2026 Kia Sportage Review
Compact SUV with a wide 2026 EPA ladder (gas, hybrid, PHEV). Axis scores remain pending; safety stars not pasted without a fetched MY page.
2026 · James Calder · published 2026-10-07
2026 Kia Sportage
Sportage is Kia's volume compact SUV with a clearer electrified ladder than some rivals: gas, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid rows appear in EPA tables. Trade-offs are trim complexity and the usual gap between FWD efficiency and AWD/X-Pro hardware.
What's confirmed (EPA 2026)
- Sportage FWD gas 2.5L: 28 mpg combined (25/33)
- Sportage AWD gas 2.5L: 26 mpg combined (24/30)
- Sportage Hybrid FWD: 42 mpg combined (41/44)
- Sportage Hybrid AWD: 35 mpg combined (35/36)
- Sportage PHEV: 83 MPGe combined on electricity; 36 mpg combined gas-only (per EPA row)
- Sportage X-Pro gas: 24 mpg combined (23/26)
Practical notes
Hybrid FWD is the efficiency standout. X-Pro and AWD cost mpg for stance/traction. PHEV math only works if you actually plug in — otherwise use the gas-only mpg for honesty.
Safety
Score pending on DriveRevu axes. Cite NHTSA/IIHS only after fetching the 2026 Sportage rating page in a follow-up if not expanded here; we do not invent stars.
Method
See [How we score](/method).
Sources
- EPA — Gas Mileage of 2026 Kia Sportage — https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2026KiaSportage.shtml (fetched 2026-10-06)
- Kia — Sportage — https://www.kia.com/us/en/sportage (OEM)