2 Years Ago
Why the Kia Sportage Hybrid hasn't come to Australia... yet
Kia Australia is desperate to get the Sportage HEV to local showrooms, but there's still no word on when we'll get it – here's why.
James Wong
About the Kia Sportage
Last updated Oct 23, 2024The 2022 Kia Sportage is classified as a 4 Door Wagon currently on sale in Australia as part of the NQ5 MY22 generation, starting from $29,700 MLRP for the S (FWD) and topping out at $48,400 for the GT-LINE (AWD).
There are 22 variants available for our market and the current year model went on sale in Jan of 2022. The Sportage is built in Korea and is available with 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection, equipped with a 6 Speed Manual transmission with the drive sent to FWD. The Sportage is offered with a 7 year, unlimited kilometre warranty.
Pros
- Well-sorted locally-tuned ride
- Excellent on-road manners
- Attractive and spacious interior
Cons
- Underdone base engine
- Exterior design polarises
- Too many conspicuous blank switches in lower-end models
Kia Sportage Rating
Subaru Forester
Entry-level
BMW iX
Best in class
Overall rating
8.4
7.5
8.8
Kia Sportage News
2022 Kia Sportage Reviews
2022 Kia Sportage Specs
See our comprehensive details for the Kia Sportage
2022 Kia Sportage Dimensions
1665mm
1865mm
4660mm
The dimensions shown above are for the base model.
See all 2022 Kia Sportage Dimensions2022 Kia Sportage Boot Space
The Sportage has 543L of boot space with the rear seats up, increasing to 1829L with the rear seats folded. There's a full-sized alloy spare under the boot floor.
2022 Kia Sportage Gallery
CarExpert High Resolution Photos of the Kia Sportage
View 50 images
2022 Kia Sportage Safety Rating
The Kia Sportage has yet to be rated by ANCAP, but the mechanically-related Hyundai Tucson received a five-star rating.
All models come standard with the following safety equipment:
- AEB with pedestrian/cyclist/junction assist
- Blind-spot monitoring (manual models) or blind-spot assist (auto models)
- Rear cross-traffic alert (manual models) or rear cross-traffic assist (auto models)
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane Following Assist
- Intelligent speed limit assist
- Adaptive cruise control (excludes manual models)
- Reversing camera
- Rear parking sensors
- Front-centre airbag
- Safe exit warning
2022 Kia Sportage Fuel Economy
With the 2.0-litre engine and the six-speed manual transmission, the Sportage uses 7.7L/100km on the combined cycle. This increases to 8.1L/100km with the optional six-speed automatic.
The 1.6-litre turbo-petrol uses 7.2L/100km while the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is the thriftiest at 6.3L/100km on the combined cycle.
See all Kia Sportage Fuel Economy
Cost of ownership
What is the running and servicing costs of a Kia Sportage?
| Variant | Engine Type | Month | Kilometre |
|---|---|---|---|
| S (FWD) | 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| S (FWD) | 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| S (FWD) | 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| S (FWD) | 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX (FWD) | 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX (FWD) | 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX (FWD) | 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX (FWD) | 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| S (AWD) | 2.0L Turbo Common Rail Diesel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| S (AWD) | 2.0L Turbo Common Rail Diesel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX+ (FWD) | 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX+ (FWD) | 2.0L Multi Point Fuel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX (AWD) | 2.0L Turbo Common Rail Diesel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX (AWD) | 2.0L Turbo Common Rail Diesel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX+ (AWD) | 1.6L Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX+ (AWD) | 1.6L Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection | 6 Months | 7,000km |
| SX+ (AWD) | 2.0L Turbo Common Rail Diesel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| SX+ (AWD) | 2.0L Turbo Common Rail Diesel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| GT-LINE (AWD) | 2.0L Turbo Common Rail Diesel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| GT-LINE (AWD) | 1.6L Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| GT-LINE (AWD) | 2.0L Turbo Common Rail Diesel Injection | 12 Months | 15,000km |
| GT-LINE (AWD) | 1.6L Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection | 6 Months | 7,000km |
You should service your Sportage at your authorised Kia dealer or service centre, however servicing it at third party mechanics that follow OEM servicing instructions should not impact the Sportage’s warranty.
How does the 2022 Kia Sportage drive?
Our expert take on Kia Sportage drivability.
This new Sportage uses a different platform to the old model, which brings superior torsional stiffness. It’s actually a derivative of the platform that underpins the bigger Sorento, plus the related Hyundai Tucson. Kia Australia’s local suspension team specified the damper tune to suit local roads, adding ride compliance while retaining body control.
Where the related Hyundai Tucson’s more Euro-leaning tune is on the sportier side and can at times be a touch firm, the Sportage really irons out pockmarked roads and bumpy city streets with luxurious levels of grace. It’s very, very impressive in this regard.
There just seems to be an added layer of pliancy that so few manufacturers seem to get right. While there’s an excellent level of all-round comfort, that hasn’t come at the cost of handling or driver engagement.
With a wonderfully-balanced steering and chassis tune, the Sportage turns in predictably and directly without being razor sharp. It’s perfect for the intended demographic and if you flick the mode selector into Sport the steering and throttle sharpen up for more eager response.
Refinement at speed is likewise excellent. Wind noise is next to non-existent and tyre roar even on coarse-chip B-roads is whisper quiet.
That confident, big-car feeling carries over whether you’re putting around the city or cruising on the freeway. It’s hushed, planted, and unfazed by poor weather or uneven road surfaces.
The Sportage is let down only by its powertrains. Well, two of them.
