Way back in the early 1990s, Kia took the platform of the Mazda Bongo, plus a few parts from Mazda's shelves, dressed it all up with a compact SUV body, and sent it all off to Germany to be put together at Ford's plant in Karmann. The result of this brief alliance between three automakers was the first-generation Kia Sportage. Though a neat-looking ride, it didn't do so well on the sales floor, even at home.
Thus, after a two-year break in the early 2000s, the Sportage returned as a compact crossover
based on the same platform as the Hyundai Elantra and first-generation Tuscson. While fans of the original Sportage didn't take to this new version -- too big and no off-roading skills -- it did gain new fans looking for an everyday crossover.
Fast-forward to the mid-2020s, and the Sportage is the best-selling Kia model in the world, with over 5 million examples built since reaching that major milestone back in 2018. It's also Kia's longest-running nameplate, and the automaker's all-time best-seller in the United States. For 2026, business is about to pick up with a refreshed fifth-gen lineup, the first to include both hybrid and plug-in variants. Recently, I was invited to meet the HEV (hybrid) version of the 2026 Sportage in my old "Old Kentucky Home" of Louisville.
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Give 'Em What Customers Want
"Our guiding philosophy is 'Give customers everything they need, but then, give them more than they expect,'" said James Bell, National Manager of Product Communications for Kia America. "And that's exactly what we're doing with the 2026 Sportage. When we launched the fifth-generation vehicle in 2022, we came out with two new variants: plug-in hybrid and hybrid. As soon as those came online, sales started to go up [...] The electrified models are making up a larger and larger portion of the sales of [the Sportage] every single year."
According to Bell, Kia saw 15% of its sales of the fifth-generation Sportage go to the two new offerings back in 2023; for 2025, that's now up to 25%. With the automaker looking to further push electrification of the compact crossover, a new face -- based on the "Opposites United" design language used by the EV6, EV9 and K8, among other Kia models -- was figured the right move for the Sportage. Rather than a full EV drivetrain behind it, though, the 2026 Sportage Hybrid gets an upgraded turbocharged hybrid, plus two new trims to join the upgraded LX, EX and SX-Prestige models: S turbo-hybrid and X-Line turbo-hybrid.
More Power, Still Great On Gas
All of the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid models we drove around Kentuckiana (that's the Louisville metropolitan area and Southern Indiana, if you're not a local) were of the top-of-the-line SX Prestige dressed in Heritage Blue. No matter what trim you choose, though, they all come with the same powertrain: a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder plus a 47.7 kW electric motor linked to a six-speed automatic transmission, with a 1.49-kWh lithium-ion battery and a 13.7-gallon gas tank.
Together there's a combined 232 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque delivered to either the front pair of wheels (base LX trim) or all corners (S, EX, X-Line, and SX Prestige trims). The result? The second-most powerful model in the 2026 Sportage lineup, sandwiched between the Sportage Turbo Plug-In Hybrid (268 horsepower) and the non-hybrid Sportage (187 horsepower).
Whether you're rolling down the street on 17-, 18- or 19-inch wheels (the above is the 19-inch set found on the X-Line and SX-Prestige trims), your bank account won't get rolled too hard at the pump. For starters, the turbocharged hybrid system needs only regular 87 octane to keep things moving on the open road. Fuel economy depends on the trim level, with the best MPGs coming from the base LX trim of the 2026 Sportage Hybrid at an EPA-combined estimate of 42 mpg (41 city, 44 highway). The rest of the hybrid lineup lands at a combined 35 mpg (35 city, 36 highway), which pales in comparison to the LX (all-wheel drive hurts, front-wheel drive helps), but is still good against competition like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Hyundai Tucson Hybrid.
A Driver-Centric, Technological Smorgasbord
Inside there's a slew of new and updated technological goodies, beginning with the pair of 12.3-inch screens housed behind a single, driver-focused glass panel. The LX through X-Line trims feature a 12.3-inch LCD driver display with integrated 4.2-inch TFT cluster, while the SX-Prestige has a full TFT display providing the information, including available blind-spot view monitoring. The other 12.3-inch display is a touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, plus SiriusXM, HD Radio, a surround-view camera system, and support for over-the-air (OTA) updates.
