2025 Kia Sportage Hybrid

Cards on the table, we think the Sportage Hybrid is the sweet spot of the wider Sportage lineup that includes gasoline-only and plug-in hybrid drivetrains. It has more power than the former, along with better fuel economy, yet remains relatively affordable. Being able to travel for up to 34 miles on electricity alone — as offered by the Sportage Plug-in Hybrid — is intriguing, but we’re suddenly in $40K territory.

So we like where Kia has pitched the Sportage Hybrid. It has a lot of equipment, including plenty of tech, and a decent amount of thrust to go with the overall Sportage qualities of sharp design and a roomy cabin. This model debuted for 2023, along with the fifth generation of non-hybrid Sportage, and is yet another example of the great stuff the company is producing these days.

The gasoline-only 2025 Kia Sportage and the 2025 Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid are both reviewed separately.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of hybrid SUVs, including the Kia Sportage Hybrid.

An optional Premium package is offered with the mid-level EX trim, adding a panoramic sunroof with a powered shade and hands-free tailgate operation.

We recommend the popular, mid-level EX trim. It has all-wheel drive as standard, plus extras like heated front seats and blind-spot monitoring.

Other top-selling hybrid compact SUVs include the Honda CR-V (higher trims are hybrids exclusively), Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. The Hyundai is priced similarly to its Kia counterpart, while the Honda and Toyota models begin appreciably higher.

Before buying a new Sportage Hybrid compact SUV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Resale values are about average for the class. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

With 227 horsepower, the Sportage Hybrid has a slight edge over the equivalent Honda CR-V (204 horses) and the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (219). We also like that it’s more energetic than the non-hybrid Sportage, providing a little fun without any fuel economy penalty. One thing we have noticed, though, is that the drivetrain isn’t quite as seamless as its Honda and Toyota rivals. When the engine starts up, it can feel uneven on occasion — which we noticed more when driving around town. Even so, we wouldn’t call it a deal-breaker. The smooth ride quality and the overall quietness of the cabin both go a long way to compensate.

Fuel Economy

The popular EX trim (with all-wheel drive as standard) achieves 38 mpg in combined city/highway driving. The SX Prestige comes in with an identical figure. The Honda CR-V Hybrid manages 40 mpg combined, while the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid gets up to 39 mpg combined. If this is a crucial aspect, the front-drive LX runs to 43 mpg combined.

Compared with the 28-mpg gasoline-only Sportage, the LX hybrid uses almost 15 fewer gallons a month (with both racking up 14,000 miles a year).

Although a member of the compact SUV class, the Sportage Hybrid is heading toward midsize territory. The result is a spacious cabin that either matches the ever-popular and well-regarded Honda CR-V, or outdoes it slightly. The collective opinion of our reviewers is that the Sportage Hybrid’s interior melds luxury with sportiness and technology.

Plus a fair bit of ingenuity. For example, when not being used to hold drinks, the center console’s cupholder area can transform into a storage place for larger items. Then there’s the one control that can either adjust the audio system’s volume or the cabin temperature, depending on which mode is selected. We applaud the idea and the intention of keeping things as tidy as possible, but we’d gladly accept dedicated controls for each function because we don’t want to think about those modes when we’re driving.

We have nothing but praise, though, for the swish unit that houses dual instrument cluster/infotainment displays, the generous 41.3 inches of rear legroom, and the massive 39.6 cubic feet of luggage space behind the rear seats. All these dimensions compare well against roomy rivals like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. In addition, the Sportage Hybrid’s cargo volume is extremely close to its non-hybrid stablemate, signifying the merest of compromises when bringing the hybrid battery on board.

It seems we’re in a golden age of compact SUV design. All that designed-by-committee stuff seems behind us, now that we have striking lookers like the current Kia Sportage Hybrid. In our imagination, that little euphoric buzz whenever we walk up to the Sportage Hybrid and press the fob’s Unlock button would always be there. We mentioned that the Sportage Hybrid is almost a midsize SUV. In reality, it fits between the bigger CR-V and the smaller RAV4. We’re talking an inch or two either way, though, so no big differences.

Hybrid drivetrain
It isn’t just the fuel economy and lower emissions that makes a hybrid so tempting, it’s also the extra thrust from the electric side. And Kia covers it with a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty.

Dual displays
Standard equipment in the top trim, these 12.3-inch screens (one for the driver, one for the infotainment system) are set into a single panoramic unit and contribute to the Sportage Hybrid cabin’s contemporary feel.

Drive Wise
This is the name of Kia’s set of driver aids. We’ve noticed how well things like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance work in the Sportage, as they do across the company’s portfolio.

Powered tailgate
Now available as an option in the EX while fitted as standard in the higher trim, it comes with programmable heights and can open automatically when it detects the key nearby.

Blind-Spot View Monitor
Coming in at the top SX Prestige level, this adds real-time video down either side of the Sportage Hybrid (depending on which direction the turn signal is going), giving drivers a greater awareness of traffic when chasing lanes or turning.

Harman Kardon audio
Also standard in the SX Prestige, we’re always happy to see — and hear — a Harman Kardon system. They’re often found in BMW vehicles, so that’s how posh Kia can be.

The Sportage Hybrid links a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with two electric motors to create a respectable total output of 227 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. This goes through a 6-speed automatic transmission to either the front wheels, or an all-wheel-drive system that’s optional in the base LX and standard in the two higher trims.

5-Year/60,000-Mile Warranty

Kia offers unbeatable warranties. New-car coverage is five years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first (a typical warranty here is three years or 36,000 miles). The powertrain warranty lasts 10 years or 100,000 miles, much better than most competitors. The hybrid battery is also covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Safety Ratings

This generation of Sportage (regardless of drivetrain) has been made a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the institute’s second-highest accolade. Standard safety features include forward collision warning with pedestrian/cyclist detection and lane-keeping assistance.