2022 Kia Sportage

The Kia Sportage is now in its fourth generation, and it is showing no sign of slowing down its crusade against mall parking lots and school pickup zones. With the new year comes minimal changes, except that last year's Nightfall package becomes a permanent trim this year, called the Nightfall Edition - but that doesn't mean that the Sportage is falling behind in the race for best compact crossover SUV. In fact, there are still a ton of things to like about this plucky Korean, including what we consider to be one of the best exterior designs in the business, a comfortable and well-built interior, and most importantly, a wide range of active driver safety assistance systems. Powering the 2022 model is one of two engines, either a 181-horsepower 2.4-liter motor or a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine producing 240 hp, making the whole package hard to fault. In the US, the Sportage goes up against vehicles such as the Toyota RAV4 and its corporate cousin, the Hyundai Tucson.

Kia has been designing some pretty good-looking cars in recent years - just take a look at the Stinger. The 2022 Kia Sportage looks the same as the previous year model, but that's not a bad thing. We love its sharp front nose, and the side profile is a clean sweep that ends off in a neatly packaged rear end, wrapping up the whole package in a concise way. However, the look of the Sportage does vary quite significantly depending on the trim level. The base model features 17-inch alloy wheels, projector headlights with LED daytime running lights, and a tinted windshield and rear spoiler. The Nightfall Edition trim adds dark gray 18-inch wheels and black-out treatment for exterior styling elements such as the grille, roof rails, sill moldings, skid plates, and bumper garnish, as well as power-folding exterior mirrors incorporating the turn signals and a panoramic sunroof with power sunshade. The EX brings 18-inch machine-finished wheels to the table and gloss black trim with chrome garnish for the foglight surrounds, as well as getting a panoramic sunroof as well as standard from this year. The SX Turbo gets larger 19-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights, and dual-exit exhausts in chrome.

The 2022 Kia Sportage is classified as a compact crossover SUV and measures in with a total length of 176.4 inches on a 105.1-inch wheelbase. The width is 73 inches. Height without the roof rails is 64.4 inches for front-wheel-drive models and 64.8 inches for AWD iterations while roof rails add 0.4 inches to the total. Ground clearance for the FWD models is 6.4, and AWD cars get a handy 6.8 inches of clearance. That's enough to clear most suburban obstacles. Not that it's meant to be taken off-road, but AWD models plate up the best approach and departure angles at 28 and 24.6 degrees, respectively. The lightest Sportage models are the lower three trims in FWD guise, which come in at a curb weight of 3,305 lbs each. The AWD version weighs 3,448 lbs for the lower three trims, while the most substantial variation is the Turbo, which weighs in at a minimum of 3,765 pounds.

The 2022 Kia Sportage is a good looking car from any angle, and it is one of the reasons we like it, so it would make sense to offer the vehicle with a range of tasty exterior paint colors, right? Well, Kia has done a pretty good job of supplying the Sportage with colors that will highlight its bold exterior styling. All trims are offered with the same six color options, all bringing their shine to the Sportage. These are Sparkling Silver, Steel Gray, Pacific Blue, Snow White Pearl, Black Cherry, and Hyper Red, the latter three costing $395 extra. Last year's Clear White and Burnished Copper are no longer available.

The Kia Sportage won't be featuring on top ten lists for performance cars, and that's completely fine. This car was designed to carry a small family in comfort, and not to carve up canyon roads with BMW M4s and the like. So, what type of performance can you expect from the 2022 Kia Sportage? Well, in the base form, you can expect a humble driving experience. The naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine is happy to buzz around town. Thanks to its large capacity (for a four-pot), there's enough low down torque for spirited pull-offs, but after that, performance wanes dramatically. In-gear acceleration is reduced and forces the engine to strain itself in the rev range's upper echelons. It will happily sit at cruising speeds out on the highway, but don't expect massive overtaking power. The Turbo model, on the other hand, is a feisty little number. With lots of low-down torque on tap, the Turbo doesn't feel as rushed as base engined cars. In-gear acceleration is strong, and overtaking power is there. Independent tests claim a 0 to 60 sprint time of 7.1 seconds. We would suggest going with the turbo engine despite its heavier fuel consumption. The Sportage can tow a maximum of 2,000 lbs and its automatic transmission sends its power to either the front, or all four corners.