We’ve yet to drive the Sportage with the base 2.0-litre petrol, but in the Tucson it sounds gruff and lacks grunt.
The 1.6-litre turbo-petrol is better but still not quite there.
There’s a lethargic slurring off the line and slight break in power delivery when the car shifts from first into second that betrays a lacks a layer of polish it really should have. It’s also far more evident because everything else is so damn good.
It’s worth getting it out of your head that the 1.6T is a more sporting choice. While there’s more low-down shove and more effortless progress than naturally-aspirated rivals, middling outputs mean the 1.6-litre doesn’t feel particularly quick.
The best powertrain, far and away, is the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel.
You sense considerable effort has been invested into both making the diesel as smooth and refined as possible and suppressing any associated ‘rattle’ from penetrating the cabin.
In fact, the Sportage diesel is so quiet you might mistake it for a petrol vehicle.
Effortless doesn’t begin to describe it – the diesel Sportage gets up and goes, without hesitation or fuss. You barely need to stoke the right pedal, yet there’s no peakiness or unpleasantness.
The auto is an absolute gem: seamless in a manner lacking in the dual-clutch designs offered elsewhere in range, and in the Sportage’s segment. Its calibration feels perfectly matched to the engine’s sweet spot for no other reason than it doesn’t seem to put a shift wrong.
Meanwhile, the various driver assistance systems across the Sportage range do a good job. The adaptive cruise and active lane centring (Lane Follow Assist) come together well on the freeway and offer almost semi-autonomous capability and the GT-Line’s nifty Blind Spot View Monitor and surround-view cameras are excellent.
Some may find the lane centring function a little overbearing, and the lane-keep assist can at times tug at the wheel unnecessarily out of caution. Nothing we haven’t seen before, but worth noting.
2022 Kia Sportage Options
Options list for the Kia Sportage
You can find more details on all the options and inclusions across the Kia Sportage variants on the official website, and within the official Kia Sportage specifications page.
2022 Kia Sportage Colours
What colours are available for the Kia Sportage
Clear White is the standard paint finish, with the following optional:
- Steel Grey
- Gravity Grey
- Fusion Black
- Vesta Blue
- Dawning Red
- Snow White Pearl (SX+ and GT-Line only)
- Jungle Wood Green (SX+ and GT-Line only)
Premium paint costs an extra $520.
All models have a black interior.
2022 Kia Sportage Warranty
In addition to a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, Kia offers seven years of capped-price servicing.
2022 Kia Sportage vs other SUV's to consider
Choosing between the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson comes down almost entirely to styling preference, as they share their underpinnings. That includes the three powertrains available across both model ranges. The Tucson has lower capped-price servicing rates but the Sportage has a longer warranty.
The Mazda CX-5 also offers a choice of petrol, turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel four-cylinder engines, though its turbo-petrol is considerably more powerful than the Sportage's. However, the CX-5 is one of the smaller models in its class and tighter inside than the spacious Sportage.
Kia has no rival for the Toyota RAV4 hybrid in Australia, but the Sportage has a similarly well-sorted ride/handling tune to the wider RAV4 range and a similarly spacious interior while offering more modern infotainment.
Speaking of modernity, the Sportage is much fresher than the venerable Nissan X-Trail. The Mitsubishi Outlander is as new as the Kia and offers the option of a third row of seating, though it's no longer available as a diesel.
Should you buy the 2022 Kia Sportage
Is this the right car for you? Out experts buy or not guide.
Yes.
Skip the weak base engine and step up to the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol or, better yet, the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel.
The Sportage impresses with its thoughtfully designed and spacious interior and its impeccable on-road manners.
Kia Sportage FAQs
The cheapest Kia Sportage is the S (FWD) that starts from $29,700.
The most expensive Kia Sportage is the GT-LINE (AWD) that starts from $48,400.
The best towing capacity of a Kia Sportage is 1900Kg offered by the following variants
- S (FWD)
- SX (FWD)
- S (AWD)
- SX (AWD)
- SX+ (AWD)
- GT-LINE (AWD)
The largest Kia Sportage is the S (AWD) which measures 1865mm wide, 4660mm in length and sits 1680mm tall.
The most powerful Kia Sportage is the S (AWD) which has 137kW of power from its 2.0L Turbo Common Rail Diesel Injection engine.
The Kia Sportage is built in Korea and shipped to Australia.
The heaviest Kia Sportage is the S (AWD) which weighs 0 kg (kerb weight).
See full fuel information for Kia Sportage below:
| Variant | Fuel Type |
|---|---|
| S (AWD) | diesel |
| S (AWD) | diesel |
| SX (AWD) | diesel |
| SX (AWD) | diesel |
| SX+ (AWD) | diesel |
| SX+ (AWD) | diesel |
| GT-LINE (AWD) | diesel |
| GT-LINE (AWD) | diesel |
| SX+ (AWD) | unleaded petrol |
| SX+ (AWD) | unleaded petrol |
| GT-LINE (AWD) | unleaded petrol |
| GT-LINE (AWD) | unleaded petrol |
| S (FWD) | unleaded petrol |
| S (FWD) | unleaded petrol |
| SX (FWD) | unleaded petrol |
| SX (FWD) | unleaded petrol |
| S (FWD) | unleaded petrol |
| S (FWD) | unleaded petrol |
| SX (FWD) | unleaded petrol |
| SX (FWD) | unleaded petrol |
| SX+ (FWD) | unleaded petrol |
| SX+ (FWD) | unleaded petrol |