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 top-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 Bolton KIA we got to take a test drive and I am glad to report that rather than throwing out the baby with the bathwater KIA have facelifted and upgraded rather than 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, which was the version we got to sample.

Highlights on the spec sheet include heated and ventilated front seats with memory function on the driver’s side, a premium sound system, panoramic glass sunroof, smart power tailgate, 360 degree camera system and a customisable head-up display.

As with the previous car there is also sat-nav, wireless charging, adaptable cruise control and lots more including the very latest driver aids and safety systems. 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 turbo petrol engine linked to an electric motor meaning 235bhp on tap, 0 to 62 in a shade over 8 seconds and four wheel drive. Being a HEV the car can only do a few miles in EV mode but the upcoming PHEV version will have arounds 40 miles of petrol free range.

Those of you who, like me, can remember the Austin allegro and all the fuss over its ‘square’ steering wheel in the 1970s will be bemused with the smaller steering wheel on the latest Sportage which is somewhat similar – perhaps British Leyland were ahead of their time?

For more info see www.kia.com

By Motoring Editor Steve Howarth