Kia Sportage on subscription

Mid-size SUVs like the Kia Sportage rule the roost when it comes to family cars, and not without reason. The Sportage gives you room for a family of five and a generous amount of boot space, but it still feels relatively compact on the road, unlike some larger SUVs. Similarly, the steering is quite light and the visibility is good, making it a stress-free car to thread through town.

The Sportage name has been around for many years now, but during that time it has evolved through several distinct generations. Launched at the start of 2022, the latest model continues the themes of decent interior space, solid build quality and affordable running costs that made its predecessor a popular choice.

Where the latest model moves things on is its technology. Mid-spec ‘3’ models and upwards, get a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen display, which is paired with the digital instrument cluster to create a single panel that stretches halfway across the dashboard. Another significant addition with the new Sportage is the arrival of mild hybrid, full hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. The latter, in particular, should give a substantial benefit in fuel economy, along with a significant step up in performance compared to the traditional petrol and diesel models.

While the new model is filtering in, a lot of subscription services are continuing to offer the previous generation (2016 to 2021) Sportage. This is similar in character to the new model. The older cars are slightly smaller and marginally less practical – they’re roughly average in their class for boot space – while the equipment levels are still quite generous for their era. As with the latest model, there’s a choice of petrol and diesel engines with two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive and manual or automatic transmission.

The likes of the Mazda CX-5 and Ford Kuga are slightly sharper to drive, while the Volvo XC40 and Skoda Karoq ride a little more softly. Overall, though, the Sportage is comfortable to sit in, spacious (especially in its latest form) and pleasant to drive.