hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions being offered for the first time.
The hybrids are arriving now, while the PHEVS are due later this summer.
Our test drive of the internal combustion engine (ICE) version of the Sportage took place on a damp spring day on Vancouver Island in the top-tier X-line Limited trim, one of two new X-line trims being offered with the gas-only powertrain. These trims add more rugged-looking exterior elements such as skid-plate shaped mouldings on the front and rear, a unique front fascia, ladder-style roof rails, and exclusive interior and exterior colours. We're not getting the X-pro trim being sold in the U.S., but a quick scan of the specs suggests few Canadians will really miss it.
All gas-only models are powered by a 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine producing 187 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque peaking at 4,000 rpm, fed through an 8-speed automatic. The ability to select drive modes is standard equipment. The only grade available with front-wheel drive is the base LX, with which fuel consumption comes in at 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 7.4 on the highway, and 8.4 combined. Kia says this represents a seven per cent improvement in fuel efficiency versus the outgoing model. With all-wheel drive — which costs $2,000 extra on LX and is standard on all other trims — fuel consumption measures at 10.4 L/100 km city, 8.5 highway, and 9.5 combined, representing a five per cent improvement. These are acceptable figures for the segment, though not exceptional.
The ICE powertrain is possibly the least enjoyable thing about the new Sportage, which is saying a lot: it's pretty good. For a driver who appreciates energetic acceleration, the 2.5-litre's output won't feel like enough. Even with sport mode engaged, which does help a little by quickening the shift patterns, this engine feels like it could use a push getting up hills or onto highways. This will be a better choice for someone who values fuel efficiency over drive feel and, for whatever reason, really doesn't want to buy a hybrid.
We haven't test-driven the hybrid yet, but we can say this with confidence because the Sportage's hybrid powertrain is a known quantity, given that it's shared with the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid we've reviewed extensively here at Driving.ca. It uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a 44 kw electric motor powered by a 1.49 kwh battery, routed through a six-speed automatic. (In the ICE cars, you shift with a traditional lever; in the hybrids, shift-by-wire technology is used, which equips a dial.) Total system output for this setup is 227 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Both the engine and the motor produce a peak of 195 lb-ft each, the former peaking from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm and the latter from zero to 2,100 rpm. That means that the 1,500 to 2,100 rpm range is where it hits the sweet spot, which is perfect for driving around the city or on winding back roads.
The hybrid also delivers stellar fuel consumption figures at 6.1 L/100 km in the city, 6.3 on the highway, and 6.2 combined.
This update is a big one for Kia. By getting key things right like design and fuel efficiency, it takes the Sportage from being a niche vehicle for smaller families to one that's likely to appeal to a whole lot of Canadians. Consider test driving the hybrid before making your decision. With standard all-wheel drive, the Sportage EX Hybrid is likely to be one of the best-value electrified SUVS on the market.
The entry-level ICE Sportage is the LX FWD, which starts at $28,395 (a mandatory $1,900 destination charge is extra on all grades). EX is starting trim for the hybrid, priced at $35,995.