KIA Sportage

The Sportage is Kia’s bestselling crossover in most international markets. A prototype of the updated Sportage has already been spotted in testing and is expected to be available in showrooms as a 2026 model. The current-generation model has been on sale since 2023 in international markets. The 2024 Kia Sportage comes with a generous list of standard equipment and an exciting array of options. The Korean automobile major has successfully blended versatility and space with an affordable starting price. The car shares most of its underpinnings with the Hyundai Tucson. 

How much is the price of the Kia Sportage in the UAE?

Compact-crossover sports utility vehicles (SUVs) are popular because of their combination of space and versatility, along with a modicum of style. Performance, in most cases, are not a priority here. But the 2024 Kia Sportage manages to stand out of the pack as a decent performer. The price of the car starts at AED 97,000.

How many variants are there in the Kia Sportage range?

The 2024 Sportage is available in three models with two engine options. 

Which is the most value-for-money variant of the Kia Sportage?

The 2024 Kia Sportage 1.6L Turbo is the most value-for-money model. Though it's equipped with a less powerful engine, the car gets better interior features compared to the entry-level model.  

What features does the Kia Sportage get?

The Kia Sportage was upgraded in 2023 and continues with the same for 2024. The car is mounted on Kia's N3 platform that's shared by its stablemate Sorento, and Hyundai's Santa Fe, Tucson, and Sonata. The 2024 Kia Sportage sports a vastly upgraded exterior compared to the outgoing model. It gets boomerang daytime running lights (DRLs) that neatly encapsulate the mesh-pattern grille in the front. The headlights are bright. The car gets all-around LED lighting. The earlier version has a rather strange, and awkward-looking grille. There's an agreeable mixture of character lines that run along the doors. The lines break up the sides and flow neatly into the Hecke blend-style taillights. There's a hidden wiper at the back. The flared rear fenders and a rising beltline hunker down the car's rear and wrap around the back. The entry-level model runs on 17-inch alloy wheels, wrapped in BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain tyres. Options include 18-inch and 19-inch wheels.  

The interior of the 2024 Kia Sportage is a balance of practicality and premium bits. Upholstery options include cloth, suede leather, and artificial leather. A two-tone colour scheme is also available as an option. But the all-black cabin looks classy. The car's interior is solidly put together. It gets well-damped switches, a good range of materials, and plenty of squishy plastics and metallic-effect finishes. The hard plastics bits are limited to the under-part of the dashboard and door insides. The dashboard is dominated by an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. There's a separate touch-sensitive panel that serves as the climate control system. The leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel controls all multimedia functions. There's a 4.2-inch full-colour driver's information display.

Storage space in the 2024 Kia Sportage is generous. The door pockets are large to accommodate a water bottle. There's a decent-lidded central cubby box, along with a tray to keep phones and keys. The central console looks neat. The gear lever is ergonomic. There are two cupholders behind the gear lever. The glovebox is decently sized.

How spacious is the Kia Sportage?

With 4,515 mm length, 1,865 mm width, and 1,630 mm height, the 2024 Kia Sportage is among the most spacious cars in its segment. The two front seats have electrical adjustability. They get lumbar support in the higher trims. The space of the rear seat is among the best in class. There's plenty of legroom. With a high roof, there's no dearth of headroom and three adults can comfortably sit on the rear seat. There’s also enough space for rear-seat passengers to tuck their feet under the front seats. The 2024 Kia Sportage gets 540 litres of boot space. The rear gets reclining facility and can be folded down in a 40:20:40 arrangement to increase boot space. There are handy wall-levers in the boot that can be pulled to drop the rear seat down.

What engine and transmission options are available?

The entry-level 2024 Kia Sportage is hauled by a turbocharged, four-cylinder, 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces 155PS/196Nm. The motor is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch. The Kia Sportage isn't among the best-driving family SUVs. There's a bit of lean while turning sharp corners. But the car's grip is plentiful and the well-balanced and precise steering helps the driver to place the car exactly in the desired spot. The car comes with Eco, Normal, and Sport settings. The suspension is nicely balanced and the 2024 Kia Sportage does a better job of absorbing potholes than most of its rivals. The seats are nicely padded and offer fatigue-free travelling comfort. On highways, The Sportage comes across as a great cruiser and feels well-settled even at a high speed. 

What’s the mileage of the Kia Sportage?

The 2024 Kia Sportage returns an average mileage of 11kmpl under mixed conditions. SUVs usually don't have good fuel efficiency. The highway mileage of the Kia Sportage is higher than in-city. 

How safe is the Kia Sportage?

All versions of the 2024 Kia Sportage come with a rearview camera and parking sensors. It's packed with driver-assist technology like navigation-based adaptive cruise control and remote parking. Other safety equipment includes forward-collision detector, blind-spot warning, lane-keep assist, and automated emergency braking.

How many colour options are there for the Kia Sportage?

The 2024 Kia Sportage is available in multiple colour option. These include Casa White, Sparkling Silver, Penta Metal, Pear Black, Pacific Blue, and Lunar Silver.

Should you buy the Kia Sportage?

The 2024 Kia Sportage is among the most spacious cars in its class. It offers great travelling comfort and comes with a well-appointed cabin. People won't mind extra because the car is worthy of its price and is just a step lower than a true-blue SUV.

What are my alternatives?

The 2024 Kia Sportage faces competition from the Korando 2.0L, Hyundai Tucson 2.0L Euro, and the Toyota RAV4. 

Other things to consider

The 2024 Kia Sportage is not among the lowest-priced cars in the compact crossover SUV segment. But it comes with a feature-rich cabin, has huge space, and offers a well-balanced ride. The acceleration is slow like most SUVs. But it's one of the most comfortable cars in its segment.