Kia Sportage interior, tech and practicality

The Kia Sportage’s driving position is nice and high, which gives you that traditional lofty view out over other cars (unless the other cars happen to be SUVs, naturally). Visibility out the back is pretty decent too, with only a couple of large-ish blind spots at the rear corners of the car, but this is a problem shared by all Kia’s rivals. Fortunately, you get a reversing camera as standard on all models.

Kia’s had five generations of building Sportages to get the ergonomics right, and you’ll find few discomforts in the current car’s cabin. There’s lots of adjustment in the steering column and driver’s seat, so you should be able to get comfy whether you’re a rugby player, jockey… or just somewhere in between.

The Sportage trim levels are quite straightforward: things start with ‘2’ models, then progress through GT-Line and ‘3’, and then GT-Line S sits atop the Sportage pyramid.

All models get alloy wheels (ranging from 17-inch on ‘2’ models up to 19s on higher-spec models), while a leather steering wheel, reversing camera and dual-zone climate control are included on all versions of the Sportage.

GT-Line models add some more eye-catching exterior details such as LED rear lights, privacy glass and some gloss black exterior trims, while the insides are jazzed-up with heated (and suede-covered) front seats, a heated steering wheel, three-zone climate control and adaptive cruise control on automatic versions.

Pick a ‘3’ model and you’ll also get cloth-with-faux-leather upholstery and heated rear seats.

Top-spec GT-Line S models add ventilated and heated front seats, a 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, an eight-way electrically adjustable passenger’s seat and an electrically operated boot.

The big 12.3-inch digital driver’s display is a real highlight of the Sportage’s interior – it makes the car look as high-tech as any Mercedes. Sadly, you don’t get quite such an impressive display on ‘2’ and GT-Line models, which have to make do with a somewhat smaller 4.2-inch screen nestled between traditional dials. It does the job, but it won’t wow in quite the same way as having the big one.

Likewise, the huge 12.3-inch central infotainment screen is the preserve of GT-Line, ‘3’ and GT-Line S models – entry-level ‘2’ cars have a smaller eight-inch screen.

Whichever size screens you get, however, you can rest assured of having standard-fit Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the Sportage – it isn’t wireless, so you’ll need a USB lead to mirror your phone’s apps.

The infotainment system in the Sportage is one of the better touchscreen-operated systems out there, with sharp graphics that are wonderfully colourful – the pink text on some of the menus harks back to Kia’s Korean heritage. While it won’t turn your every journey into a Seoul nightclub (the so-so standard six-speaker sound system will see to that), it’s nice to have an injection of colour in the cabin. 

GT-Line S models get a Harman Kardon speaker system that brings some serious bass to proceedings and you can turn it up far louder than the standard setup without the sound distorting.

The Sportage’s rear seat space is generous, with plenty of room for even tall adults to relax. While the rear seats do recline, they can’t slide back and forth as you can in the Volkswagen Tiguan. But in their default setting you can comfortably while away long journeys without long-legged teenagers voicing their discomfort. Back-seat passengers also get a USB-C socket each, mounted on the innermost side of the rear seats.

The Sportage’s 591-litre boot is bigger than the ones you’ll find in the Nissan Qashqai, SEAT Ateca and Peugeot 3008. You won’t struggle for a week-long family holiday for four, and there’s a handy amount of space under the Kia’s boot floor. That said, the hybrid and plug-in hybrid Sportages lose most of the underfloor space to house batteries. Other handy features include levers at the side of the boot that fold the rear seats down with a quick tug.