The Kia Sportage has sold extremely well in the UK to date – will this all-new model prove just as successful? We've been driving it in the UK to find out.

PROS:

+ Spacious, high-quality cabin

+ Great infotainment system

+ Genuinely efficient engines

CONS:

- Steering a bit vague

- There are comfier SUVs on UK roads

- Almost too much engine and trim choice

Verdict: The Kia Sportage is a hugely improved family SUV and instantly propels itself to the top of your list of test drives. There are more fun and more comfortable options though.

2022 Kia Sportage review: the five-minute read

We don't blame you if you're trying to buy a family SUV and you're a little confused. There are now more family SUV options than Conservative Christmas partygoers, and the quality is improving all the time. Case in point: the 2022 Kia Sportage.

It's still a five-seat family SUV but has had a complete makeover to do battle with other similar SUVs like the Hyundai Tucson, Skoda Kodiq, Ford Kuga, Toyota RAV4 and Peugeot 3008.

And what a difference on the outside. The Sportage gets a gaping grille section flanked by boomerang-shaped LEDs at the front, there are sharp creases and chrome trim strips down its sides and a ducktail-like boot lid with a sporty roof spoiler and more eye-catching LED lights at the rear. Looks are subjective, but the Sportage has no problem standing out.

The Sportage is unrecognisable inside versus the old model too. Kia is now beyond its 'most-improved' status and is standing firmly shoulder-to-shoulder with the VW Group for quality, plus the Sportage's solid switches and classy piano black and chrome trims lift the whole experience.

From second-rung GT-Line and above you get Kia's 12.3-inch screen infotainment system as standard, which is the system we've tried so far. The right screen is a crisp, configurable set of driver's dials, while the left is a bright, responsive infotainment screen. Its menus are easy to follow and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the range if you prefer.

Families will also love the amount of space on offer. Four tall adults will have no problems getting comfortable inside, so getting three kids across the rear seats is easy. The rear doors also open extremely wide for easy child seat placement and the Sportage's boot is a very healthy size.

There's no shortage of choice regards engines, with petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines on offer. So far we've driven the 230hp non-plug-in petrol-electric hybrid, which is very quiet at all times. Push it hard and it'll accelerate with a surprising pace, but take it easy and more than 40mpg is easy to achieve. We've also tried the two-wheel-drive, 150hp 1.6 petrol with a manual gearbox which needs to be worked harder, but still feels quick enough for all road types.

So far we've tried an adaptive suspension we won't be getting in the UK, plus a UK car with the standard suspension. Both felt firm most of the time and didn't deal well with broken Tarmac, yet the Sportage's steering is vague and it never feels particularly agile. The bottom line is that there are more fun family SUVs, but then, how important is that in reality?

Not very, we think, which is why, despite these minor disappointments (which could be solved on normal tyres and suspension), the Kia Sportage is still one of our favourite family SUVs. Add in the fact that it's competitively priced and comes stacked with standard equipment and the Sportage has to be on your list of test drives.

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Extended read…

2022 Kia Sportage interior and infotainment

Kia has already proven it's got what it takes with the interiors in its Sorento large SUV and EV6 electric car, so it's perhaps no surprise that the Sportage follows that trend.

Indeed, Kia is now beyond its 'most-improved' status and is standing firmly shoulder-to-shoulder with the VW Group for quality, plus the Sportage's solid switches and classy piano black and chrome trims lift the whole experience. Even the way the lid covering the cubby at the base of the dash soft closes shouts premium.

And the good news is that the majority of this quality and look is standard across the Sportage range, so you don't need to be in the range-topper to benefit.

Kia's twin 12.3-inch screen infotainment system is standard from GT-Line trim. On UK cars, the right screen is a crisp, configurable set of driver's dials, while the left is a bright, responsive infotainment screen. Its menus are easy to follow and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the range if you prefer.

On lesser models, you get an 8-inch touchscreen for the infotainment and a 4.2-inch colour screen between analogue dials for the driver. Wireless smartphone charging and an upgraded Harmon Kardon sound system (which sounds great) is reserved for the top two trims, 4 and GT-Line S.

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2022 Kia Sportage practicality and boot space

This is the important bit for a family SUV and the Kia Sportage does a very good job.

OK, so it doesn't have the option of seven seats like the Skoda Kodiaq, but for four tall adults travelling together or a family with three younger kids, the Sportage will be very accommodating.

One of the best bits about the Sportage for those with kids is the fact that its rear doors open very wide to leave a gaping hole for getting bulky child seats inside, even if there are only two rather than three Isofix points on its rear bench.

Storage inside the Sportage is also great, with generous door bins on the front and back doors and a decent glovebox. We also like that all models get USB ports for the rear passengers integrated into the front seatbacks.

And to round off a very strong showing from the Sportage, at 591 litres its boot is amongst the biggest in the family SUV class. OK, so a Skoda Kodiaq outdoes it, but once you're up to this sort of space it matters less and less. Bear in mind that PHEV models get a smaller boot, though.

Nevertheless, it's good to see that the rear seats split in a handy 40:20:40 configuration as standard and fold completely flat.

2022 Kia Sportage engine

Where to start? There's a massive choice when it comes to the Sportage's engine and gearbox.

There's a 1.6-litre petrol with 150hp or a 1.6-litre diesel, with either 115hp or 136hp. Then there's a 230hp non-plug-in hybrid or one that you do plug-in with 265hp at the top of the range.

Then, depending on which engine and trim you go for, there's either a six-speed manual, six-speed automatic or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, plus two or four-wheel drive. In an age where manufacturers are slimming down their options, this is almost too much choice.

So far we've driven the 230hp non-plug-in petrol-electric hybrid, with all-wheel drive, which is very quiet at all times. Push it hard and it'll accelerate with a surprising pace (0-62mph takes about 8.0 seconds) but take it easy and more than 40mpg is easy to achieve thanks to decent periods of electric driving at lower speeds.

We've also tried the two-wheel-drive, 150hp 1.6 petrol with a manual gearbox which needs to be worked harder and makes more noise when doing so, but still feels quick enough for all road types. Kia's manual gearbox isn't the slickest, but it does the job and is far from terrible.

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2022 Kia Sportage driving

So far we've tried an adaptive suspension we won't be getting in the UK, plus a UK car with the standard suspension.

Both felt firm most of the time and didn't deal well with broken Tarmac, yet the Sportage's steering is also vague and it never feels particularly agile. There's plenty of grip and not much body lean, but not much fun to be had either.

The bottom line is that there are more fun family SUVs, but then, how important is that in reality? Not very. The bigger issue is comfort – there are definitely more comfortable family SUVs on sale.

Our automatic car was fitted with Kia's adaptive cruise control and lane-keep system, which is standard on all models above entry-level 2, as long as you have an automatic gearbox. It's one of the better systems on sale and genuinely helps make motorway driving more relaxing as a result.

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