The 2022 Kia Sportage is available with two engine options. The first is a naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder producing 181 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque equipped as standard to all but the SX Turbo. Performance from this engine can be described as adequate. Due to its large capacity, there is some low-down torque on offer, but it's not a lot, and this is most obvious when trying to accelerate between gears. The six-speed automatic gearbox equipped as standard will hunt for a lower gear and send the revs shooting up to appease the driver's demand for more speed. It performs well around town, but out on the open road, it isn't that great. On the SX Turbo, a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine produces a healthy 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, dropping down to 237 hp on AWD models, with peak torque available between 1,450 rpm and 3,500 rpm. This engine loves to shove torque down your throat and feels almost too fast for the task. We're not complaining, however. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that offers clean and relaxed shifts but can get a bit busy when paired with the less powerful engine.

The last thing you want from a crossover like this is a harsh and bumpy ride, and, like any modern, urban-centric car, the Kia Sportage manages to cradle the driver and passengers in competent comfort. Driving around town at lower speeds reveals a compliant chassis and suspension damping that treads a fine line between being stiff and being supportive. Out on the highway, the ride is smooth and comfortable: perfect for long road trips. SX Turbo models are fitted with a more sports-oriented suspension setup, and that translates into a slightly stiffer ride than the rest of the range, but this characteristic pays off when pushing the Sportage through the corners at top speeds. In base form, the Sportage feels composed during hard cornering, but there are definite signs of body roll and understeer, but we expect this type of behavior from a vehicle in this class. The SX derivative shows more composure, but we don't know if the tradeoff is genuinely warranted; after all, this is no sports car.

Good gas mileage is the name of the game if you want your car to be a sales success. Manufacturers know this, but it seems to fall on deaf ears sometimes. That's the case with the Kia Sportage. For a product that gets so many things right, its lousy fuel economy figures come as a significant disappointment; so how much gas does it actually use? According to the EPA, the 2.4-liter in FWD guise is the lightest of the bunch, but still only manages fuel consumption figures of 23/30/26 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles. Switch to AWD configuration and those numbers drop to 22/26/23 mpg. Things get worse when you drive the turbo model: in FWD guise, it will use 20/28/23 mpg, and a weak 19/24/21 mpg in AWD guise. So, if fuel consumption is a major sticking point for you, we suggest looking at the Nissan Rogue, which at its most efficient will consume 33 mpg combined, while even a turbocharged AWD Mazda CX-5 will manage 25 mpg. With a 16.4-gallon fuel tank onboard, you can expect to see a range of between 344 miles and 426 miles.

The Sportage scores well when it comes to the interior design and overall quality of the cabin. Kia has done more by doing less: there's no gimmicky plastic adornments or hard plastic surfaces. Instead, you get a logical interior that feels continental and offers plenty of soft-touch materials. The driver will find that all major controls are easily accessible. Once seated, the driver enjoys a commanding view of the road; however, we did notice that the raised center cowl of the dashboard can impede forward visibility, especially for shorter drivers. For an entry-level compact SUV, the Sportage impresses with a vast number of standard interior features, and the SX starts to creep into premium territory.

