2025 Kia Sportage

The 2025 model year is a carry-over year of the fifth generation (launched 2023, facelift arrives for 2026), so the gas lineup keeps the 187-hp 2.5L, low for the segment.

178 lb-ft from a naturally aspirated four is at the low end of compact SUVs, many of which now use turbo engines.

The carry-over 2.5L AWD is one of the slower compact SUVs. The instrumented figure comes from the 2024 test of the same, unchanged powertrain.

The 2.5L is smooth enough around town but feels short of power and gets coarse and loud when pushed hard, as with merging or passing. Rivals' turbo engines and the Sportage's own hybrid feel noticeably stronger.

A conventional 8-speed automatic (not a CVT) shifts smoothly and avoids drone. It can be slow to kick down, which makes the weak engine feel weaker.

2,500 lbs is typical for a compact SUV: enough for a small trailer or jet ski, well short of mid-size SUVs.

AWD is offered across the gas trim walk and is standard on X-Line/X-Pro, with a center-coupling lock and terrain modes. There is no low range or torque vectoring, which keeps it out of the top band.

The X-Pro trim adds all-terrain tires, AWD lock and terrain modes, which makes it capable on light trails. There are no lockers or low range, and ordinary trims are pavement-oriented.

The 2025 range covers a gas 2.5L (FWD/AWD), a 1.6T hybrid (FWD/AWD) and a 1.6T plug-in hybrid, which is broader than most compact rivals.

The gas AWD Sportage is about average for a compact SUV without a hybrid, and trails the best gas rivals by a few MPG.

23 MPG city is typical of a non-hybrid compact SUV with AWD.

The AWD model's 27 MPG highway rating is weak for the class. FWD does much better at 32.

A small 14.3-gallon tank combined with 25 MPG gives only modest range for the segment.

The EPA estimate for the AWD gas model puts it in the middle of the gas SUV pool.

Every gas Sportage runs on regular unleaded, so there is no premium-fuel cost.

NHTSA rates both the 2025 Sportage FWD and AWD 5 stars overall, with 5-star frontal and side results and a 4-star rollover rating typical of the segment.

The 2025 model year carries the 2024 Top Safety Pick (not plus) with Good small-overlap and Good updated side results, but whiplash protection is only Acceptable and no updated moderate-overlap rating is listed for 2025. The 2025 TSP+ applies only to 2026 models built after May 2025, so it doesn't count for this year.

Every trim gets forward collision-avoidance with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keeping assist and driver attention warning. On the 2025 base LX, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance and Smart Cruise Control are optional; they come standard from the EX, the volume trim, up. So the core suite is there, but key items are gated on the entry trim.

The standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist rates only Marginal in IIHS's tougher vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 test. Its pedestrian result is Acceptable, including night runs, where it cut impact speed substantially but didn't always avoid the collision. Kia's forward-collision upgrade for 2026 is what later lifted the rating.

Blind-Spot and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist actively brake rather than just warn, and they are standard from the EX volume trim, though optional on the LX. Safe Exit Assist and the Blind-Spot View Monitor camera feed are limited to the top Prestige trims.

Lane Keeping Assist is standard on every trim, and Lane Following Assist centering comes on the EX and above. Reviewers find it competent on marked highways, with mild wander on curves and faded lines.

Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Highway Driving Assist are standard from the EX volume trim; the LX lacks adaptive cruise. The system is smooth and capable of full-speed-range following, with HDA2 lane-change assist only on the top trims.

No trim of the 2025 Sportage offers hands-free highway driving. Highway Driving Assist 2 is a hands-on lane-centering aid.

One LED projector setup is used on every trim, and IIHS rates it Acceptable, not Good. Low beams light the right side of the road only fairly and fall short on gradual left curves; standard high-beam assist earns credit.

The upright, boxy NQ5 body gives a large glass area, a tall side window line and a near-vertical rear window, so sightlines beat the sloped-roof norm. Moderately thick rear pillars are the compromise, and the surround-view and blind-spot cameras are only on the top trims.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use only Acceptable, but rear legroom leads the class and the rear doors open wide, which makes loading and buckling child seats easy. The second-row seat-belt reminder rates Good.

Two-row, five-passenger compact SUV across the 2025 lineup.

Class-typical front headroom; the EX Premium Package panoramic roof costs 1.8 in.

Front legroom is merely adequate for the segment.

Generous rear headroom for a compact SUV.

Class-leading rear legroom — mid-size-SUV territory.

No third row is offered on the 2025 Sportage in any configuration.

Near the top of the compact class, though the band spans up to three-row SUVs.

Large for a compact SUV.

Dual-level cargo floor and seatback USB ports are thoughtful touches; console storage is ordinary and there is no onboard AC power.

