2026 Kia Sportage SX Prestige Sneeks Up on the Premium Brands

Hybrids, also known as HEVs, are getting a second wind in the marketplace. Speaking of second,

this brand is number two behind Toyota, in the number of electrified vehicles offered,

as confusing as that description can be. Kia feels shoppers don't know the fifth generation

Sportage has always rolled with hybrid powertrains, so it's invited automotive

riders to a Louisville, Kentucky event to promote the mid-cycle refresh. And maybe

check out this giant baseball bat. We still have a little bit of an awareness

problem that we do make HEVs. I just showed you we have over 10 vehicles

that are electrified and we're still telling that story. Sportage is Kia's

bestseller, and 2026s get new facias, wheel designs and interior upgrades. The

hybrid powertrain can be had across five trim levels. We're driving the most

expensive versions because... SX Prestige happens to be our top-selling trim at

over 50% of the mix. On these events, they always pair us up with another

auto rider, and I have the privilege of driving with Jeremy Korsanowski,

and he will keep me honest if I don't get something right, or if he disagrees.

Absolutely. Two reviews in one. Sportage is available as a plug-in hybrid with

34 miles of all electric range. We're focusing on the HEV. Sportage is

classified as a compact crossover, meaning it's in the most competitive

segment in the automotive industry. Going up against other hybrids like Toyota

RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Subaru Forester. Let's throw escape, CX-50, and sister

Tucson into the mix, too, since all can be had with ice or hybrid powertrains.

For 2026, the improved electric drive motor adds five horsepower, so combined

with the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, there are 232

horses that will never run the Kentucky Derby, and 271 pound-feet of torque.

The 1.5 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion pack is under here. Sportage hybrid changes

gears with a six-speed transmission. Since it's not a continuously variable unit,

the dynamic feels like what most would consider normal. Manual shifting is a

thing.

All-wheel drive gets a center-locking differential. A driveshaft turns the back

wheels, not a separate electric motor. Drive modes are easy to get to. This is a

great location for the button, and yes, there's loads of switch gear in here.

Most sportages have 8.3 inches of ground clearance, so terrain modes might

actually get used. Plus, there's hill descent control. Jeremy and I leave

downtown Louisville for some lovely rural roads. By the way, the paint is heritage

blue. No extra cost, either. Acceleration is solid for this class. I'll estimate

zero to sixty in just over seven seconds, so passing on this road will

not leave your knuckles white. You've already driven this. Ride quality for

starters, this is on the quiet side, and I would say more towards comfort. It's not

sloppy in any way, shape, or form. No, no, it's really not. I think it's the

right compromise. It's what most consumers who are going to be buying

this product, they're going to prefer a more comfortable ride. As enthusiasts, we

may like something that handles really, really well in the corners. This

isn't really marketed towards that despite being called a sportage. It's not

sporty, it's much more comfortable. Yeah, if you push this really hard into a turn,

there's going to be a certain amount of understeer, but that's the way most

drivers should have suspension dialed in. Yeah, it's, you know, it's firm

enough to just be fun in the corners, but generally I would say the Kia

engineers air it on the side of comfort. Engage lane keep assist, and it does get

bossy occasionally, but it can be turned off. Transmission, it's pretty smooth.

Downshifts are fine. You think they're maybe a little lazy? Yeah, I think if I

did have a complaint about the drivetrain in general, it's that the

transmissions a little bit slow to respond. These days, we've gotten so

used to dual clutch transmissions that fire off such quick shifts. This one

feels a little bit lazy, especially on upshifts when you're accelerating. Yeah,

although some people do complain about how abrupt dual clutch transmissions are.

I like the Crips feeling, but average drivers go, eh, it's rough. Yeah,

yeah. What are you going to do? Yeah, you can't please everybody. I would

say, again, this car airs on the side of comfort over sportiness. The

clear 10-inch head-up display that's hard to shoot is near luxury and offers

turn-by-turn carplay graphics. We're driving the all-wheel drive version,

and the EPA rated average fuel economy is 35. 35 combined. Yeah, a little low,

actually. That is a little bit low. I think competitors like the RAV4 and CR-V

are a little bit better than that. I would expect it to be closer to 40.

Yeah, yeah. Front-wheel drive is much higher though. I think it's like 42. That is