The Sportage is a five-seater crossover SUV, which means you get a relatively decent amount of space for the driver and passengers. Both the driver and front passenger get comfortable seats that are perfect for relaxed cruising but could offer a tad more side bolstering. LX gets a six-way manually adjustable driver's seat, while the Nightfall Edition, EX, and SX Turbo get 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat with two-way lumbar support. The three lower trims all get a four-way manually adjustable passenger seat, with only the SX Turbo gaining eight-way electrical adjustment for this pew. The headroom in the front is a generous 39.3 inches without the sunroof fitted, dropping to 39.1 inches in the rear (37.6/37.9 with the sunroof). Legroom is a solid 41.5 inches in the front, perfect for six-footers, and those in the back get 38.2 inches to play with. From these dimensions, it is clear to see that the Sportage favors passenger comfort over cargo capacity.

The interior of the Sportage feels remarkably upscale and refined for its price bracket, and we're impressed with the lack of hard plastics and the use of soft surfaces. The base model features woven cloth seats in black or gray, a smooth PVC shift knob, a soft-touch dashboard, armrests, and door trim, and metal surround for the dashboard. Nightfall Edition and EX models get SynTex leatherette seat trim in black and gray, as well as a leather steering wheel. Leather-upholstered seats are reserved for the SX Turbo. EX and SX Turbo get a leather-trimmed gearshift knob too. All versions have dashboard stitching, while EX and SX Turbo derivatives get Gloss Black interior fascia inlays. Leather seats are optionally offered in beige, black and gray on the EX as part of the $3,560 EX Technology package and are standard on the SX Turbo.

As with most SUVs, the Kia Sportage is all about interior space and making its occupants as comfortable as possible. However, this comes at a cost: the Sportage loses out in the trunk and cargo area, with some offerings from the competition providing more space. The Sportage offers 30.7 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, which is easily accessible despite the crossover's higher ride height. This space, in comparison to that of the Honda CR-V's 39.2 cubic feet, is clearly less impressive. The space is still enough for a decent run to the grocery store, or a weekend away for a small family. If you need more space, the Sportage's 60/40 split-folding rear seats fold down to offer an impressive 60.1 cubic feet, and the good news is that the back seats create a flat surface when folded.

Small items can be stored in the center armrest console, front glovebox, passenger seatback map pockets, rear center armrest console, front cupholders, as well as two cupholders in the rear center armrest. There's an additional overhead sunglasses console up front and small storage compartments in each door.

For such a budget-friendly crossover, the Sportage comes with some useful standard features. The base model LX features a backup camera, single-zone manual air conditioning, a six-way manually adjustable driver's seat, cruise control, and remote keyless entry. Under the Kia DriveWise banner, driver assistance features such as forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, driver attention warning, a lane keep assist system with active steering, and a lane departure warning system are also included. Moving up to the Nightfall Edition adds LED interior lighting, illuminated vanity mirrors, a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat with two-way power lumbar support, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, a panoramic roof, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning. The EX model adds comfort features such as heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, and a power tailgate. If you're looking for the most refined experience, go with the SX Turbo: you get an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink, an eight-way power front passenger seat, ventilated front seats, leather upholstery, as well as smart cruise control, and front and rear parking sensors.

Kia offers one of the better infotainment systems in its class. The standard eight-inch display is mounted nice and high and is intuitive enough for even the most technologically deprived to understand. The images it displays are crisp, too. Standard features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, Bluetooth streaming, aux and USB connectivity, voice recognition, a USB port, and a six-speaker audio system. The Nightfall Edition is available with an upgraded package that includes SiriusXM radio and UVO telematics. EX derivatives are offered with an additional rear-seat USB charging port, while navigation is optional. SX Turbo models also come standard with navigation, wireless device charging, and a Harman Kardon 320-watt sound system, which features eight speakers with an integrated subwoofer.

The Sportage is a reliable little number, and the USA's 2022 model has not been recalled as of yet. Owners of fourth-generation cars (2017-present) have not filed any major complaints, and only one recall has been issued last year - to address an issue that could potentially cause an engine-compartment fire. One of the Sportage's big drawcards is its excellent warranty: Kia will cover it with a five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, a five-year/100,000-mile corrosion warranty, as well as a ten-year/100,000-mile drivetrain warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance plan.

