The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Frugal hybrid
- Huge interior space
- Big screen option
- Unique styling
Dislikes
- Dreary base powertrain
- Can get expensive
- Too much style?
- X-trims don’t offer much appeal
Buying tip
features & specs
Big on style and space, the 2024 Kia Sportage works best with the reasonably priced hybrid powertrain.
Final information on the 2024 Kia Sportage has not been published; we'll update this preview when more specs, prices, and information are available.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Kia Sportage? What does it compare to?
The 2024 Kia Sportage pairs compact SUV sizing with sharp lines. Shop it against the Hyundai Tucson, Ford Escape, and Honda CR-V.
Is the 2024 Kia Sportage a good SUV?
A good choice in base configuration, the Sportage is even more appealing as a hybrid. We like its feature set and its big interior. It earns a TCC Rating of 6.8 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Kia Sportage?
After a redesign a couple of years ago, the 2024 Kia Sportage will likely stand pat for 2024. This small SUV wears polarizing styling, with a broad front grille and arrow-sharp headlights serving as a viewer’s first introduction to an assortment of unusual curves and angles. X-Line and X-Pro versions tame its looks a bit with their blacked-out details, but there’s no arguing with the fact that Kia has managed to wedge a lot of design themes into a single body.
It’s just as busy inside, though the widely available 12.3-inch touchscreen and climate-control touch panel are reasonably well-integrated. There are also plenty of small bins for devices, cups, juice boxes, and the like.
Beneath the Sportage’s big hood sits a standard 187-hp 2.5-liter inline-4, which doesn’t really live up to the sport part of this SUV’s name. It’s paired with a dim-witted 8-speed automatic transmission. The combination delivers middling acceleration and occasionally rough shifts. The hybrid is worth the upcharge, though. Its 227-hp powertrain starts with a 1.6-liter turbo-4 and bolts on an electric motor and battery pack for better acceleration and upward of 40 mpg combined. There’s also a costly but intriguing plug-in hybrid that offers up 34 or so miles of all-electric range. It’s neither as quick nor as frugal as the Toyota RAV4 Prime, though.
No Sportage is particularly fun to drive, but the soft ride takes big bumps well enough.
The big cabin has great room for outboard occupants, and a third rear-seat rider can be squeezed in for shorter stints. The busy cabin design distracts somewhat from dull materials.
Every Sportage comes outfitted with a good lineup of crash-avoidance features, including automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, and active lane control, while blind-spot monitors and adaptive cruise control are accessible options. Crash tests have been excellent.
How much does the 2024 Kia Sportage cost?
Figure just $28,415 to start, but buckle up since the Sportage can get pricey. A loaded-up plug-in hybrid easily tops $40,000. At that top end, the Sportage comes with a big 12.3-inch touchscreen, a digital instrument cluster, Harman/Kardon audio, heated and cooled front seats, and a large sunroof.
Where is the 2024 Kia Sportage made?
Most are built in West Point, Georgia, though some are sourced from South Korea.
2024 Kia Sportage Styling
The 2024 Kia Sportage is an overstyled SUV.
Is the Kia Sportage a good-looking car?
It’s stylish and unique, though there’s a heck of a lot going on here. We rated it at 7 out of 10 for an exterior that blurs the line between eco-friendly and quasi-off-roader plus a slick cabin.
The Sportage’s alien-like front end includes boomerang running lights. All versions now come with standard LED headlights, too. At the rear, there’s just as much going on. The beltline sweeps upward to nearly meet the roof line, which culminates in a small spoiler over the rear window. Below, the tailgate dives deep into the rear bumper. It’s busy, but distinct.
The Sportage is simpler inside. Most versions have a big 25-inch panel that includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a similarly big digital instrument cluster.
2024 Kia Sportage Performance
The 2024 Kia Sportage is a comfortable crossover SUV, but not a sporty one.
Forget about its name. The 2024 Kia Sportage isn’t about sportiness. It is, however, plenty comfortable. We rate it at a perfectly reasonable 5 out of 10.
Is the Kia Sportage 4WD?
It can be. Most models come standard with front-wheel drive, though all-wheel drive is available. It’s included with the PHEV, too.
If you plan to leave pavement with any regularity, look to the moderately capable X-Pro version with its 17-inch alloy wheels wearing light-duty all-terrain tires. It sits up a bit higher than other versions and it has a locking center differential to split power between the front and rear axles. It’s no Wrangler, but it will trudge through snow or up a dirt road reasonably well.
How fast is the Kia Sportage?
