Kia Sportage (2026) Review

Kia's best seller got its mid-cycle refresh for 2026: a squarer nose with new lighting, reworked bumpers, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen on every trim, paired with a matching 12.3-inch digital gauge display on the upper trims. Adaptive cruise control and front and rear parking sensors are now standard too, which is a lot of equipment for a compact SUV that starts under $29,000, and the back seat and cargo hold are among the largest in the class.

The engine is where testers part ways with it. The base 2.5-liter four makes 187 hp, needs well over nine seconds to reach 60 mph and returns 28 mpg combined with front-wheel drive, 26 with all-wheel drive, well behind the hybrids that now lead the segment. The answer is Kia's own hybrid: a 1.6-liter turbo four with an electric motor, now 232 hp, quicker, quieter and smoother, rated at 42 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 35 with all-wheel drive. A plug-in hybrid with 33 miles of electric range sits above it.

Owner-survey data points to better than average reliability, and the 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty covers the unknowns. Resale is weaker, with about half the value gone in five years, and the touch panel that switches between climate and audio duties annoys more than it helps. As a hybrid the Sportage is one of the better small SUVs on sale; the slow, thirsty base engine is what holds the overall back.