The 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige AWD

The 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige AWD is the hybrid version of the brand’s award-winning compact crossover SUV. Now with an upmarket attitude, this Crossover squeezes between the three-row Sorento and the smaller Kia Seltos. The gang at Napleton News had a chance to spend some quality time in this hybrid CUV. These are our drive impressions.

Under the hood of the Sportage Hybrid SX

There are three versions of the Kia Sportage Hybrid available ranging from the base LX, the mid-range EX and the top-shelf SX-Premier. In its base form, it has the lowest starting price of entry. It competes against rivals like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and the Honda CR-V Hybrid. several engine choices that depend on the model and trim level you choose. All three trim levels are powered by Kia’s 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid 4-cylinder engine. It’s good for a class-leading 227 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. In standard front-wheel drive, the EPA estimates fuel economy of 43 miles-per-gallon. In all-wheel drive configuration, that number drops to 38 mpg.

The 1.6-liter engine is matched to a 44-kilowatt electric motor. A Sportage Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is also available, with a 1.6-liter turbo inline-4 cylinder that produces 177 horsepower. It mates to a 66.9-kW electric motor joins it to give 261 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.

All-wheel drive is an $1,800 option on the LX Hybrid. It is standard on all other trim levels.

Finally, there is a gas-powered version as well. We’ve said it before and will say it again: With the Kia Sportage, there’s something here for everyone.

How does the new Kia Sportage Hybrid SX look?

Following its 2023 refresh, the Kia Sportage Hybrid SX is pretty much carryover with a few mild changes. These include rear seat-mounted airbags and LED projector headlamps.

Highlights begin with the boomerang-shaped daylight running lights (DRL), a black graphics-oriented grille that goes full width across the front end. Flank the grille sides with boomerang-shaped daylight running lights (DRL), LED Fog Lights and LED rear combination lights. Our example is finished in “Shadow Matte Gray” which actually looks like plain old matte black. So now you can go all Euro-style in a “murdered out” sort of way.

The brushed metal Kia logos found on the hood and rear hatchback of the Sportage help set it off nicely.

A Prestigious interior

The interior of the new Kia Sportage Hybrid SX is one of the most well-designed crossover utility interiors we’ve been in. Futuristic, thoughtfully designed and made with vegan leather, it’s everything a person of the green persuasion could ask for. The center console offers adaptable cupholders to space large enough to accommodate a tablet. Other innovative features include an innovative coat hangers. Hang your coat and arrive wrinkle-free, we say. Thanks to heated and ventilated front seats, you can arrive as cool or heated as you please.

The new large curved display is carryover from the 2023 re-do of the Sportage. It stretches across the dashboard to the other side of the center console. Essentially, two 12.3-inch screens melded together, it allows the driver access to almost every important function inside the car. A touch button toggles between the infotainment and climate control screens. At first, it’s confusing and then becomes rather second nature in practice.

Driving the Sportage Hybrid AWD

The Kia Sportage Hybrid AWD is a hybrid that can handle the highway with ease. It’s even up for some mild off-roading, too. The combination Hybrid Electric Powertrain is up for nearly everything including around-town commutes and long-distance road trips. When testing the standard ICE-powered Sportage, we commented that it should have the more powerful engine found in the Sportage Hybrid. We are happy campers now that our comments have been answered!

There are loads of safety features on board with everything from forward collision warning, lane departure prevention, and blind-spot intervention. We still think the lane departure warning can be a bit sensitive. It always wanted to fight us had us when changing lanes without using our turn indicator. Still, the ride quality was excellent but could get noisy, depending on road surfaces.

And 32 mpg from an SUV is nothing to sneeze at, either.