We’ve lost something with the switch from sedans to crossovers. The lower ride height of sedans creates a more engaging driving experience. Their lesser weight means better fuel economy. And arguably, the three-box format allows for better design. But we’ve gained something, too. Crossovers are more practical thanks to more cargo space, better sight lines over traffic, and raised ride heights that give them better ingress and egress.
A growing number of compact crossovers are hybrids, too, which gives them fuel economy that trumps the typical sedan as well. One of those is the revised 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid, a model that demonstrates the practicality of the form.
The Sportage Hybrid’s 2026 update isn’t extensive after its 2023 redesign. It sports refreshed styling, especially to its LED headlights and taillights, slightly more horsepower, additional features, and updated technology.
Full disclosure: Kia flew me to Louisville, Kentucky and fed and housed me so that I could drive the newest Kia Sportage Hybrid.
The hybrid powertrain is different than those of other compact crossovers on today’s market. Instead of a naturally aspirated four-cylinder it has a turbocharged 1.6-liter four. Rather than a continuously variable automatic transmission, it uses a six-speed automatic. The motor increases in output from 44 to 47.7 kW this year, adding five horsepower for a total output is 232 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. That’s 28 more horses than the Honda CR-V Hybrid and 13 more horses than the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
However, the Sportage Hybrid doesn’t feel quite that powerful. Power is modest for any situation, with a 0-60 mph time of a middling eight seconds or so. There’s plenty of thrust to keep up with traffic or get out ahead of it when needed, but passing requires some room and planning.
Still, I prefer the way the Sportage Hybrid delivers its power to the competition. The automatic transmission steps up the power progressively rather than in one long increase in revs that feels like gradually stretching a rubber band. Go hard on the throttle, though, especially in Sport mode, and the transmission can feel like it gets held up on gears, leading to engine droning that while less intrusive than you get with a CVT can still be annoying.
The hybrid offers stronger acceleration than the Sportage’s standard 187-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder, but the main payoff is improved fuel economy. Choose a base Sportage Hybrid LX, which comes with front-wheel drive, and fuel economy checks in at a thrifty 41 mpg city, 44 highway, and 42 combined. It’s not as efficient with all-wheel drive, though, which comes standard in all other models. AWD fuel economy falls to 35/36/35 mpg. That’s still nine mpg better than the 24/30/26 mpg of the base gas engine when paired with all-wheel drive, and buyers will offset the $1,600 charge for the hybrid powertrain in about three years, based on EPA annual fuel economy and mileage estimates for the typical owner.
Ride and handling are unoffensive, though the Sportage Hybrid isn’t nearly as controlled or even as fun as the sedans it replaces. It has 8.3 inches of ground clearance, so there’s a little body lean in corners, but Kia does a good job of reigning it in. The MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link independent rear suspension are tuned for a smooth ride without a sporty feel.
The steering is direct, fairly quick, and has decent weight, and the brakes are progressive and predictable, though not sturdy enough for extended attacks on twisty roads. Overall, the Sportage Hybrid’s dynamic character is rather pleasant but not exciting.
Inside, the Sportage Hybrid offers remarkable space for its size, and it’s competitive with the CR-V and RAV4, both of which make good use of their space. At 184.4 inches long, it’s 0.4 inch shorter than the CR-V, but 3.5 inches longer than the RAV4, which is about to come in for a redesign. The Kia’s cargo space is a healthy 36.6 cubic feet behind the second row, but a two-level cargo floor that can drop below the level of the liftover height increases that to 39.5 cubes. Fold the seats down and those numbers increase to 39.5 and 73.7 cubic feet, respectively.
By comparison, the RAV4 has 37.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 69.8 cubic feet with the second row folded, while the numbers for the CR-V are 36.3 and 71.8 cubic feet. That puts the Kia in good company.
The Sportage Hybrid also has a welcoming second row with up to 41.3 inches of legroom. That’s very spacious and it compares to 37.8 inches for the RAV4 and 41.0 inches for the CR-V.
Front-seat occupants get comfortable thrones and approachable technology. Cloth upholstery comes standard, as do manually adjustable front seats, but power adjustments for the driver’s seat are standard in the step-up S trim and synthetic leather comes in the EX trim, which is two notches up from the base LX. The S also adds heated front seats, while heated rear seats and ventilated front seats are standard in the top SX-Prestige trim. Soft-touch surfaces abound, though I wouldn’t call the Sportage’s cabin luxurious.
The Sportage Hybrid does offer good tech, though. A curved display with two connected 12.3-inch screens comes standard, and the infotainment touchscreen is arranged with easy-to-use widgets. Navigation is available, as are voice recognition, a wi-fi hotspot, and over-the-air updates.
In a market with an average transaction price over $48,000, the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid ranges from $31,735 (including a $1,445 destination charge) for a base front-wheel-drive LX model to $41,835 for an all-wheel-drive SX-Prestige model. The base price is $1,300 more than the 2025 model, but it also gets more features, including LED headlights and taillights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, and stop-and-go for the adaptive cruise control system.
The LX also comes standard with cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, the dual 12.3-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keyless access and starting, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Standard driver-assist features include with automatic emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, hands-on wheel detection, a driver-attention monitor, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams.
Moving all the way up to the SX-Prestige adds a lot more equipment. In addition to the features mentioned in the interior section, it gets such features as a heated steering wheel, wireless smartphone charging, a hands-free power liftgate, and 19-inch wheels. It also adds more driver-assist tech, including automatic emergency braking with intersection and evasive steering assist, rear automatic braking, remote automatic parking, side parking sensors, a blind-spot view monitor, a surround-view camera system, and Highway Driver Assist II that handles the controls on the freeway, even changing lanes, but requires the driver’s hands to stay on the wheel.
All of the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid models are smart buys. Their fuel economy, interior space, reasonable prices, and generous safety features make them quite practical. We may have lost something with the move away from sedans, but with the Sportage Hybrid we haven’t lost much.
[Images © 2025 Kirk Bell/TTAC.com]
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