2024 Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid review

If you’re concerned about energy consumption but aren’t yet ready to take a punt on an EV purchase, then the Kia Sportage Hybrid is among the burgeoning number of combustion-electric vehicles on offer to make your wallet tingle and your inner efficiency nerd titter with delight.

The front-drive, turbo-petrol hybrid Sportage has been two-and-a-half years in the making for Australia, but it’s a case of better late than never given its excellent 4.9L/100km combined fuel consumption figure, its punchy 8.0-second 0-100km/h acceleration claim, and its relatively attainable $46-55K pricing.

True competitors remain relatively scarce – Toyota RAV4 Hybrid ($42-$58K), Nissan X-Trail e-Power ($50-$58K), Subaru Forester Hybrid ($44-$50K), Honda CR-V e:HEV RS ($60K), Haval H6 Hybrid ($42-$46K) and soon, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid (its mechanical twin) – giving the good-value Sportage Hybrid a strong chance of swaying punters away from the default Toyota.

Kia expects its two-variant Hybrid line-up to add 300 incremental sales a month, constituting about 20 percent of the Sportage model mix.

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JUMP AHEAD

• How much is it, and what do you get?
• Interior comfort, space and storage
• What is it like to drive?
• VERDICT
• Specifications

How much is it, and what do you get?

Both the SX Hybrid ($45,950) and GT-Line Hybrid ($55,420) feature an identical drivetrain and wheel/tyre package.

The 132kW/265Nm 1.6-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol four, 44kW/264Nm electric motor and 1.49kWh lithium-ion battery are shared with the larger Kia Sorento Hybrid (and its Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid sister) – making 169kW/350Nm in combined outputs, with a simple six-speed automatic transmission transferring grunt exclusively to the front wheels.

For maximum efficiency, both the SX and GT-Line share the same machined-face 18-inch alloy wheels (from the regular Sportage SX), wearing fairly chubby Hankook Dynapro 235/60R18 tyres.

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Above: A panoramic sunroof is among exclusive features for the GT-Line

External visual differences between the two specs are modest – mainly front-bumper design (with LED fogs in GT-Line), plus full-LED head/tail-lights, roof rails, black mirrors, rear privacy glass, hands-free electric tailgate and keyless entry/start for GT-Line, plus two unique paint colours (Snow White Pearl, Jungle Wood Green).

But inside, the GT-Line steps up significantly with its panoramic glass sunroof, leather-faced upholstery with Alcantara inserts, heated/cooled 8-way electric front seats (with driver’s memory), heated steering wheel, surround-view and blind-spot monitoring, curved 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless phone changing, 64-colour ambient lighting, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rear-seat USB-C outlets, eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio and a luggage net, plus a few other easy-carry features.

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Interior comfort, space and storage

Both Hybrid variants swap the regular Sportage’s gearshift selector for a shift-by-wire dial and trade a full-size spare wheel for a space-saver.

And both variants share hugely roomy interiors with excellent seat comfort, expansive all-round vision and enormous boots, with an extra-low floor level available to shove in a serious amount of stuff.

The SX’s light grey headlining lightens the mood over the GT-Line’s all-black alternative, though the flagship’s huge sunroof (with electric blind) is great compensation, and its interior tech not only looks classy but operates slickly.

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The GT-Line’s Harman Kardon audio quality deserves praise, though it lacks wireless smartphone mirroring, which seems a bit odd in 2024 (given that the MY24 Hyundai Sonata’s similarly curved 12.3-inch multimedia set-up features wireless Apple CarPlay).

Ambient lighting aside, a bit more interior colour would also be appreciated, as well as a trim inlay for the dashboard that tries a bit harder to not look like cheap, mottled plastic.

And the Sportage’s door trims continue the old-school Korean trend of failing to house anything larger than a 600ml beverage bottle, which doesn’t match contemporary hydration trends.

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What is it like to drive?

The headline appeal of both Sportage Hybrid variants isn’t their equipment or their space – it’s the efficacy of their new drivetrains.

Compared with the Sportage diesel, there’s similar torque, though without the instantaneousness of its response, while compared with the 1.6 turbo-petrol there’s a battery-fed silkiness and smoothness to the Hybrid, combined with the more leisurely nature of only six gears to choose from, rather than seven (from a dual-clutch ’box).

According to international data, the Sportage Hybrid is actually the quickest of its brethren, at least from a standing start – 0-100km/h in 8.0sec for the front-drive compared to around 9.0sec for both the 1.6T AWD and 2.0D AWD (and a dismal 11.7sec for the 2.0-litre auto).

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The Hybrid will easily spin its front wheels off the line, which makes quick getaways into fast-moving traffic a slightly dramatic affair, yet for the most part the best aspect of this drivetrain is its effortlessness.

It feels far more soothing and rewarding when driven briskly instead of forcefully, and with relatively tall gearing in the upper ratios, sometimes asking for a bootful of throttle response doesn’t really translate into a whole lot of additional momentum. You’re better off basking in its cruising refinement – and the excellence of our as-tested fuel consumption of 6.0L/100km, as well as the potential range of more than 1000km on a tankful.

Stumble on a twisty road in the Sportage Hybrid and you’ll be more than pleasantly surprised. For a vehicle weighing only 52kg less than the AWD diesel, there’s a litheness to its handling and precision to its poise that blends beautifully with the torquey ease of its drivetrain.

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Those unlikely-looking Hankooks hang on gamely, and there’s a consistency to the weighting of the Sportage’s slack-free steering that also complements everything seamlessly.

And this dynamic cohesion isn’t spoiled by a too-stiff ride, either. It’s more well-disciplined that actually firm, with terrific body control for this type of vehicle – making the Sportage Hybrid a fine bet for a fully loaded adventure. Kia’s Australian suspension tune has really paid dividends here.

You don’t even need to drive it in Sport mode to get the best from it – Eco (the default) or Normal modes are both fine – because the GT-Line offers steering-wheel paddles to keep it surging through its leggy ratios. And the steering is arguably sweeter in Normal anyway, so best to leave the car to itself and stick to directional duties.

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Even the brakes feel strong – big 325mm vented front discs and 300mm solid rears – without any noticeably artificial feeling to the pedal action.

Apart from typically over-eager lane-keep assistance (which can be easily disabled via a wheel-spoke button, though does automatically re-engage with the adaptive cruise), the Sportage Hybrid’s safety electronics generally work unobtrusively, with both SX and GT-Line sharing all main active-safety features apart from rear AEB, which is only available on GT-Line.

They also share a 1650kg braked towing capacity (same as the non-hybrid petrols), a 12-month/10,000km recommended servicing schedule and a five-year capped-price servicing cost of $2930, which is $426 more than the non-hybrid Sportage 1.6 turbo, yet more than double the cost for a RAV4 Cruiser Hybrid 2WD ($1300), which also offers a 15,000km distance interval.

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VERDICT

So is the Sportage GT-Line Hybrid worth the $5500 additional spend over a GT-Line 1.6T AWD or the extra $2500 over an equivalent diesel?

If you value refinement, effortless performance, and an outstanding range of up to 1061km on a tank (based on the official combined fuel figure), then it’s hugely appealing.

The diesel’s calculated range is only 857km, while the non-hybrid petrols top out at 750km (1.6T) and just 667km (for the gutless 2.0 auto), so unless you really need AWD, the Hybrid offers the finest drivetrain … for a premium.

It would be a slightly better SUV with the traction benefits of AWD, and it would be nice if the GT-Line offered a unique wheel design, but, apart from that, there’s sophistication here in spades.

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