Speed isn’t its forte. The standard 187-hp 2.5-liter inline-4 is smooth enough, but it always seems to be in an argument with the 8-speed automatic transmission. Shifts can be sluggish, and the gearbox is too eager to upshift to save fuel.
Hybrid versions are noticeably peppier. Their 1.6-liter turbo-4 is down on displacement against other models’ 2.5-liter, but it’s linked to an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack that conspire for a 227-hp total system output. These versions are peppy in any situation, and the hybrid system operates with virtually no intrusion. Plug-in hybrids have a bigger motor and battery, which up the ante to 261 hp. They’re quick.
The softly tuned suspension and numb steering don’t inspire much driving enthusiasm, though the Sportage handles well enough in day-to-day driving. It lacks the Mazda CX-50’s verve, though the Kia’s demure demeanor makes it a comfortable daily driver. It also settles in quite nicely at highway speeds, with excellent lane tracking and a hushed feel.
2024 Kia Sportage Comfort & Quality
The 2024 Kia Sportage packs a comfortable interior with nice trim.
The 2024 Kia Sportage has great room in the front and rear seats, plus its cargo area is big even by SUV standards. It’s an 8 for comfort and quality.
The Sportage grew considerably when it was last redesigned, with nearly all of that extra size allocated to passengers and their gear. Comfy front seats include power adjustment for the driver in most trim levels, with optional power adjustment for the passenger. Don’t look for real leather anywhere other than the steering wheel and gear knob, though. Cloth comes standard, while all versions other than the base LX have synthetic leather trim.
Big rear doors open to reveal a spacious second row with enough width to accommodate three abreast. The seatbacks themselves recline, too. Behind the rear seats, the Sportage can lug about 40 cubic feet of cargo. Fold the rear seatbacks and that grows to 74 cubes. Note that hybrid versions are slightly less capacious due to their battery packs.
Interior materials are nice, though the base LX’s cabin has more hard plastics than other versions.
2024 Kia Sportage Safety
The 2024 Kia Sportage boasts a terrific safety record.
How safe is the Kia Sportage?
It’s an 8 on our scale thanks to a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, and a good array of standard crash-avoidance features. Newly standard this year are rear-seat side-impact airbags, which join the expected lineup of front and curtain airbags, automatic emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, active lane control, and automatic high-beam headlights. All models now have top-rated LED headlights, too.
Kia doesn’t include adaptive cruise control until you step up to the SX trim level, however. At least that system is particularly good, with limited hands-off ability and a more natural feel than some competitors.
2024 Kia Sportage Features
The 2024 Kia Sportage is a value knockout.
Kia offers myriad Sportage configurations, all of which are a fairly good value. Stick with low or mid-trim versions, however, and this lineup easily scores a 10. You’ll find a big touchscreen, plenty of customization options, a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty, and crash-avoidance tech including lane-departure warnings, rear parking sensors, and active lane control, all for $28,415 to start.
That’s a 10 on the TCC scale.
The base LX is pretty well equipped as is with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and cloth seats. All-wheel drive costs $1,800 more.
Which Kia Sportage should I buy?
We’d step up to the hybrid, which has historically only cost about $1,300 more than the standard model. (Pricing wasn’t available as of this publication date.)
The EX trim level also seems worth its extra spend, as it includes a 10.3-inch touchscreen, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and synthetic leather trim. In non-hybrid form, it runs $32,215 with all-wheel drive. All that’s lacking is adaptive cruise control, a surprising omission that’s standard on the Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and Honda CR-V.
How much is a fully loaded Kia Sportage?
The Sportage lineup tops out at $39,215 for the X-Pro Prestige, a mouthful of a name that includes adaptive cruise control, a panoramic sunroof, a power tailgate, and a slightly higher ride height. Don’t look for leather, though, as the Sportage comes with cloth or synthetic leather trim.
Opt for the plug-in hybrid and Kia will want somewhere around $45,000 for a similar level of features.
2024 Kia Sportage Fuel Economy
The 43-mpg Sportage Hybrid is worth the spend for most drivers.
Is the Kia Sportage good on gas?
It’s fairly thrifty in all forms. Our 3 out of 10 rating here applies to standard models, which rate as high as 25 mpg city, 33 highway, 28 combined with front-wheel drive or a slightly less impressive 23/26/25 mpg with all-wheel drive. Those are decent, but not great, figures.
Hybrid versions are rated as high as 42/44/43 mpg with front-wheel drive, or 38 mpg all around with all-wheel drive. They’d score a 6 if rated independently. It’s worth noting that here, too, the Sportage Hybrid checks in a bit lower than Toyota and Ford competitors.
The Sportage PHEV offers a 34-mile electric range with all-wheel drive.