The 2022 Kia Sportage has been put through its paces by the NHTSA, returning excellent results. From its crash-test reviews, the NHTSA gave it a full five out of five stars overall on its rating scale, and the IIHS awarded it with a 2021 Top Safety Pick award, which automatically places it near the top of its class in terms of overall safety. The IIHS has evaluated the 2022 model and so far, it has achieved a "Good" score in all six crashworthiness criteria.

Rounding off the Kia Sportage's safety ratings is a comprehensive consignment of both traditional and modern safety assistance systems; the result is that this is one of the safest vehicles in the class and should keep its occupants alive and well in case of a severe crash. There's a complement of six airbags, including dual front and side airbags, as well as ABS, rollover sensors, and electronic stability control. Standard driver assistance features include forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, driver attention warning, lane keep assist, and automatic headlights. From the Nightfall Edition and up, you get more advanced features such as blind-spot assistance and rear cross-traffic warning, both optional right from the base level. The SX Turbo gets standard adaptive cruise control with stop and go.

The Kia Sportage offers something for everyone, whether it be good looks, practicality, or comfort. What it does particularly well is to provide a balanced approach to the suburban SUV class of vehicles; its exterior looks are arguably the most attractive in its group, it has a well-built and comfortable interior, and it is offered with both front or all-wheel drive. The engine choices on offer are two sides to a coin, with the one being slightly sluggish, while the other might just be too powerful for the application. The downside to both is a disappointing fuel consumption figure. The Sportage partially makes up for that with a decent amount of passenger space and excellent safety and reliability ratings, thanks to the inclusion of a plethora of advanced driver assistance systems. Now in its fourth generation, the Sportage has proven itself to be a reliable daily commuter, and we would happily recommend one.

The price of the 2022 Kia Sportage spans over a broad spectrum when you consider that each trim level can be selected in FWD or AWD configuration. Starting with the cheapest base model, the LX can be yours for $24,090 MSRP, that's excluding tax, registration, and a destination fee of $1,175. The Nightfall Edition trim will set you back $28,090, the FWD EX has a price of $28,390, and the top of the range Kia Sportage SX Turbo costs $33,750. Adding AWD to any of these models adds a further $1,500 to all trims, except the Nightfall Edition, which asks $1,700 for the privilege because it adds heated front seats as well.

The 2022 Kia Sportage lineup comprises four trims: LX, Nightfall Edition, EX, and SX Turbo. The lower three are all powered by a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated inline-four engine with 181 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque and the SX Turbo gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four with 240 hp in the FWD model and 237 hp in the AWD model; both have 260 lb-ft of torque. All trims use a six-speed automatic transmission and give you a choice of either FWD or AWD.

The LX trim comes as standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, projector-beam headlights, LED DRLs, and a rear spoiler. Inside, standard features include cloth upholstery, single-zone manual air-conditioning, remote keyless entry, cruise control, and a tilting/telescoping steering wheel. The infotainment system's screen measures eight inches and it comes with Bluetooth, voice recognition, an MP3 player, a USB port, an AUX input, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a six-speaker audio system. Standard safety features include six airbags, automatic headlights, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist, and driver-attention warning.

The Nightfall Edition features black-out treatment for all the exterior styling features such as the roof rails, grille, badging, bumper garnish, window surrounds, skid plates, and 18-inch alloy wheels. Other exterior features over and above the LX are heated mirrors with integrated LED turn signals, front fog lights, and a panoramic sunroof. Added interior features include LED interior lighting, illuminated vanity mirrors, SynTex leatherette upholstery, a ten-way electrically adjustable driver's seat, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. The safety suite gains rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring.

The EX runs on 18-inch machine-finished alloy wheels and also gets chrome exterior accents, and a power liftgate. Inside, it gains dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, and push-button start. The infotainment system gets an additional USB port in the second row and navigation becomes optionally available.

