Kia’s transition from a cheap car brand to a company presenting consumers with an impressive level of bang for their buck may not be better highlighted by the 2026 Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige AWD.
Kia’s been adding value to its SUVs for more than a decade. The Sportage can handle some off-roading.
Giving you the ability to do more with less is Kia’s raison d’être. Which, in the case of the 2026 Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige AWD translates to more car for less money. (If nothing else, you get a very long name for a relatively short stack of cash.) Happily though, there is a lot more to this refreshed version of the Sportage than a nom très long (very long name).
Intro
A few styling tweaks for the 2026 model year, intended to keep the 2023 redesign looking fresh, mark the biggest change to the exterior of the Sportage for the ’26 model year. Most notable are the reconfigured daytime running lamps. The interior gained a new steering wheel, revised dash architecture and a pair of 12.3-inch displays encased within a single panoramic housing. A few new tech features were also added to improve the Kia’s ability to compete against its more costly rivals.
The range-topping X-Pro Prestige AWD version I spent the week with got all those enhancements as standard equipment at a base price of $39,590. A set of rugged-looking 17-inch matte black alloy wheels fitted with all-terrain tires was the most visible aspect of the X-Pro package. A multiterrain all-wheel drive system, heated windshield, and a transmission cooler were the Kia’s other nods to dealing with dirt.
The price as tested was $42,055. Accounting for the $2,465 difference were $595 for the Wolf Gray and black two-tone paint job, $105 for a cargo mat, $190 for a cargo cover and $180 for carpeted floor mats. Those of you with calculators in your head have by now noted a $1,395 omission in that tally, which was attributed to freight and handling charges.
The range-topping X-Pro Prestige AWD version I spent the week with got all those enhancements as standard equipment at a base price of $39,590.
Powertrains and Fuel Economy
Endowing the 2026 Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige AWD with propulsion was the marque’s 187-horsepower 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder, which was also rated to deliver 178 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm.
An 8-speed automatic transmission conducted its output to all four wheels. The powertrain also included the aforementioned terrain mode selector, which provided the Kia with soft-road capabilities.
The good folks at the Environmental Protection Agency have decreed one could expect 23 mpg in the city, 26 on the highway and 24 overall. However, this was a bit on the optimistic side in my experience. The Kia’s trip computer told me the small SUV was traveling an average of 22.3 miles on each gallon of regular it consumed.
Interior Accommodations
One of the things Kia does well is mimic the appearance of a premium cabin treatment with less than premium materials. The Kia’s heated oblong two-spoke steering wheel added a touch of class. This, when considered alongside the panoramic digital screens I mentioned previously, along with the most convincing faux wood trim I have ever seen, afforded the Sportage’s passenger compartment a decidedly upscale appearance. Yes, there was quite a bit of plastic involved, but its strategic placement avoided offending the eye.
Endowing the 2026 Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige AWD with propulsion was the marque’s 187-horsepower 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder.
Furthering the illusion was a multitiered dash architecture and hosting a contemporary-styled array of dials, buttons and switches on the center console. The tastefully sculpted front seats offered heat, ventilation and power adjustment.
Capable of seating up to five adults, the Kia offered more than adequate legroom at all five seating positions. Granted, the seats could have been more supportive, but they were comfortable — and like the rest of the interior components — well-constructed.
Comfort, Convenience & Safety Tech
On the tech side of the ledger the Sportage X-Pro Prestige AWD featured wireless Android and CarPlay compatibility. The Kia can also be started via the Kia Connect smartphone app. The windshield was heated; the sunroof was panoramic and included an electrically actuated sunshade.
Similarly, the rear liftgate was capable of opening and closing itself at the touch of a button. Its opening height was programmable, and it revealed 40 cubic feet of cargo capacity with the rear seat deployed. Folding the rear seat away opened up 74 cubic feet of capacity.
The infotainment system accepted over the air updates and Kia’s clever twin-function audio/climate control system panel made a return engagement for the ’26 model year. I liked it, others felt it was too fussy. Either way, the 12.3-inch touchscreen was quick to respond, well organized and intuitive in operation, which is an area in which others could take some notes.
The 12.3-inch touchscreen was quick to respond, well organized and intuitive in operation, which is an area in which others could take some notes.
Driver’s aids included forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist. The X-Pro Prestige Sportage also had blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Smart cruise control with stop and go functionality, safe exit warnings, and driver attention monitoring were included — all as standard equipment
Driving Impressions
The 187-hp direct-injected 4-cylinder felt overmatched when asked to perform with alacrity. Granted, I’d just spent a week with a 670-hp Dodge Charger EV when the Kia showed up — so it can be argued an F-22 fighter jet might’ve felt slow too. But still.
The sweep second hand on my Omega Speedmaster had consistently passed the nine on its dial each time the Kia’s speedometer registered 60 at full throttle from a dead stop. Given the Sportage weighed 3,827 pounds with the offroad gear on it, perhaps Kia’s engineering team might want to consider a larger displacement engine — or turbocharging. On the other hand, one could opt for the hybrid version, which I’m told gets to 60 some two seconds more quickly.
On the positive side, I found the Sportage X-Pro to be a reassuring mount on the muddy gravel roads I tried it on (which explains the muddy photos accompanying this report). Don’t know I’d go to Moab with it — but given the way most people will try to use it the Kia should prove competent. Surprisingly, road noise was minimal on the highway, even with the aggressive tread pattern cut into the all-terrain rubber.
A multiterrain all-wheel drive system, heated windshield, and a transmission cooler were the Kia’s other nods to dealing with dirt.
Handling on pavement was also surprisingly good, and the brakes proved themselves up to the task as well. Again though, it ain’t like the Sportage is a fire-breathing pavement shredder, so they didn’t really have to work all that hard. Steering was both responsive and accurate. The Sportage also exhibited reassuring stability at highway speeds.
In Summary
For the most part, the Sportage proved quite good at doing what it was designed to do, provide stylish transportation, with a sense of adventure, for a family of four. Yeah, the engine could have offered more beans.
Keep the crossover SUV in its lane though (and actually it’s capable of doing that itself), you’ll be quite happy with the 2026 Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige AWD. That is, as long as you don’t feel compelled to say that whole name whenever someone asks what you drive.
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