New Kia Sportage In-Depth UK Review 2022 - The Perfect Family SUV?

Kia's Sportage asks more searching questions of its family SUV rivals in this more dynamic-looking fifth-generation form. There's a more up-market look and feel, more electrified engine technology - more of everything really. Well, except full-electric power and real off-road ability anyway.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00​​​​ Introduction
00:32 Background
03:38 Driving Experience
17:31 Design & Build
34:18 Market & Model Range
52:55 Cost of Ownership
01:07:01 Summary

Background

Kia's Sportage is one of the most prolifically-selling cars South Korea has ever brought us. Europe likes this model line very much, which is why Europe has been given its own bespoke version of this car in this fifth generation guise. In place of the long wheelbase version sold in other world markets, our continent gets a shorter, sportier-looking version of the MK5 design which apparently has been tuned for our roads as well as for our preference in the size of our Qashqai-class family SUVs.

It's certainly the most daringly-styled Sportage yet, both inside and out, with much borrowed from Kia's all-electric EV6, a similarly sized model which relieves the brand of the need to provide a full-battery version of this crossover. Mind you, it's possible to have just about anything else electrified beneath the bonnet, thanks to engineering shared across the board with this car's competitor and close cousin, the Hyundai Tucson. Let's take a look.

Driving Experience

So: choose your flavour of hybrid; mild, full or plug-in. All three forms are available here, based around the same 1.6 litre T-GDI petrol engine. Diesel power is still available via the usual 1.6-litre CRDi unit. There's no full-Electric version because this car's showroom stablemate, the EV6, fills that role says Kia. Because the brand's European division had to create a shorter Sportage design for their continent, they took the opportunity to more closely tailor ride and handling for the needs of European drivers. The previous model was distinctly unmemorable to drive, but this one should be better. Weight distribution has been better optimised around the stiffer new N3 platform and there's a new electronic control suspension continuous damping set-up available.

The mainstream engine options start with two conventional 1.6-litre units mated to front wheel drive, a T-GDi petrol powerplant with 148bhp and a CRDi diesel with 113bhp. Avoid base trim and you'll be offered the option of 7-speed DCT auto transmission with both these engines for £1,700 more, which automatically upgrades you to Kia's 48V mild hybrid tech and, with the diesel unit, boosts power to 134bhp.

The two top 'proper' Hybrid petrol models only come with an auto. The full-Hybrid HEV Sportage variant delivers the 1.6 T-GDI engine with a 44.2kW electric motor and a 1.49kWh battery delivering a total output of 226bhp. The top PHEV Plug-in variant uses the same engine paired to a 66.9kW electric motor powered by 13.8kWh battery to give a total output of 261bhp and an electric driving range of around 35 miles.

Design and Build

Like the all-electric EV6, this MK5 Sportage has been designed under Kia's 'Opposite United' ethos. Which you could guess from a glance at the visual elements the two models share - the boomerang-style headlights, swollen rear arches, the concave tailgate shaping and the prominent spoiler. Europe gets a short wheelbase version of this model - and won't be offered the longer version of this design available to other world markets, both variants sitting on the same N3 platform that undergirds this car's close cousin, the identically engineered Hyundai Tucson.

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[OsvUkVehicleSupply]

New Sportage vs. New Qashqai - Which one would you pick? 🤔👇

[Optimtimistic-]

Man how the F with such quality and punctuality this channel is not getting views in millions -_

[lucadangelofilippo]

Great job. Thank you that was informative. Hope your channel will grow because it's deserved.

[stevewallace]

It's a great value for money car the only negative is that all the engines are under powerd for such a heavy car

[willahmad]

The Best in-depth review on Sportage 2022. Good job!

[blueranger]

very good comprehensive review. thanks

[davidnash]

A comprehensive review of a car my daughter will be test driving tomorrow but by the 12th minute I was COMPLETELY lost in technospeak and gave up trying to understand what all the gobbledegook means...but then I'm old, still have trouble trying to make sense of decimalisation and drive an old fashioned manual 1.5 diesel Peugeot Partner that's nine years old and still running like a dream !

[thomassunter]

This is the best car review channel by far

[anthonyjohnson-zhbo]

very informative, , getting mine in 4 weeks fingers crossed

[RonniesPokerRants]

Clear with a concise & comprehensive balance and none of the usual singing of words by younger reviewers that I found refreshing. I have a top spec HEV auto AWD. I am looking for a good summary of the infotainment system. Any skiffies (hints) welcome. Some people are complaining about the length. It's all right if you have chosen your very own 1 of 50 versions, then you might want one video for 20 mins on your exact car. I think this 70 min compromise is well worth it. I don't know how you kept it down to that length given the amount of choices available.

[peterg]

@OSV I've got the same model as you drove on order (MHEV). What mpg were you achieving and how were you driving (most of your footage looked like it was efficient cruising). Also how did you find the DCT box? I'm happy with my Golf DCT, but have heard this DCT is very hesitant when setting off. Unfortunately I all the dealerships I contacted only had Full hybrid demonstrators.

[knowledgeishere]

@OSV Which do you think looks better between Tucson and Sportage?

[squadron]

Taking aside the extremely detailed information about the car, the narrative style of the presenter is very very engaging, particularly as he is discussing the subject of dry as car specs. I agree with one of the previous commenters. I can’t understand why this channel hasn’t got many many more views and many many more followers.

[Trevorfoggia]

By far, OSV provide the best car reviews available on YouTube.
Thoroughness is an understatement.
I’ve ordered a GT line S HEV in Lunar Silver and I’m eager to get my hands on it.
Does anybody know if an Pro Max IPhone will fit in the provided charging area in the Sportage?
Stay safe and well.
Greetings from Cumbria in the U.K.

[bondjamesbond]

A very well built and decent offering from KIA. Good review too

[andrewgates]

Sportage in 3 level trim or ford kuga st line x??? Im in two minds plz any help 🙏

[JustinHall]

It would be nice to see this UK spec version offered in the US. This shorter version is more attractive than the USDM version, although I do have to admit that the smaller cargo area could be a hard sell.

[miljanbratic]

Is anyone familiar with gpf regeneration problems on 1.6 tgdi engines? It seems those alarms are appearing on low milages already and very often if the car is driven mostly on short trips.

[jgn]

Perhaps im being silly or stupid. But, is it possible to give boot space in cubic feet as well as litres? Im 79 and was raised on Imperial measurements . In the 60s. Around 15 cubic feet was the average size of car boots.

[jgn]

And. How about talking about the Juke? Mild hybrid, possibly.