Here is why the Kia Sportage is the 2022 Drive Car of the Year!

The market for compact SUVs is as competitive as it has ever been! When selecting an automobile that meets their demands, consumers have a multitude of options and alternatives.

The Kia Sportage won the award for Best Medium SUV and 2022 Drive Car of the Year overall, and while it delivers an exceptional all-around package, it cannot please every consumer. Here is how it compares to some of its most competitive competitors.

If you believe that the Kia Sportage received the 2022 Drive Car of the Year title because it excels in a few key categories, you are mistaken. The Sportage won because it is the best performer across a variety of parameters, all of which are important to Australian buyers of new automobiles.

Simply said, the Sportage did not win because it was the fastest, the most fuel-efficient, the most practical, or the most dynamic. The Sportage won because no other vehicle offers all of these qualities in a single package.

Let’s examine this in greater detail to see what it signifies.

Is the Kia Sportage more efficient than the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid in terms of fuel economy?

Currently, fuel efficiency is a major topic, and rightfully so. Every litre of fuel consumed by a car begins as crude oil. Therefore, the less fuel we consume, the less oil must be extracted.

The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is among the most fuel-efficient compact SUVs in Australia. This car, which is roughly the same size as the Sportage, combines a gasoline engine and an electric motor to achieve class-leading fuel economy.

Kia Australia is working to introduce to Australia a Sportage with a hybrid drivetrain that surpasses the Toyota in technology and performance.

The Kia Sportage PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) combines a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with a 44kW electric motor to provide 195kW and 350Nm, significantly more than the Toyota RAV4.

This Kia Sportage PHEV’s European specifications were revealed in February, promising a 78-kilometer electric-only range with zero emissions and a remarkable 1.1L/100-kilometer fuel economy. Again, the RAV4 cannot equal these stats.

Fuel consumption tests conducted in Korea indicate that while the Sportage PHEV is functioning as a closed-loop hybrid, it is 0.4L/100km more efficient than the RAV4, which is rated at 4.7L/100km in Australia.

If you can’t wait for the Sportage PHEV to arrive in Australia, Kia now offers a turbodiesel Sportage that produces 137kW and consumes just 6.3L/100km. These outputs give the Sportage with seamless real-world performance and a fuel efficiency that increases monthly feeding costs by little than a bottle of wine.

Should I purchase the Kia Sportage or the Audi Q5?

The Kia Sportage also delighted the Drive Car of the Year judges with its interior presentation and functionality. Regarding the former, the Sportage’s dashboard-mounted digital display, which features two 12.3-inch high-resolution screens, really sets the scene.

This cutting-edge display joins with an adaptive touch bar that adapts its buttons to match the infotainment screen mode, giving the Sportage a control center that rivals some of the best from Audi, which has long been regarded as the benchmark for interior fit and finish.

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