The flagship SX Turbo's main claim to fame is its 240-hp turbocharged engine but it's further distinguished on the outside by its 19-inch machine-finished alloy wheels, metal-finish skid plates, LEDs for its headlights, fog lights, and tail lights, and chrome dual exhaust tips. Inside, it gets chrome door handles, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror with HomeLink and a compass, leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, an eight-way electrically adjustable front passenger seat, and a heated steering wheel. Navigation, a wireless phone charger, and an eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system are fitted and it's the only trim to get front and rear parking sensors and adaptive cruise control with stop and go.

All Kia Sportage models are offered with several handy optional packages, starting with the new LX Value Edition Package, which is only available on the base model with either FWD or AWD. For $2,100, this package adds 18-inch alloys, a ten-way power driver seat, heated front seats, Tricot cloth upholstery, dual-zone climate control, power-folding and heated mirrors, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, and more.

On the new Nightfall Edition trim, an additional Nightfall Premium Package can be specified that adds additional features usually reserved for the top trims, such as dual-zone climate control, LED tail lights, heated front seats, wireless charging, adaptive cruise control, and various other items for $2,000. On the AWD Nightfall Edition, this package costs $1,800, because the $200 heated front seats are automatically fitted if you specify AWD.

The EX Technology Package is exclusively available on the EX trim and in exchange for $3,560, it adds many features, including ventilated front seats, an eight-way electrically adjustable passenger seat, leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, navigation, SiriusXM, an eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, parking sensors front and rear, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, and more.

A few standalone accessories are available for the SX Turbo but no packages.

With so many options on the table, Kia makes it easy to find the perfect fit for every customer, and we think there are many valid choices. It boils down to features, seeing as three out of the four cars are offered with the 2.4-liter engine. The LX is a good choice for families on a budget that are looking for a safe and reliable compact SUV. The fact that it comes standard with features such as forward collision warning with pedestrian detection is a big bonus. But the interior feature list is rather short. On the other extreme lies the SX Turbo which offers all the bells and whistles, but costs a pretty penny, and delivers disappointing fuel consumption figures. It is for that reason that we would recommend the EX, which offers a good compromise between base price, fuel consumption, and features. The EX offers dual-zone climate control, a power liftgate, push-button start, a ten-way power-adjustable driver's seat and 18-inch alloy wheels. Additionally speccing it with the EX Technology Package adds everything you could wish for.

The Kia Sorento was redesigned for the 2021 model year and is a fresh product. With enough space for seven passengers and a small enough footprint to allow for nimble inner city driving, the Sorento offers a practical package which, just as with the new Hyundai Tucson, comes in a very modern new package that ages the Sportage instantly. Power comes in the form of a 191 hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine or more powerful 281-hp turbocharged version of the same engine. The base engine is comparable to the Sportage power wise, but the powerful turbocharged 2.5-liter engine is more powerful, getting the Sorento to 60 mph in around 6.5 seconds. Fuel consumption for the base Sorento sits at 24/29/26 mpg across the city/highway/combined cycles which actually matches the smaller Sportage's figure. On the road, the Sorento is a larger, more modern, and more accomplished car and well worth a thought if you need the extra space.

The brand-new 2022 Tucson is a superb product that leapfrogs most competition, placing it near the top of its class. From the outside, the Tucson looks more modern and futuristic and is ready to park in that junior corporate parking space, whereas the Sportage looks, well, rather mundane by comparison. The Tucson offers about a third more trunk and a lot more overall cargo space. The interior is brand-new and well-equipped with a digital gauge cluster and quality materials. Performance from the default 187-hp 2.5-liter engine is decent enough but doesn't come close to the 2.0-liter turbo on offer in the Sportage. Both cars also offer an excellent, comparable warranty. Choosing between these crossovers is easy if you want a modern and spacious crossover with daring looks - the Tucson is the one. The only thing that could sway you is the (thirsty) Sportage SX Turbo's performance advantage.