Great Looks Plus Performance and Efficiency
With a starting price at $31,735, Kia is telling shoppers to take a long hard look at the 2026 Sportage Hybrid. Including the destination fees, the 2026 Sportage Hybrid is priced lower than rivals like the Honda CR-V Hybrid ($37,080 FWD), Subaru Forester Hybrid ($36,415 AWD) and Mazda CX-50 Hybrid ($36,245 AWD.)
The Sportage is the best-selling Kia and its longest-running model. When it was redesigned in 2023, as the fifth generation, they had one goal—to make it better.
The 2026 Sportage has gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid propulsion options, but here we are concentrating on the hybrid (HEV). It comes with the base front-wheel drive (FWD) and optional all-wheel drive (AWD), powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 232 horsepower (hp) and 271 pound-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque. The EPA rates the Hybrid AWD’s fuel economy at 35 mpg city and combined and 36 mpg on the highway. Note: The EPA highway number climbs to 44 mpg with FWD Sportage HEV.
In 361 miles driving through Southern California we averaged 38.4 mpg, a few times surpassing the magic 40 mpg. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific and represent the reviewer’s driving experience using the dash gauge computer. Your numbers may differ.
Sportage Hybrid: On-Road Driving Enjoyment
It is no surprise the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid was a fine experience on the road, as all Kia hybrids Clean Fleet Report has tested have been praise-worthy. In the case of the Sportage Hybrid, that performance was easily noticeable as it delivered smooth, seamless power.
The handling was positive and direct with the center of gravity dropped as the batteries are tucked low under the seats. We were perfectly satisfied with its handling and cornering abilities knowing Kia did not design nor are marketing the Sportage Hybrid as a sports compact crossover.
Cornering is only as good as the brakes, and the regenerative system on the Sportage Hybrid was near perfect. Regenerative braking uses the electric motor to convert kinetic energy into electric energy when applying the brakes or coasting and stores it in the battery.
The Sportage Hybrid has a welcome feature that would be nice to see on all hybrid vehicles—paddles to set the regeneration level. Mounted on the backside of the steering wheel, the paddles give the option of three regen levels. This is not a one-pedal driving system, but setting the regen paddle to highest level, the Sportage Hybrid will come almost to a complete stop. At that point, tap the brake pedal and the Auto Hold feature will keep the car stationary until resuming acceleration.
Hybrid Smooth Operator
The 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine is paired with a 44 kWh electric motor that is powered by a 1.49 kWh lithium-ion battery. There are driver-selectable drive modes—Eco, My Drive and Sport. There also Terrain Modes—Snow, Sand and Mud—on the AWD models. Eco is the default setting for the best fuel economy in the hybrid system with Sport mode producing a quicker transmission response and the most spirited driving, which is good for 0-60 mph times around 7.65 seconds.
Kia’s hybrid system’s efficiency is fun to play with when driving. We were able to travel up to 60 mph with the tachometer pegged at zero, meaning the gasoline part of the hybrid system was not running, and we were cruising on full electricity. When on the highway, a light comes on the digital dash gauge when sliding seamlessly into electric mode, which becomes both a challenge and game to see how efficiently and smoothly you can drive.
The 6-speed automatic transmission is invisible with its shifts making us think we were driving a CVT. We took advantage of this quiet drive, opening the panoramic sunroof and enjoy near silent cruising. There are many reasons owning a car with some sort of electrification, not hearing an engine running is one of them.
Revised Design
The Kia Sportage, completely redesigned in 2023, benefits from upgrades to the 2026 model.
The five trims—LX, S, EX, X-Line, and SX-Prestige—all retain the brand’s signature Tiger Nose grille with boomerang daytime running lights as a key design feature. New for 2026 are the front and rear bumpers, stacked LED headlight with optional cube-style projection, LED fog lights, amber LED “Star Map” daytime running lights and LED “Star Map” taillights that run across the power lift gate. Look for power and heated exterior mirrors, roof rails, a rear spoiler and 19-inch alloy wheels. Particularly nice was the rear window wiper being tucked under the spoiler, making for a clean and upscale look.
