What is new in the 2026 Kia Sportage hybrid SUV
Kia’s popular hybrid model gets updated lights and screens as fuel economy takes a slight hit.
- Prices for the 2026 Kia Sportage compact SUV start at $30,290.
- Kia sold 161,917 Sportages in the U.S. in 2024. It’s Kia’s longest running nameplate here: 30 years of uninterrupted sales.
Kia updated the looks and interior of the 2026 Sportage compact SUV, but the popular hybrid model’s fuel economy decreased slightly, a disappointment for a popular vehicle in a hot-selling part of the market.
The Sportage competes with some of the best, and bestselling vehicles sold in the United States: Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Jeep Compass, Mazda CX-50 and Nissan Rogue.
Kia sold 161,917 Sportages in the United States in 2024. It’s Kia’s longest running nameplate here: 30 years of uninterrupted sales.
How big is it? How much power does it have?
The Sportage seats five. It’s available with front- or all-wheel drive, a gasoline engine, hybrid power or as a plug-in hybrid.
Kia builds internal combustion Sportages in West Point, Georgia. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models come from Gwangju, Korea.
The hybrid is available with front- or AWD. It produces 232 horsepower — seven more than the ’25 — and 271 pound-feet of torque. Hybrids have a six-speed automatic transmission.
Gasoline versions will develop 187 hp and have an eight-speed automatic.
Kia only made the hybrid available to test. Hybrid and internal combustion Sportages are on sale now. The plug-in hybrid should arrive later in 2025.
I drove a loaded SX-Prestige AWD from downtown Louisville through rolling riverside roads, small towns, major state roads and heavy traffic on Interstate 65.
2026 Kia Sportage hybrid trim levels and prices
- LX: $30,290
- S: $32,590
- EX: $33,590
- X-Line: $35,490
- SX-Prestige: $40,390
Source: Edmunds
Prices exclude $1,445 destination charge.
Things I love
The 2026 Sportage hybrid has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, popular features that were only available on some Sportage trim levels before now.
A big, clear 12.3-inch touch screen is also standard. Â A 10-inch color head- up display that displays driver-assistance and navigation information is available. Plentiful rear leg room. The backs of the front seats have handy hooks for purses, jackets, etc.
The exterior design features stacked headlights and distinctive daytime running lights in what Kia calls its “star map” design.
Key features: 2026 Kia Sportage hybrid
- Color head-up display
- 12.3-inch touch screen
- 10-inch color head-up display
- Snow, mud and sand drive modes on AWD models
- Locking center differential on AWD models
- Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto
- Wireless charging
- Dual rear USB-C charging ports
Two things that should be better
The 2026 Sportage hybrid’s fuel economy decreased slightly compared with last year. The most fuel-efficient model now gets 42 mpg in combined city/highway driving, top trims weighed down by added features register 35.
That shortcoming is likely to be magnified when the top-selling compact SUV — the Toyota RAV4 — goes on sale later this year with an all-new hybrid.
Kia retained clunky flat-panel HVAC/audio controls that require you to push a small icon of a fan or a triangle to switch an adjoining set of flat touch points from climate to audio functions and vice versa.
Why a triangle? Your guess is as good as mine. The same goes for why Kia didn’t replace the finicky and annoying setup with physical buttons, as its corporate sibling Hyundai did on the Ioniq 5 compact SUV earlier this year.
Driving impressions
The Sportage hybrid accelerates well from a standstill. Highway passing requires some advance planning. The SUV’s passenger compartment is roomy, comfortable and very quiet, even over rough roads.
The ride was a bit jarring over broken pavement in downtown Louisville, but the Sportage handled well on a long, scenic drive along the Ohio River through the hills of southern Indiana. Winding back through small towns along the Kentucky side, then down I-65 to Bardstown, on the Bourbon Trail, the Sportage was quiet, competent and enjoyable.
The Harman/Kardon premium sound system sounded terrific playing everything from the Great American Songbook to the Highwomen.
Why buy a 2026 Kia Sportage hybrid?
The Sportage hybrid is the lowest priced hybrid compact SUV. While its fuel economy declined, it’s still far better than you’ll get with any non-hybrid.
The 2026’s new lights freshen its exterior appearance, while updates like the crisp HUD and 12.3-inch touch screen add to the appeal of an attractive and accommodating cabin. Cargo space is good.
Kia vehicles are among the most distinctive and attractive of any mass-market brand.
2026 Kia Sportage hybrid at a glance
Front- or all-wheel drive compact hybrid SUV
Seats five
Base price: $30,290 All prices exclude $1,445 destination charge
On sale now
Model tested: Sportage hybrid SX-Prestige AWD
Price as tested: $40,590
Power: 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric motor
Output: 232 hp; 271 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Manufacturer fuel economy: 35 mpg city/36 highway/35 combined.
Wheelbase: 108.5 inches
Length: 184.4 inches
Width: 73.4 inches
Height: 66.3 inches (including roof rails)
Ground clearance: 8.3 inches
Passenger volume: 94.4 cubic feet
Cargo volume: 39.5 cubic feet behind rear sea; 65.4 behind front seats
Curb weight: 3,994 pounds
Towing capacity: 2,000 pounds
Assembled in Gwangju, South Korea
Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