Well-bolstered front seats and a genuinely comfortable, supportive rear bench; some testers found the front seatback pocket narrow.

Composed and comfortable on smooth roads, but the gas model lets sharper impacts punch through on rough pavement more than the hybrid does.

Average: the 2.5L is buzzy when worked and needs frequent highway downshifts; the hybrid is noticeably quieter.

Heated front seats and dual-zone auto climate from the volume EX; ventilated seats, heated wheel and heated rear seats are limited to Prestige trims.

2025 is a carry-over year for the fifth-generation (NQ5) Sportage, which launched in the US for 2023; the facelift came for 2026. The LX FWD entry price is among the lowest in the compact-SUV class.

The EX is the volume trim, and most buyers take AWD. That puts a typically equipped Sportage near $32.7K delivered, below a comparable CR-V or RAV4.

KBB projects over $7K in scheduled maintenance. That is high for the class and partly because Kia includes no free scheduled maintenance. Repair costs stay low because the long warranty covers most failures.

Depreciation is the Sportage's weakest cost figure. Resale value trails the CR-V and RAV4 by a wide margin, but KBB still ranks its overall 5-year cost in the top 11–25% of compact SUVs.

Kia's basic warranty is the longest in the mainstream compact-SUV class. Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and Nissan all stop at 3 years / 36,000 miles.

This is the best powertrain coverage in the segment, twice what the Japanese rivals offer. It applies to the original owner only.

Kia includes no complimentary scheduled maintenance in the US. The package is 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance plus a 3-year Kia Connect trial. That beats a roadside-only offer but falls short of ToyotaCare or Hyundai's 3-year/36,000-mile free service.

$32,685 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (45% retained, or about $14,708) leaves about $17,977 in depreciation. Add the projected $7,799 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $25,776 in total.

The 2025 gas Sportage is the strongest-scoring version of the fifth generation in Consumer Reports' owner surveys. It improved from 50 (2023, launch year) to 59 (2024) to 76 (2025), and that sits in the upper part of the average band. J.D. Power also rates the Sportage above average. The hybrid's weak 2025 result (36) does not apply to the scored gas powertrain.

Kia beats the industry average in J.D. Power's recent studies but is not a top-5 dependability brand. It sits in the upper half of the mid-pack. The Theta II engine and theft-vulnerability history from the last decade still limit its long-term reputation.

MY2025 carries only one NHTSA campaign, and it covers a small subset of cars. The generation's heavier recall load was concentrated in the 2023 launch year: brake booster, curtain airbags, alternator terminal, ISG oil-pump controller and the instrument cluster. By 2025 those had largely been worked out. There is no powertrain-failure or fire campaign on the 2025 gas car.

The volume gas powertrain is the 2.5L Smartstream GDI naturally aspirated four with a conventional 8-speed torque-converter automatic. The 2025 car does not use a CVT or DCT. The Smartstream family is a clean break from the Theta II and has no systemic failure pattern. It is still young, though, and complaint trackers flag the 2.5 GDI as the system most likely to surface issues, which keeps it below the proven-family band.

The pre-facelift fifth-generation cabin is stylish and roomy, and higher trims get the curved dual-12.3-inch display. Reviewers rate its perceived quality above the mainstream median. Hard plastics are common on the lower doors and console of the volume LX/EX trims. The shared climate/media touch toggle bar gets mixed feedback on feel.

Kia's initial-quality results are better than average. By its third US model year, the NQ5 Sportage's early assembly issues (twisted curtain airbags, loose roof moldings) had been addressed. There is no widespread rattle or panel-gap pattern.

Kia's US network of about 780 franchised dealers is adequate in metro and suburban markets. It is thinner than Toyota, Honda, Ford or Chevrolet, which matters in rural areas. Service satisfaction is around the mainstream average.

The Sportage is a high-volume compact SUV. It shares its N3 platform, 2.5L engine and 8-speed automatic with the Hyundai Tucson and other group models, so OEM and aftermarket parts are widely available and independent shops know the hardware. Routine repair costs are at or slightly below the compact-SUV average.

The volume EX gets the 12.3-inch navigation screen in the panoramic dual-display dash.

Crisp, quick 12.3-in screen, but the shared touch-capacitive climate/audio panel is awkward to toggle while driving and sits low.

Oddly inverted: the base LX's 8-in unit has wireless projection, but the 12.3-in navigation system on the volume EX and up requires a cable in 2025 (wireless arrived with the 2026 facelift).

Native navigation with UVO/Kia Connect telematics on EX and up; functional voice commands that most owners bypass for phone projection.

Six-speaker base audio is adequate; Harman Kardon premium system with center speaker and subwoofer is available on upper trims.

