First Drive: 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid

it wasn’t all that long ago that Kia was little more than an afterthought on the American market. But sales have soared in recent years and are on track to set another record for 2025. The Sportage, Kia’s best-selling product line is a key reason why. It’s attractive, affordable, and adds plenty of value for the money – especially if you’re considering the high-mileage 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid. Here’s our review.

What was once among the smallest and most anonymous of compact crossovers took on an entirely new – and decidedly more upmarket – appearance back in 2023. And that’s a good reason why the Kia Sportage has locked down a roll as the Korean carmaker’s best-selling product line.

If anything, the challenge for Kia was finding a way to make the Sportage an even more appealing package for 2026. It’s pulled that off, especially if you’re looking at the updated Sportage Hybrid which manages to deliver both sporty performance and surprisingly good mileage in the same package.

To get a feel for the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid I spend a long day driving through Louisville, Kentucky and the surrounding countryside. Here’s what I discovered.

What’s new for 2026

The compact Sportage crossover is Kia’s longest-running nameplate, debuting 30 years ago as one of the first models introduced under the Korean model’s brand name. (Prior models were sold through Ford.) Sportage underwent a major makeover for 2023 and the 2026 model is, for the large part, a modest midcycle update – but there are enough changes to be worth a second look.

The visual changes are modest, with a revised grille and bumpers, as well as new headlights. Inside, my test vehicle features a panoramic digital display, really two 12.-point-3-inch screens under a single pane of glass. There’s plenty of onboard technology, including standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while options include wireless smartphone charging and a WiFi hotspot. There’s also a long list of high-tech safety features.

But what really impressed me was the Sportage Hybrid drivetrain which pairs a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylsinder engine with twin electric motors punching out 232 horsepower, 5 more than the old hybrid. Torque is also up, at 271 pound-feet. That’s enough to give the compact crossover a nice, sporty feel and make it easy to merge into traffic on the freeway. The hybrid is available in both front and all-wheel-drive.

Design

When the current-generation crossover debuted three years ago it migrated to the same platform as the bigger Sorento, growing a full 7.1 inches in overall length, even though the wheelbase was stretched just 3.4 inches. It also gained 2 inches in height, while ground clearance jumped to 8.3 inches with all-wheel-drive versions, 7.1 inches with front-wheel–drive. The Sportage now offers one of the roomiest rear benches in its class, along with a highly competitive 39.6 cubic feet of storage with that rear row folded down.

The fifth-generation Sportage adopted Kia’s latest “Opposites Unite” design language with a more striking and luxurious appearance. From that standpoint, not much has changed for 2026. There are subtle tweaks to the Kia-signature “tiger nose” grille, bumpers and headlights – the latter available on high trim models in LED form. This year, Kia introduces new 17 to 19-inch wheels, as well.

The most notable feature in the cabin comes in the form of a panoramic digital display – really twin 12.3-inch screens tucked behind a single sheet of glass. It’s a visually appealing layout and the touchscreen side is easier to read – and use. There’s also an optional 10-inch head-up display which makes it even easier to keep eyes on the road at all times. Kudos, as well, to Kia for providing a separate control center, just below the main touchscreen, to handle climate control functions. The downside? It also operates audio functions and switching between them can be awkward.

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Powertrain

The 2026 Kia Sportage is available with a wide choice of powertrains, including two electrified packages:

• A naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four makes 187 horsepower;
• The hybrid pairs a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylsinder engine with twin electric motors making 232 horsepower, 5 more than the old hybrid, and 271 pound-feet of torque;
• A plug-in hybrid will follow later this year and bumps up to 268 hp, 7 ponies more than the outgoing package.

The hybrid I drove was all-wheel-drive, but it’s also available in a slightly more fuel-efficient front-drive configuration.

At 35 mpg combined the AWD hybrid delivers good, but not segment-leading, mileage. It lags from two to four mpg behind alternatives like the Toyota RAV-4 Hybrid and Honda CR-V Hybrid.

Driving impressions

Though the horsepower rating is up a bit, you’d likely not be surprised jumping from old to new Sportage Hybrid. That said, the crossover has a nice sporty launch feel and, based on a trio of launches, yielded consistent 0-60 times of just over 8 seconds.

One thing I particularly liked about the 2026 Sportage Hybrid was steering feel. Too many competitors provide the sort of boost that leaves you disconnected from the road. Sportage requires a bit more muscle but that’s something I came to appreciate as I wandered down virtually empty back roads tracing the Ohio River’s meanderings.

No, it’s not a performance model, but Sportage strikes a good balance became sporty and comfortable.

One nice feature: a Terrain control system that lets you switch between a variety of different road – and even mild off-road –conditions.

Technology

As we’ve come to expect, Kia upgraded Sportage’s technology suite for 2026. Along with the panoramic display it offers some useful features like a Smart Key that lets you replace the fob with your smartphone. There are multiple USB-C ports, a WiFi hotspot – which can also permit Kia to remotely upgrade onboard software – and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

I expect many Sportage buyers will want to go with the upgraded Harman Kardon audio system, as well.

There are a number of advanced driver assistance systems available, as well, including some important ones on even base trims, such as forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking. One of the features I appreciated was the newly upgraded Highway Drive Assist system. It still requires a light touch of the steering wheel – unlike, say, Ford’s BlueCruise – but it does ease the stress on long journeys.

Pricing and availability

Kia has now earned a position second only to Toyota in terms of the number of hybridized products in its line-up. In turn, the Korean carmaker is giving buyers more options in terms f hybrid trims, with new S and X-Line packages added for 2026.

Do be aware that, depending upon the package you choose, prices are up as much as $1,300 – which marketing chief Russell Wager told me was only to cover the new content for 2026, and not to recover the higher tariff costs due to Pres. Donald Trump’s import tariffs. The Sportage Hybrid, in particular, is shipped in from South Korea.

Including delivery fees, the base 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid LX starts at $31,735, while the Prestige trim jumps to $41,835.