The 2020 Kia Sportage is a compact crossover offering a frugal engine, well-appointed and spacious interior, and attractive exterior design.

What’s New for the 2020 Kia Sportage?

The 2020 Kia Sportage is a great alternative in the compact crossover SUV segment, offering available turbocharged power, all-wheel drive, and a spacious interior with some impressive technology. The exterior has a sleeker design than a more traditional boxy crossover and you can get sporty 19-inch wheels for added flash. The interior boasts seating for five along with some great standard features like an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto included. Two engine options let you focus on fuel efficiency with the 2.4-liter engine or performance with the 2.0-liter turbocharged unit. Front wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is offered on all trim levels. To see how it stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison of the top 10 crossovers of 2020.

2020 Kia Sportage - kiamedia.com

2020 Kia Sportage – kiamedia.com |  Shop 2020 Kia Sportage on Carsforsale.com

Body Style

Starting Price

MSRP $23,990

Drivetrain

Drivetrain

FWD or AWD

Drivetrain

Fuel Economy

23 City / 30 Hwy (MPG)

Number of Seats

Seating

Seats 5

The Breakdown

Expressive exterior styling

Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Comfortable seats

Plenty of passenger space

Less cargo space than competitors

Turbocharged engine is thirsty

2020 Sportage Specs

Trims & Pricing

LX - $23,990
S - $26,140
EX - $27,290
SX Turbo - $33,590

2020 Kia Sportage Powertrain

2020 Kia Sportage 2.4L I4 - carsforsale.com
2020 Kia Sportage 2.4L I4 - carsforsale.com

The driving experience for the 2020 Kis Sportage LX, S, and EX trim levels is similar. Each one is equipped with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 181 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. That engine is also connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. Power is routed to the front wheels, but optional all-wheel drive is offered on each trim. Acceleration is adequate, if not exciting, and the Sportage has decent fuel economy numbers. If you get a model with the shift paddles on the steering wheel, you could have a more engaging drive by selecting gears yourself.

2020 Kia Sportage 2.0L Turbo I4 - carsforsale.com
2020 Kia Sportage 2.0L Turbo I4 - carsforsale.com

If you want maximum performance, the 2020 Kia Sportage SX Turbo model is the one to choose. It gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 240 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. It’s mated to the same six-speed automatic transmission which results in noticeably better acceleration and response around town. Front-wheel-drive is standard here too, with all-wheel drive again being offered as optional equipment. The SX Turbo also gets sport-tuned suspension with larger wheels that improve handling, but results in a slightly stiffer ride, so try one out to see if you can live with that trade off. To see how the Sportage compares to the Mazda CX-5, read our comparison.

2020 Kia Sportage Fuel Economy & MPG 

2020 Kia Sportage - kiamedia.com
2020 Kia Sportage - kiamedia.com

To get a 2020 Kia Sportage with the best fuel economy possible, choose the 2.4-liter engine and front-wheel drive. This combo is rated at 23 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg combined. Adding all-wheel drive reduces mpg to 22 city, 26 highway, and 23 mpg combined. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine is a bit thirstier achieving 20 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and a combined rating of 23 mpg for the front-wheel drive model. Add all-wheel drive and that turbo engine’s fuel economy drops to 19 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined.

Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space

The 2020 Kia Sportage provides a spacious interior that provides mile after mile of comfort. There is ample seating for four people, and a fifth can be accommodated in the second-row when needed. The seats are nicely shaped and offer a good amount of adjustability so you can find the right position. Materials range from cloth to faux-leather to real leather on the upper trim models. The Sportage is also offered with some luxurious like heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a dual-zone automatic climate control system so you and your passenger can set different temperatures.

The available panoramic sunroof lets in a lot of natural light and fresh air when desired, and the available ambient lighting creates a cool environment at night. Cargo space is good, but not class leading, with 30.1 cubic feet of space behind the second row. If you fold the second-row seats, the cargo area expands to 60 cubic feet.

