Facelift, fresh tech, and a choice between petrol purity or hybrid punch – I drive both versions of Kia’s 2025 Sportage to find out which one’s the real deal
Sometimes, car manufacturers end up with a ‘safe bet’ seller. Occasionally by design, but usually by chance. You may think that’s a golden egg for any car maker, but it can also be a poisoned chalice. It becomes so invaluable that the company simply can’t afford to get it wrong.
For Kia, that car is the Sportage – its best-selling SUV, the top performer across Europe, and, rather astonishingly, its global bestseller too. So when the Koreans tweak the formula, it’s a big deal.
But before you start clearing space in your driveway, let’s be clear – this isn’t an all-new model. The 2025 Kia Sportage is a facelift, a mid-life refresh of the fifth generation that’s been with us since 2022. It’s a spruce-up, not a reinvention. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t interesting – far from it.
What’s New?
You’ll notice the difference straight away. The front end now wears Kia’s latest family look, complete with stacked LED headlights and the new ‘Star Map’ daytime running lights, which echo designs seen on the EV3, EV5 and EV9.
The familiar ‘tiger nose’ grille remains – albeit more of a slightly agitated house cat these days – stretched and squared to match the broader corporate face.
Around the side, the silhouette is familiar, though the designers have given it new front wings, side cladding, and a more confident stance on 17-, 18- or 19-inch alloys. The rear bumper and tailgate have been reshaped to give the SUV a wider, more planted appearance. It’s subtle but effective – like a fresh haircut that just makes everything look sharper.
Inside Story
Slip inside and it’s clear Kia has gone upmarket. The cabin layout remains sensible and ergonomic, but it looks cleaner, more premium. The twin 12.3-inch curved displays dominate the dashboard, offering crisp graphics and Kia’s new infotainment system – complete with built-in ChatGPT voice assistant.
Yes, you read that right. You can actually talk to your Sportage now. “Hey Kia, tell me a joke” – though it’ll probably respond in corporate politeness rather than sarcasm. (Full disclosure – I didn’t try it.)
Materials are top-notch too, with Dinamica suede, bio-PU leather, a two-spoke steering wheel, and a tidier centre console. There’s plenty of storage, clever cupholders, USB-C ports in the seatbacks, and even a 15-watt wireless charger on top trims.
In the back, space is excellent – over a metre of legroom – with reclining seats, ISOFIX child seat anchor points, and some thoughtful touches like tablet hooks and dual USB ports. Boot space? 591 litres in the petrol, 587 litres in the hybrid, expanding to nearly 1,780 litres with the rear seats folded. That’s proper family-holiday-to-Wales capacity.
Engines and Specs
Two versions for now:
- 1.6-litre turbo-petrol: 147 bhp, 250 Nm, available with a six-speed manual gearbox.
- 1.6-litre turbo-hybrid (HEV): 235 bhp, 365 Nm, with a six-speed automatic.
The hybrid is brisk – 0–62mph in 7.9 seconds, 121mph top speed, and around 50.4mpg on paper. The petrol? A bit slower at 9.7 seconds, 119mph top end, and around 39.8mpg combined. Emissions span 128g/km (hybrid) and 162g/km (petrol).
Prices start from around £30,000, rising to about £45,000. All come with Kia’s 7-year/100,000-mile warranty, 12-month roadside cover, and a full suite of ADAS safety tech, including lane keeping, forward collision avoidance, and adaptive cruise control.
Top-of-the-line GT-Line S models add blind-spot cameras, 360-degree monitoring, a head-up display, and Digital Key 2.0.
On the Road
I started with the Hybrid GT-Line, which pulls away in eerie silence before the petrol engine joins in seamlessly. It’s refined, comfortable, and quick when you plant your foot – though throttle response is a touch lazy in Eco mode. Switch to Sport and it sharpens up nicely, with quicker kickdown and a bit more attitude from the drivetrain.
Handling is safe, predictable, and secure. Kia’s European-tuned suspension and ‘N3’ platform deliver excellent composure, while ride quality remains supple even on 19-inch wheels. It’s all very polished – a car that feels like it’s matured into a confident, refined machine.
Then I jumped into the Pure Petrol Manual, and… surprise! It’s a proper driver’s delight. Yes, it’s slower and a touch thirstier, but that six-speed manual gearbox transforms the experience. It’s light, smooth, and engaging, making the car feel more alive. The clutch is nicely weighted, the gearshift has just enough bite, and there’s a sense of control that no automatic can match.
Sure, it’s not snappy in a hot-hatch sense, but there’s satisfaction in rowing through the gears yourself. It even sounds a bit gruffer, a bit more old-school – that kind of mechanical honesty that’s becoming rare in 2025.
Verdict
The 2025 Kia Sportage proves Kia isn’t resting on its laurels. It didn’t need a revolution – just refinement. The facelift brings cleaner design, better tech, smarter materials, and a hybrid system that delivers performance and economy without killing the fun.
But the big surprise? The manual petrol version. It might be cheaper, slower, and less efficient, but it’s charmingly old-fashioned in the best possible way – a reminder that Kia still caters to people who actually like driving.
There’s no question the Hybrid GT-Line is the one to have if your budget allows. The only reason to go for the Pure Petrol Manual is if you want more involvement behind the wheel – and the fact you’ll save about six grand doesn’t hurt either.
Either way, you’re getting one of the most complete, best-presented, and most practical SUVs on sale in Britain today.
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