EX and above pair a 12.3-in digital cluster with the touchscreen in one panoramic panel; the LX gets a smaller digital display.

2023–2025 Sportage supports over-the-air map/infotainment updates on the navigation head unit; no whole-vehicle feature-adding OTA.

Kia Connect gives remote start/climate, lock and locate on navigation-equipped trims after a free trial; subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot.

Front and seatback USB charging for the rear row plus wireless charging from EX; no household outlet.

Push-button start and remote start on the EX; smart power liftgate only with the EX Premium Package or higher trims.

Rear camera standard; Surround View and Blind-Spot View Monitors plus Remote Smart Parking Assist reserved for Prestige trims.

No head-up display is listed for the US-market 2025 Sportage on any trim.

Huge rear legroom, easy ingress and a big cargo hold make car seats and strollers simple; IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Acceptable.

NHTSA 5-star overall and IIHS Top Safety Pick, but blind-spot and rear cross-traffic braking are optional on the base LX.

Excellent rear space and seatback USB ports, 39.6 cu ft with seats up; gas engine drone and heated rear seats only on Prestige trims limit it.

Easy to see out of and get in and out of, but the slow 2.5L and busy eight-speed make merging and highway passing a chore.

Average compact-SUV fuel costs on regular fuel; the gas AWD model trails rivals' hybrids badly.

Moderate footprint and good visibility, but a 38.6-ft turning circle and surround-view only on Prestige trims.

Light-duty at best: 2,500-lb tow rating for the gas model, and the 187-hp engine is strained under load.

Naturally aspirated 2.5L and conventional automatic with a 10-yr/100k powertrain warranty; no fleet-duty track record.

Dual-level cargo floor, tie-downs and roof rails, but no onboard AC power and a modest accessory ecosystem.

Comfortable seats, Highway Driving Assist on upper trims and ~440-mile highway range, offset by engine drone and busy downshifting.

X-Pro adds all-terrain tires, AWD with lock and terrain modes; the volume EX is a competent gravel-road AWD crossover.

Among the largest cargo holds in the class with a two-level floor and 60/40 fold; roof rails on X trims.

Secure and natural-feeling, more nimble than the hybrid; 0.81 g on all-terrain tires, but a CX-50 or Escape is crisper.

Easy and natural but light and short on feedback.

182 ft from 70 mph on all-terrain tires is competitive; the gas model stops shorter than the hybrid, whose pedal is grabby.

Abrupt initial tip-in then lackluster pull; the eight-speed isn't the smoothest and hunts on the highway.

The 2.5L gets buzzy when worked, which is often; audible but not coarse at a cruise.

Middling turning circle for a compact SUV.

Good visibility and easy ingress, but the mode-switching capacitive climate/audio panel is low and distracting to use.

Competent but uninspiring; testers call the gas model boring and slow and steer buyers to the hybrid.

The base LX comes with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, LED headlights and Kia's Drive Wise ADAS suite (forward collision-avoidance, lane keeping and following assist, blind-spot warning, rear-occupant alert), all at a price that undercuts the CR-V and RAV4. The panoramic dual-screen setup, heated seats and power liftgate require the EX or higher.

The Sportage offers class-leading space and the best warranty in the segment for less money than the class leaders. The main drawback is the slow 187-hp 2.5L, which CR measured at about 10 s to 60 mph, so the gas car is less of a bargain on performance. CR calls the hybrid the better pick.

The gas lineup alone has seven trims (LX, EX, X-Line, SX, SX Prestige, X-Pro, X-Pro Prestige), most offered in FWD or AWD. A separate hybrid and PHEV range adds more choice. Prices span about $28.8K to $39.7K on gas alone, including off-road-flavored X-Pro trims.

2025 was a record sales year: about 183K units, up 13%, the best annual total ever for a Kia model in the US. The trajectory is strong, though volume is still well behind the RAV4 and CR-V.

Kia's image keeps improving on the back of its design work (Telluride, EV9) and its 2025 record year of more than 852K US sales. Resale value and default-choice status still trail Toyota and Honda.

Kia regularly offers low-APR financing and lease cash on the Sportage, and outgoing 2025 inventory saw close-out support once the facelifted 2026 arrived. Offers change monthly and were not verified for a specific month.

2025 is year three of the fifth generation (US launch 2023) and the last year before the facelift. Kia had already announced the 2026 refresh, with new styling, a curved dual display and a new steering wheel, so a 2025 buyer gets the pre-facelift car.

Reviewers consistently praise the space, design and value, but the gas model's slow 2.5L and so-so dynamics keep it from winning comparison tests. Reviewers prefer the hybrid, and the CR-V and RAV4 remain the usual class picks.