what they said, which is surprising that there's that big of a difference, of

course, in the real world when you're, you know, counting the number of gallons

that you're putting in the tank. It's not going to be that big of a difference

once you get into those 30 range, like the dollar amount's not that big of

a difference. But yeah, I'm a little surprised, 35 to 42. The as-tested

price is $42,135, including destination and optional floor mats and cargo cover,

so there's value here. It is interesting how, during the presentation, they were

talking about nobody knows this as a hybrid. Everybody knows RAV4 as a

hybrid, and I think most people know that CR-V is a hybrid, but Sportage

not so much. Yeah, they're trying to increase awareness that Kia offers a

range of hybrid vehicles, not just hybrids, plug-in hybrids too. I do think

fewer people think of Kia as a brand that makes hybrids, whereas Toyota and

Honda are well known for that. Yeah. The SX Prestige cabin is a nice place to

spend time. The new dual 12.3-inch display is easy to read. Door releases

feel terrific. Seats with hides from synthetic cattle are heated and

vented. This little tab helps when closing the door. Even hard plastics have

a quality look. Surfaces get interesting patterns and no hint of

piano black. I'm a big fan of this blind spot camera setup. My biggest

gripe is this switchable panel. Seems it's always on the

interface setting when I want HVAC controls and vice versa. There's

no shortage of cameras. Scuff this Kia up and that's on you. No lack of

places to tuck things away either. Sportage has stowage. Don't use

cup holders. There's extra flexibility if you need more places to

stash things. I didn't get to spend loads of time with the user

interface, but it seems easy enough to use with good screen

response. Five years of full connectivity are included. And hey,

you could watch this video while parked, of course. There's phone is

key tech too. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are wireless. Jeremy and I

got to talking so judging the Harman Kardon sound will be up to

you. Space is not a problem when it comes to the back seat. I'm

five foot nine headroom. Very good. Same with knee, leg and

footroom quite generous. The cushion does not slide four and

a half to max out leg or cargo room, but it's high and long

enough for excellent thigh support. Plus the doors are big

enough to get car seats in and out. No sweat. Door pockets are a

little bit on the small side. Love to see storage on both

seat backs plus bag hooks. Nice. No separate climate zone back

here, but adjustable vents and this little cubby. This being

the top trim heated seats back here. I like this position for

the USB ports. It's really convenient. If there's no one

back here, I would guess this is a good place to hang a

jacket. Yeah, there's a little bit of a spine. It's not too bad.

Drinks don't really go in the door pockets unless they're sealed

water bottles, but you know, there's this. Sportage is wide

enough so you could get three average sized adults back here

for shorter trips across town, but for long excursions, I

would stop at two. Those full sized adults will be pretty

uncomfortable. Actually, as for design, the profile doesn't

really change. Maybe part of key is hybrid identity problem is

this is the only signal this is one. The nose is extensively

reworked with star map DRLs that are also found on EV6 and

EV9. It's a little bit more rugged looking than the

outgoing face square fog lamps to the back tail lamps are

changed up and there's a different lower fascia. This is

freshened. It's not a wholesale change. Since I'm at an

event, there will be no TP trunk test, but I could use cases of

bourbon since that is the gym beam distillery over there. My

camera bag is a bit smaller than a carry on suitcase. The

backpack is normal sized and the security cover can be

stashed under the floor so it doesn't have to be left

behind. I just didn't have time to fuss with it. And look a

spare tire. That's a rarity these days. There's power, but no

molded in bag hooks that are helpful. Remote releases are

unusual in this class, though. That expands the 34 and a half

cubic foot cargo hold that probably scores an eight in the

TP trunk test to over 65 cubes. So Sportage is very

useful. Pricing, Sportage Hybrid is a good value. So the

LX trim at $30,290 happens to be the lowest priced compact

SUV hybrid in the segment with the best in class field

economy. And then the SX Pro Siege just $10,000 more

offers a great value and class of technology. Alright, let's

wrap this up. Pluses and minuses. Pluses? I think it's

comfortable. It is sizable for its class. And I would say that

it looks really nice. Yeah. And for the price, it's a really

good value. Minuses? Again, if you're looking for something

sporty, this is not what you're looking for. This is a nice

comfortable car. I think it's appropriate for the segment,

but it's definitely not what I would call a sporty car.

Yeah, maybe go with CX 50 hybrid for that. I'll also add the

unusual switchable interface panel and the all wheel drive fuel

economy average isn't as lofty as RAV4 and CRV. But the total

package, it's extremely competitive and a hybrid that

should be better known. Sportage would be very easy to

live with and well worth a test drive.

Special thanks to Jeremy Korsniewski. He's kind of legend

in the automotive world. One of the very first employees of

Auto Block, you know, when it wasn't full of AI generated

filler. This bite was too good to not share. Last night, I

had a friend. He's looking for advice for a new vehicle and

he's thinking about buying a higher end vehicle like a Volvo

or an Audi. And you know, something like this is starting

to bump up against those brands. Do you agree? I mean, I do

agree. I think I think as time goes on, what the premium

brands offer that the competitors like Kia, you know,

mainstream brands don't offer, it's really only in the

badge. There's maybe a little bit more sound deadening, you

know, additional technology and whatnot. But this car feels

like what a luxury or premium brand would have been 10 years

ago. Before I go, it's important for me to let you

know that Kia brought me to Kentucky, put me up and fed

me. But I'm here to give you good information not to get

a free lunch. Okay. All right. Thanks for watching.

Subscribe to the channel. Okay. Follow me on social

media. I'm on all the major platforms. And if you have a

question, leave it in the comments. Either I will get

back to you or one of my followers will. This is a

great community. That's driven. I'm Tom Volk.

Kia Sportage

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