2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid review: Tired of waiting for a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid? Try this instead

What is it:

The Kia Sportage Hybrid is Kia’s answer to the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, with seamless petrol-electric power that recharges as you drive.

It’s the first mid-size hybrid SUV we’ve tested that gets close to Toyota’s fuel-efficiency – plus the Kia has more technology, more standard features and a longer warranty than the Toyota.

As we reported earlier here, not all hybrid cars are created equally. Some are more efficient than others. And some offer negligible – if any – fuel savings.

Here’s another top tip. For some reason the Kia Sportage Hybrid is not listed as an option alongside the petrol and diesel versions on the company’s website.

You need to click on the separate ‘hybrid’ tab on the Kia Australia home page to find out more about it.

(We reckon this model should appear in both the Sportage and Hybrid tabs just to make sure people can find it).

Price:

For now there are only two model grades for the Kia Sportage Hybrid (petrol and diesel variants are available in four model grades and in front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive).

The Kia Sportage SX Hybrid and the flagship Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid, both of which are front-wheel-drive.

We are testing the Kia Sportage SX Hybrid (pictured throughout this review) priced from $45,950 plus on-road costs (such as registration and stamp duty). The Kia Sportage GT-Line Hybrid costs from $55,420.

As a guide, the $45,950 price of the the Kia Sportage SX Hybrid is about $10,000 dearer than the equivalent petrol-only model and $3000 dearer than the diesel all-wheel-drive model.

The Kia Sportage SX Hybrid price is almost line-ball with the equivalent Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid front-wheel-drive ($45,810 plus on-road costs), though about $3600 dearer than the cheapest Toyota RAV4 GX Hybrid available ($42,260).

ANCAP safety rating:

Five-star safety and a long list of standard equipment such as seven airbags (including a centre airbag between the front seats), autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, speed sign recognition, radar cruise control, rear view camera, tyre pressure monitors, blind zone warning, rear cross-traffic alert, door exit warning, extendable sun visors, front and rear parking sensors.

A rare inclusion on some hybrids these days (we’re looking at you Nissan e-Power and Honda hybrids with no spare tyre whatsoever), the Kia Sportage Hybrid has a space-saver spare tyre (as does the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid).

Engine:

Under the bonnet of the Kia Sportage Hybrid is a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (132kW/265Nm), compared to 2.0- or 2.5-litre non-turbo petrol power on the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

The turbocharged 1.6-litre engine (which runs on regular 91-octane unleaded) is paired to a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor (44kW/264Nm) that helps move the car from rest up to, say, about 40kmh before the petrol engine takes over (just like Toyota’s hybrid system).

The claimed combined output is 169kW/350Nm (you can’t simply add the peaks from both motors because they arrive at different points in the rev range).

With a 52-litre fuel tank and exceptional real-world fuel economy of 5.2 to 5.6L/100km on test (which is very close to our Toyota RAV4 Hybrid figure of 4.8 to 5.2L/100km) you can get close to 800km on a single tank in ideal conditions.

Transmission:

A six-speed torque converter automatic is standard, sending power to the front wheels.

It’s a smooth operator and works seamlessly with the electric motor.

The gear selector is a rotator dial (pictured above) rather than a lever.

0 to 100km/h (as tested):

This is no race car, but we are always curious to see how a vehicle compares to its peers.

Using our precision VBox timing equipment the Kia Sportage Hybrid did the 0 to 100kmh dash in a brisk 7.4 seconds.

That’s approaching hot-hatch territory and quicker than most rivals such as the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (8.2 seconds) and Honda CR-V Hybrid (8.0 seconds).

But it’s not as quick as the Nissan X-Trail e-Power, which in our testing stopped the clocks in 6.8 seconds. Holy smoke!

Emergency braking from 100km/h (as tested):

The Kia Sportage SX Hybrid (running Hankook 235/60/18 tyres) pulled up in 38.9 metres, which is bang-on average for the class.

The tyres are quiet, grippy and deliver good absorption over bumps. A highlight of the car.

Good points:

Long list of standard equipment.

Twin widescreen displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment system.

There is a ‘favourite’ button on the steering wheel so you can create a shortcut to mute the speed-zone chime (and make the warning flash only).

Superb comfort thanks to the cushy yet supportive seats (covered in quality hard-wearing material).

Ample room front and rear.

Massive cargo hold (plus a space saver spare tyre under the boot floor).

Good visibility all around thanks to the large glass area.

Extendable sun visors – that slide along a post so they can cover more of the side window – are superb at blocking side glare and are a welcome inclusion. More cars should have this feature.

Quality of the fit and finish – and the in-car technology – now clearly a step above Toyota.

Seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty adds peace of mind.

I also appreciated the tyre pressure monitors, especially if you’re planning on long-distance drives.

You can spot any tyre deflation immediately and pull over to check (Toyota RAV4 does not have tyre pressure monitors).

Bad points:

Kia (and sister brand Hyundai) have interpreted Euro NCAP and ANCAP safety guidelines in a way no other car company has.

That’s why the latest Kia (and Hyundai) cars have an overzealous speed warning chime.

Every other modern car defaults to a speed warning flash – wth the option to add the chime.

Kia and Hyundai cars default to the chime – and you need to press a button to have the warning only flash.

What this means is drivers of the latest Kia and Hyundai cars are bombarded with beeping on every journey – or have to take their eyes off the road while they go through the digital menu trying to disable it.

This ends up creating a road hazard rather than an improvement to road safety.

One final observation: I can live without the power tailgate on the Sportage SX, but it also lacks push-button start. It seems odd to turn an ignition key to be met with the silence of a hybrid vehicle.

What the haters say:

What’s a Kia?

What the haters don’t understand:

Kia hasn’t been in the bargain basement for years. The latest models now have better build quality, design and technology than Toyota.

As evidenced by this Kia Sportage Hybrid – and any number of other recent Kia models such as the EV9 electric SUV and Carnival people mover.

The list goes on.

This humble Kia Sportage SX Hybrid is one of the highlight cars of the year for me. And I much prefer its comfort and the way it drives compared to flagship Kia models with sports (stiff) suspension and low-profile tyres.

Should you buy one?

This is a no-brainer. I would buy this over a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

Compared to the equivalent Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the Kia Sportage SX Hybrid has a longer list of standard equipment, better technology inside the cabin, a longer warranty, is nicer to drive, and is just as fuel efficient.

Also consider:

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, Nissan X-Trail ePower.

More specs:

Specifications for the Kia Sportage SX Hybrid can be found here.