Entertainment & Technology

2020 Kia Sportage - carsforsale.com
2020 Kia Sportage - carsforsale.com

The 2020 Kia Sportage delivers some impressive technology, even on the base model, by offering a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. These are features you often have to pay for on some rather expensive luxury sedans. The Kia UVO infotainment system can also include things like GPS navigation to find your way around town, satellite radio, and voice recognition technology. USB ports let you charge your device while on the go, and Kia even offers one for the rear passengers. An available wireless charging pad makes it super easy to keep your compatible device charged on the go.

Safety Features

The 2020 Kia Sportage is also offered with safety tech like blind-spot monitoring to alert you to vehicles you might not be able to see, adaptive cruise control that automatically adjusts your speed as you approach slower moving traffic, and lane-departure warning that notifies you if you start to drift out of your lane. Another great safety feature is automatic braking and pedestrian detection which will automatically apply emergency braking if it determines an imminent collision. The system responds faster than a human can in order to help mitigate damage in a collision.

2020 Kia Sportage Trims and Pricing

2020 Kia Sportage LX - carsforsale.com
2020 Kia Sportage LX - carsforsale.com

LX – $23,990

The base LX trim starts at $23,990 dollars and comes with the 2.4-liter engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is an option on all trim levels. The LX also comes with 17-inch aluminum wheels, a steering wheel with both tilt and telescoping adjustability, the Kia UVO infotainment system with a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen display, standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a USB port, and six-speakers. Safety tech includes a driver attention monitor, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning with automatic braking.

2020 Kia Sportage S - carsforsale.com
2020 Kia Sportage S - carsforsale.com

S – $26,140

The S trim level gets large 18-inch aluminum wheels, heated exterior mirrors, Sofino synthetic leather upholstery, a blind-spot monitoring system, and a flat-bottomed steering wheel with shift paddles. Other options on the S include a panoramic sunroof, LED fog lights, dual-zone automatic climate control system, heated front seats, a wireless charging pad for your compatible device, and adaptive cruise control.

2020 Kia Sportage EX - carsforsale.com
2020 Kia Sportage EX - carsforsale.com

EX – $27,290

The EX trim comes with 18-inch wheels, a leather wrapped steering wheel, a rear USB port, keyless entry and ignition, plus a hands-free tailgate. Other options on the EX trim include a Harman Kardon sound system with eight speakers, navigation, satellite radio, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, ventilated front-seats, a heated steering wheel, and leather upholstery.

2020 Kia Sportage SX Turbo - carsforsale.com
2020 Kia Sportage SX Turbo - carsforsale.com

SX Turbo – $33,590

The top SX Turbo trim is fully loaded and gets the more powerful turbocharged engine, sport-tuned suspension for better handling, large 19-inch wheels, larger brakes, and LED headlights.

Warranties

The 2020 Kia Sportage is offered with a generous 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty to cover any potential issues that arise. The powertrain is covered by an even better 10-year/100,000-mile warranty to give you more peace of mind. No complimentary maintenance is offered.

What we think

2020 Kia Sportage - kiamedia.com

2020 Kia Sportage – kiamedia.com |  Shop 2020 Kia Sportage on Carsforsale.com

If you’re looking for a small crossover that delivers a spacious interior, comfortable ride, and modern technology, it’s hard to beat the value-packed 2020 Kia Sportage. The exterior design is attractive, it offers available all-wheel drive across all trim levels which can be a big deal if you live in the snowbelt, and the turbocharged engine provides strong performance.

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Jim Carlson

For Jim Carlson, a passion for cars goes back to riding in his uncle's 1971 Corvette! That established a lifelong interest in cars that hasn't subsided. Whether he's detailing a car, going for a drive, or walking through a car show, Jim takes the time to appreciate what makes a car 'go.' He’s especially fond of sports cars. Jim's reviews and articles are filled with a broad knowledge about cars, but he also puts to use his fiscal expertise, thanks to a Bachelor's Degree in financial management from the University of Minnesota, Morris.

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