Exterior color options at no additional cost are Fusion Black, Gravity Gray and Heritage Blue. The latter was our test model color. Wolf Gray and Snow White Pearl are at a $495 premium and Shadow Matte Gray is $595 extra.
Welcoming Interior
The Sportage has class-leading rear-seat leg room and rear cargo space. Climbing inside, using the handy A-pillar-mounted grab handles, the Sportage Hybrid SX-Prestige AWD the cabin is clean, well thought-out, modern and has an airy feel. The tasteful combination of hard and soft plastic materials, piano black surfaces and brushed aluminum trim nicely complemented the Misty Gray seats covered in SynTex, a synthetic leather material that is soft to the touch and resists spills and is easy to clean. Other interior color options include Saturn Black and Terracotta Brown.
The low-profile, no-nonsense dash houses a 24.6-inch sleekly curved thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display. Without a break, this includes the 12.3-inch instrument cluster and the 12.3-inch color touchscreen with navigation, the rear view camera and a surround view monitor. Kia Connect allows users to make hands-free calls on their smartphone, stream music and perform vehicle diagnostics with the use of voice commands. It also provides access to vehicle systems, including remote start.
The great-sounding 8-speaker, 315-watt Harman Kardon audio system, with a subwoofer, plays AM/FM/Sirius/XM, and includes wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel has controls for audio, smartphone integration with Bluetooth and the adaptiv cruise control. Wireless phone charging and having both standard USB and USB-C ports are convenient touches.
Kia has a clever design to go between the dual-zone climate controls and infotainment controls. On the narrow horizontal screen below the main touch screen, when pressing the capacitive touch points for the temperature and fan, the radio controls appear, which include volume and channel knobs. This space saver had a short learning curve, quickly showing its benefits.
All Sportage Hybrid trims, except the LX that has manual adjustments, have heated and ventilated front seats with the driver getting 10-way power adjustments, memory and lumbar, while the passenger gets 8-way power adjustments. The padded center console has deep storage.
The 8.3 inches of ground clearance provided a clear outlook on the road. Even with the power panoramic sunroof there is ample rear seat headroom for two six-footers. The rear passengers get a center armrest with cup holders, HVAC vents and USB-C charge ports. If there are no passengers out back, drop the 60/40 split heated rear seat and the storage area not only increases, but is ready to load cargo through the large hatch opening.
The exceptional rear seat legroom, reclining rear seat backs and the handy hooks on the backside of the front seats made for a second-row riding experience just a bit more premium.
Safety and Warranties
The Kia Sportage comes standard with dual front, dual seat-mounted side, driver’s knee and full-length side curtain airbags, vehicle stability management, traction control, hill start assist, tire pressure monitoring system and an engine immobilizer. The 10-inch heads-up display (HUD) was configurable with essential data such as speed, navigation directions and other information.
The extensive list of advanced driver safety assistance systems (ADAS) include a 360-degree surround view camera, blind spot monitor and avoidance, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, rear cross traffic alert and automatic braking, and the Safe Exit warning alert.
The 2026 Sportage Hybrid comes with these warranties:
Powertrain – 10 years/100,000 miles
Hybrid Battery – 10 years/100,000 miles
Basic – Five years/60,000 miles
Roadside Assistance – Five years/60,000 miles
Anti-perforation – Five years/100,000 miles
Pricing
The 2026 Sportage Hybrid comes with these base prices, including the $1,445 destination charge.
LX FWD $31,735
S AWD $34,035
EX AWD $35,035
X-Line AWD $36,935
SX-Prestige AWD $41,835
Observations: 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid
The 2026 Sportage Hybrid is for you if looking for a compact crossover that gets impressive fuel economy, offers cargo versatility, has a solid ride, comfortable seats, a long list of standard safety equipment, a great warranty, comes in front and all-wheel drive and is competitively priced against its hybrid competitors.
This was one I didn’t want to give back after one week. The ride, tight handling, spacious interior and refreshed exterior design added up to a very practical compact SUV equipped better than many considered premium offerings.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Kia.
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