The full-Hybrid version of Kia's Sportage family SUV could just be the pick of the range. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

On paper, you might wonder whether the HEV full-Hybrid version of Kia's Sportage SUV is the best choice to make from the Sportage line-up. But in practice, this variant proves to be a very efficient real-world all-round choice, with eager performance matched to the usual attributes of the current Sportage - striking looks, practicality and a long warranty.

Background

If you're not quite ready yet to plug your car in, then the chances are that you want a Hybrid of some sort. And it's equally likely that you want some sort of SUV. If that needs to be of the mid-sized family-shaped sort, then here's a model that needs to be somewhere on your shopping list; the full-Hybrid HEV version of Kia's Sportage. The 'full-Hybrid HEV' terminology's important here because Kia also offers this car in mild hybrid guise (where it's cheaper) and in Plug-in Hybrid form (where it's predictably pricier). All these various flavours of 1.6-litre petrol turbo engine are directly shared with this Kia's Hyundai Motor Group close cousin, the similarly-priced Hyundai Tucson. But this Kia has a very different visual vibe. Is it the family SUV Hybrid for you? You'll need the usual comprehensive Car & Driving Road Test to find out.

Driving Experience

All Sportage models these days are powered by some sort of 1.6-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder unit, but in very different flavours. The 148bhp output offered by the mild hybrid version of this powerplant rises to 178bhp with this HEV hybrid version. Which, combined with a tiny 1.49kWh battery pack and an 44.2kW electric motor, plays a major part in a very useful total power output of 227bhp. Weight and aerodynamics though, combine to keep performance relatively modest; the rest to 62mph sprint occupies 7.7s in the front-driven model and maximum speed is 120mph. There are 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' drive modes. With top-spec trim, you can also pay extra for the brand's AWD 4x4 drivetrain. In all its guises, this Sportage is superbly refined, particularly around town where the electric motor frequently and seamlessly kicks in to supplant the engine. Only when you push on around twisty roads beyond the city limits will you begin to feel the mandatory 6-speed auto gearbox chase itself a bit; and at this point, you might find the engine's usual calm disrupted somewhat. Like its rivals, this Sportage is never likely to feel fun or entertaining; the steering is particularly light and relatively feel-less, though that's great in town. But there's plenty of cornering grip, it's wieldy on urban roads, easy to park and a quiet highway cruiser, with the usual semi-autonomous driving tools available to take the strain out of long trips.

Design and Build

Like the all-electric EV6, this MK5 Sportage has 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. Shared parentage with the EV6 is also evident inside, where the dashboard gets a gently curved display incorporating two 12.3-inch digital screens. Other key controls are operated via a row of multimedia haptic buttons, which can change function depending on drive mode selection. Though the European Sportage is 85mm shorter than the long wheelbase global model, it's 30mm longer than the previous generation design and that frees up 10mm more wheelbase length for a couple of adults to sit comfortably in the rear - three at a pinch. The boot capacity is only fractionally down on the mild hybrid model, rated here at 587-litres. Flatten the rear bench and that figure rises to 1,776-litres.

Market and Model

Prices for this full-Hybrid model start from around £35,000 and range up to around £40,000 in front-driven form. There are three trim levels, 'GT-Line', mid-range '3' and top 'GT-Line S', that latter top version also available in AWD form for an extra £1,500. On all models, auto transmission's mandatory. For the front-driven variants, think in terms of a £2,000 premium over the equivalent 148bhp mild hybrid version. At the time of our review, the Plug-in Hybrid version was priced from £40,500. Connectivity's a feature of all MK5 Sportage models - not only with the large 12.3-inch cabin screens (both for the instrument cluster and the centre stack monitor) but also with telematics. The brand offers its 'Kia Connect' smartphone app which allows customers to connect remotely with their cars. A clever 'User Profile Transfer' feature enables users to back up their in-vehicle Kia Connect preferences via the cloud and transfer settings from one vehicle to the next. With top 'GT-Line S' spec, you get an upgraded Harmon Kardon sound system. This Kia is fitted with a wide array of Advanced Driver Assistance System technology - what Kia calls 'Drivewise' features. There's a 'Forward-Collision Avoidance assist system with Junction Turning' that should help you avoid collisions at junctions; and 'Highway Driving Assist' helps you maintain a set distance to the car in front and keeps this Kia in the middle of its lane. This Sportage can also offer Blind Spot Assistance and a navigation-based cruise control system that automatically reduces speed for the corners. At the top of the range, there's even a Remote Smart Parking Assist system that can park the car for you into tight spaces while you stand outside it controlling things from the key fob: neat.

Cost of Ownership

The combined cycle fuel return for this Sportage HEV Hybrid is quoted at 49.6mpg on the combined cycle and 129g/km of CO2. Given the price premium here, we'd hoped for a bit more gain over the figures of the cheaper mild hybrid version (43.5mpg and 147g/km). But you are getting much more performance. And a regular real-world return of around 40mpg is easily possible, which we never got anywhere near in the mild hybrid. Best of all, because of the extra performance, you can leave this Sportage HEV in its most frugal 'Eco' drive mode nearly all the time without the car feeling slothful. As it would do if you did the same thing in the mild hybrid. Official stats don't always tell the full story and they don't here. But if you want all of them, we'll tell you that the larger wheels of top 'GT-Line S' trim drop the front-driven version's CO2 reading to 132g/km; which falls again to 146g/km in a 'GT-Line S' AWD model. As usual with Kia, there's a 7 year or 100,000 mile warranty which, since it can be passed from owner to owner, should help the impressively strong residual values. You might want to note that roadside assistance cover is limited to one year, but you do get a long 12 year bodywork warranty. Maintenance costs can be kept down by opting for Kia's 'Care-3' or 'Care-3 Plus' servicing packages, which offer a fixed-cost and inflation-proof servicing plan for the first three or five years, something which can also be passed on to subsequent owners. Insurance is rated at groups 24E-26E. Service intervals are every year or 10,000 miles, whichever comes sooner.

Summary

In some ways, this HEV Hybrid variant might not initially be your first choice from the Sportage range. On paper, it isn't actually that much more frugal than the much cheaper mild hybrid derivative. And it's not actually an enormous amount cheaper than the Plug-in Hybrid version that would give you a much lower tax rating. For the real world though, this test has left us with the suspicion that day-to-day as an all-round ownership proposition, this HEV Sportage might turn out to be a better bet than either of its range stablemates. We've got closer to the quoted efficiency figures than seemed possible with either the mild hybrid or the Plug-in versions. And the drivetrain is particularly refined, torquey and smooth. Ultimately, it's quite an appealing combination. If you like the looks, you'll just have to decide whether it's appealing enough to justify the asking price.