As far as driving safety goes, that, too, gets an update for 2026. Standard features include Kia's Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) 1.5, adaptive cruise control, hands-on detection, and parking distance warning. Available features include FCA 2 with auto lane-change assist, remote parking assist, and a head-up display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Full LED cube headlights are standard only on the SX-Prestige trim, while the rest of the trims have a mix of LED and High MFR cube headlights to light the way down the road.
On Trend For This Fall And All Seasons To Come
Away from the tech fest, the 2026 Sportage Hybrid interior gets a few upgrades, too. The new X-Line trim and the top-tier SX-Prestige offer Saturn Black interiors, though with different textures; X-Line (as seen above) has a quilted tread pattern for all five occupants, while the SX-Prestige opts for a less aggressive, more luxury vibe. The other color options available for these two trims are Terracotta Brown (X-Line only) and Misty Gray (SX-Prestige only); all of the SX-Prestige copies available in Louisville had Misty Gray interiors.
The SX-Prestige is the only trim available with heated and ventilated front seats plus heated rear seats, while the S through X-Line trims offer only heated front seats. All trims, however, offer a new, two-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel. Dual-zone climate control and second-row air vents keep everyone comfortable; three USB-C ports and available wireless device charging ensure everyone's devices are ready for the day.
No matter where anyone sits in the 2026 Sportage Hybrid, legroom is not bad: around 41 inches front and rear. Head room for the LX through EX trims comes to around 39 inches, or nearly 38 inches for the X-Line and SX-Prestige due to the sunroof taking up some space. Speaking of that, there's plenty for cargo, too, thanks to the dual-level cargo floor and 60/40-split rear bench. With everything up and set high, there's 34.5 cu-ft of grocery-hauling room available. Set everything down and low, and that space reaches its maximum limit of 73.7 cu-ft for those big electronics purchases. It can also tow up to 2,000 pounds when properly equipped.
Heading Out On That Ol' Bourbon Trail
With everyone pairing off for each of the handful of 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrids parked near our hotel, I took the wheel to take my driving partner and myself out of Louisville and over the Ohio River into Indiana for the first stretch of an hours-long journey around Kentuckiana, with a mid-route stop at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky for lunch before heading back north into the River City. The interstate would provide the first challenge, as everything is quite hairy at all hours of the day.
Those 232 horses under the hood helped get by the chaos leading into Indiana, where a right turn on the route took us down to the two-lane roads on the other side of the river. Here, as those roads gave way to undivided and, eventually, incredibly narrow trails of asphalt, the Sportage HEV's front McPherson struts and rear multi-link suspension handled every turn quite well, including a sudden drop in elevation along those roads at one point along the way towards crossing back over the Ohio into Kentucky. Despite having a six-speed automatic, though, the turbocharged hybrid powertrain didn't seem to like when I put the hammer down, reminding me of how every continuously variable transmission (CVT) acts on the road. Maybe a dual-clutch auto like on the Hyundai Elantra N would help wake things up.
Another issue I discovered was with the touchscreen system. Specifically, a conflict with Apple CarPlay and SiriusXM. After switching from the OEM display to the CarPlay, SiriusXM stopped working. No matter how many times I turned it back on, as soon as I switched back to CarPlay, off the satellite radio went. At least the seats were comfy. All in all, not a bad experience behind the retro-ish steering wheel of this crossover.
2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid Verdict
After spending a good few hours on both sides of the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid, I can say that this compact hybrid crossover -- along with its plug-in hybrid sibling -- will more likely than not continue the trend of the electrified models doing well in Kia's showrooms. The hybrid models are part of the automaker's overall electrified portfolio, ranging from the aforementioned to the likes of the Niro EV, Carnival MPV HEV, and EV9, covering a wide range of needs among Kia's customer base.
Starting prices for the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid are as follows before the $1,445 destination charge:
- LX: $30,290
- S: $32,590
- EX: $33,590
- X-Line: $35,490
- SX-Prestige: $40,390
This places the hybrid compact crossover within spitting distance of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, the Honda CR-V Hybrid, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and the Subaru Forester Hybrid. While some of its competition offer a more rugged experience, the new Sportage Hybrid has its fans in the exurbs and suburbs looking for a handy, comfortable machine for all of their errands. Its updated looks, and new and updated array of features, should help to maintain and attract new fans along the way through the rest of the 2020s, too.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
