SUV Review: 2026 Kia Sportage | Reviews

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The Sportage has been an important part of the Kia Canada lineup since it was launched in 1999, along with the Sephia compact sedan, which has morphed into the current K4 over the years. Now, in its fifth generation, the Sportage remains a key offering for the brand, especially in the wildly competitive compact crossover world. The 2026 model sees a mid-cycle refresh with a host of cosmetic and tech updates.

My tester was the gasoline-trim Sportage in its highest X-Line Limited form, complete with ventilated seats to combat this mid-July Southern Ontario heatwave; and a panoramic sunroof sunshade that was closed for almost the entire week to maximize the ice-cold air conditioning.

Has the refreshed Sportage turned up the heat on the competition? Or is it cooling off in the shade?

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What’s new with the Kia Sportage for 2026?

Let’s start with the exterior, which proves boomerangs don’t always come back. For 2026, gone is the boomerang-style lighting signature and replacing it is Kia’s “Star Map” design. It’s on the Carnival, Sorento, and K4 already, so integrating it here is a logical choice for consistency. There’s also a new taillight design, but it looks similar to the 2025 version. Finishing off the exterior updates are new front and rear bumpers, along with new wheel designs.

Inside, there’s a snazzy two-spoke steering wheel with the Kia logo offset to the right; an available 10-inch head-up display on the top trim; a standard smart key with push-button start; and, smartly, over-the-air updates are now available. Kia also integrated a new set of dual 12.3-inch screens (instrument cluster and infotainment) and while they appear similar to most, the tell is the removal of the jagged little edge on the bottom right of the infotainment screen and redesigned dash panel it sits on.

Kia’s smartly engineered dual-purpose panel, balancing climate control functions and a shortcut menu/volume dial, stays the same. Yes, the downfall is still a lack of physical buttons for the climate controls, but setting the climate to Auto solves part of that. It’s an efficient use of space and adds to the upscale look and feel of the cabin, which is one of the more premium offerings in its class.

Standard features in the 2026 Kia Sportage

In keeping with modern times, standard features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and 17-inch wheels.

Standard safety includes forward collision-avoidance assist, lane-follow assist, lane-keep assist, rear-occupant alert, and smart cruise control with stop-and-go capabilities. Surprisingly, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors are not standard.

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What powers the 2026 Kia Sportage?

No changes under the hood from the 2025 to 2026 model year. The Sportage still uses a 2.5L four-cylinder engine, producing 187 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed transmission. While the base LX trim uses front-wheel-drive, the other five trims run with all-wheel-drive. The Sportage is one of the few gasoline compact crossovers without a turbocharged engine; however, it’s also one of the few compact crossovers to offer the trio of gasoline, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrains. More on that in a bit.

With this engine and when properly equipped, towing capacity reaches 2,500 pounds.

How does the 2026 Kia Sportage drive?

The aforementioned power figures aren’t best in class, but that’s quite alright. Look to the hybrid or plug-in hybrid if you need a significant power bump. Here, the overall drive feel is adequate, and fits nicely in the middle of the proverbial road. It’s not quick or brisk, but it will safely bring you up to highway speeds, complete with a serving of extra engine noise in the process as the revs do their best Axl Rose impression before settling down to a steady, average-volume hum.

The Sportage is one of the few gasoline compact crossovers without a turbocharged engine; however, it’s also one of the few compact crossovers to offer the trio of gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains

In the city, there’s a noticeable sluggishness as the Sportage is brought up to speed from a stop as it rises through the first few gears. But then again, how fast do you really need to accelerate to the next stop light? The steering has a noticeably light feel to it, and for those who want something slightly firmer, use the steering-wheel drive mode controls to activate Sport mode.

What is the fuel economy of the 2026 Kia Sportage?

The 2026 all-wheel-drive model is rated at 9.9 L/100 km in the city, 7.8 on the highway, and 8.9 combined. The 2026 Sportage uses a 54-litre fuel tank of regular 87-octane fuel, giving you a potential overall range of a touch over 600 km per full tank, with results varying based on how heavy your right foot is or isn’t.

How much is the 2026 Kia Sportage in Canada?

The lowest starting price for a 2026 Kia Sportage is $31,995 for an LX with front-wheel-drive. The most affordable all-wheel-drive trim, the LX AWD, is $33,995. My tester, the top-trim X-Line Limited, rings in at $45,245, which aligns with most of the competition. There are six gasoline trims in total, giving consumers plenty of choice for the gasoline Sportage.

What competes with the 2026 Kia Sportage?

There’s plenty of competition in this segment, including the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, and more. The biggest competitor to the gasoline Sportage comes from its own hybrid version, however, and I’ll use some math to explain. The top-trim hybrid Sportage SX ($47,745) is only $2,500 more than the top X-Line Limited gasoline trim.

Based on 2025’s fuel figures from NRCan, the average fuel consumption in the hybrid is $992 less than the gasoline version, meaning that in approximately two-and-a-half years, you’ll have made up the price difference in fuel savings ($2,500 divided by $992 equals 2.52 years). Plus, the hybrid sees much more power through a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, whipping up 241 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed automatic with standard all-wheel-drive. The downfall is the towing capacity of the hybrid is 2,000 pounds, 500 less than the gasoline version. That said, not everyone will want or need the extra power, and if you’re on a strict budget, perhaps the gasoline trim will check all your boxes.

Pros and cons of the 2026 Kia Sportage

Pros

✔ Upscale cabin look and feel
✔ Six trim options
✔ Plenty of modern technology

Cons

✘ Sluggish urban drive feel
✘ Hybrid trim offers more power and better fuel efficiency for only $2,500 more
✘ Standard safety list could be longer

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