KIA had a big problem with their new Sportage model…. how to follow the success of the previous version which was our best-selling SUV in 2024 and number two in the UK’s top ten cars.
Also the Sportage is the Korean firm’s best-selling motor world-wide as over 587,000 were snapped up by eager buyers last year – 47,000 of those in the UK.
So no pressure then with such a hard act to follow – does the 2025 Sportage live up to its predecessor and is it likely to keep that best-seller crown?
Well thanks to those awfully nice people at KIA I got to spend a week with the new model and am glad to report that rather than throwing out the baby with the bathwater KIA have facelifted and upgraded instead of going for an all-new version.
With a radically different front end and design tweaks elsewhere it is still the SUV that customers loved so much – although it does feel a little more compact on the outside yet there is plenty of space on the inside, especially the boot.
What has also stayed around the same are prices with the range starting from a shade over £30k for the base Pure trim petrol car up to the GT-Line S HEV – our car was the mid-range non-electric FWD GT-Line seven speed auto, predicted to be a top seller, which comes in at a very reasonable £35,085.
Highlights on the spec sheet include heated front seats, GT-Line styling inside and out, all round parking sensors and rear camera, smart cruise control, three drive modes (eco, normal and sport), heated steering wheel, auto lights and wipers plus sat-nav.
Higher spec cars have a panoramic glass sunroof, smart power tailgate, 360 degree camera system and customisable head-up display.
As with the previous car there are the very latest driver aids and safety systems but what has changed is a much improved suspension setup giving an even more comfortable drive on our pot-holed roads.
Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre four cylinder turbo petrol engine meaning 147bhp on tap, 0 to 62 in a shade over 9 seconds and a top speed of 119. Those all-important MPG figures are up to almost 48 yet the car feels quite nippy, especially in sport mode.
So if the electric revolution does not drive your agenda but you want a bang up to date SUV with excellent fuel economy and decent performance at a good price then this could be the car of choice – especially with KIA’s legendary 7-year warranty,
For more info see www.kia.com