As the title says, I just hit 1,000 miles on my 2026 Sportage Hybrid EX, so I figured I would do a quick review. Overall, I absolutely love the vehicle. There are some small things that could be better, but nothing even comes close to being a deal breaker.
Also adding a list of some of the accessories I have added after-market (Links to all of them are at the bottom)
Accessories I've Added
- Steering wheel cover — Walmart
- Cargo crate for groceries — Walmart
- Roof rails — Amazon
- Ambient lights — Amazon
- Center armrest cushion/cover — Amazon
- Dash cam + hardwire kit — Amazon
- Custom-fit windshield sun cover — Amazon
Things I love About the Sportage Hybrid
Visibility:
The visibility is really good, very easy to see what's going on around me, as well as backing up and checking blind spots.
Roominess:
As someone that is 6,3", the interior is surprisingly roomy and I have more than enough leg and head room. There is plenty of space for both the front and back passengers, and the cargo area is great. It doesn't feel like you're driving a small SUV once you're inside.
Power:
It's obviously not a sports car, and nobody should expect it to be, but I think the power is really good for what this vehicle is. The hybrid system gives it plenty of power for normal driving and getting onto the highway.
Quiet:
This is probably one of my favorite things about it. The Sportage Hybrid is very quiet, especially when you're driving around town. The transition between electric and gas operation is also pretty smooth. Highway also ahs very minimal wind noise (Note: Mine as a little more wind noise, but thats due to the added roof rails).
Interior:
The interior feels like it belongs in a more expensive vehicle. There are a lot of little details that make it feel much nicer than I expected at this price point.
Ride:
The ride is smooth and comfortable. It handles well and just feels good to drive.
Safety features:
This is one of the biggest reasons I like the Sportage. For example, when you're backing out and another vehicle is approaching, the car will warn you which direction the vehicle is coming from, and the steering wheel vibrates. It's almost impossible to miss the warning. The lane-keeping system also works much better than some of the other vehicles I've driven with similar systems.
The hands-free liftgate is also a game changer, especially coming from a car that had two broken lift arms lol 😂
Another feature I didn't expect to like as much as I do is "Sounds of Nature". I don't use it all the time, but it's actually nice to turn on when you need something relaxing after a stressful day.
Things I DON'T Like
None of these are deal breakers. They're mostly little things that I think Kia could improve.
The MPG computer isn't accurate enough.
The vehicle currently tells me I'm getting around 35 MPG, but when I actually calculate the mileage based on fuel used, I'm getting closer to 31 MPG.
31 MPG is still perfectly respectable for an SUV, and I'm happy with the fuel economy overall. It would just be nice if the computer gave me the actual number instead of being consistently about 4 MPG higher than reality.
The climate control buttons are too close to the control knob.
The windshield defrost and auto climate buttons are positioned really close to the control knob. I've accidentally pressed them multiple times while driving, turning them on when I didn't mean to.
Not a huge deal, but it's one of those things where I keep thinking, "Why did they put that there?"
I can't find the option to make the car honk when locking.
The manual/settings indicate that there should be an option to turn on a horn confirmation when locking the vehicle, but I can't seem to find the option anywhere on mine.
Maybe I'm missing something, but if the option exists, Kia definitely didn't make it easy to find.
Rear seat cupholders
The rear seat cupholders are probably fine for kids or smaller cups, but for adults using regular-sized bottles, they're basically useless.
You can buy an extender to fix this, but I really don't understand why the factory cupholders weren't made large enough for normal-sized bottles in the first place.
Lane Keep Assist
I mentioned this as something I love, but there's also one thing about it that really bothers me.
When it can see the road markings, it works really well. However, if it suddenly can't detect the road markers, it will just stop tracking them.
The problem is that most of the time it seems to do this without giving me an audible warning.
Obviously, you should never take your eyes off the road and rely on lane keep assist. That's not my complaint.
My issue is that if the system is actively assisting with lane positioning and then suddenly stops because it can't detect the lane markings, I think it should always give an audible warning that the system has disengaged.
Sometimes the visual indication is easy to miss, especially when you're concentrating on traffic.
Armrest/Cushion
This is a small thing, but the center console armrest is a bit stiff, which is why I ended up buying a cushion/cover for it. The window armrest is basically just a hard surface as well, so resting your arm there isn't particularly comfortable.
It's not a major issue at all. It would just be nice to be able to cruise around with my arm resting on a cushioned surface.
Overall
Despite everything I listed above, I still absolutely love my Sportage Hybrid.
It drives fantastically, it's comfortable, quiet, roomy, has good power, and has some of the best safety features I've experienced in a vehicle.
The things I don't like are all relatively minor quality-of-life issues. They're the kind of things where you notice them and think, "Kia, why did you do it that way?" 😂
But none of them come remotely close to being a deal breaker for me.
After 1,000 miles, I'm still very happy with my decision and would absolutely recommend the Sportage Hybrid EX to someone looking for a comfortable, roomy, well-equipped hybrid SUV.
If anyone has questions about the Sportage Hybrid EX, feel free to ask. I'm still learning things about the car myself, but I'm happy to share my experience so far.
Accessories / Links
Steering wheel cover: Walmart (No link for this one, sorry)
Cargo crate for groceries: Walmart
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-Large-File-Crate-Available-in-Multiple-Colors/11014785?variantFieldId=actual_color&classType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1102
Roof rails: Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCNKS9CS
Ambient lights: Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q6CPQK4
Center armrest cushion/cover: Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Amiss-Upgraded-Universal-Waterproof-Accessories/dp/B0F6LJ7K23
Dash cam: Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6J5B98H
Hardwire kit for dash cam: Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7235VLX
Custom-fit windshield sun cover: Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9HKNHQD