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2025 Nissan Murano Review2025 Kia Sportage Review
The 2025 Kia Sportage brings some nice adjustments to a value-packed SUV. We look at interior quality, technology, and more in our review.
2025 Kia Sportage – kia.com | Shop 2025 Kia Sportage on Carsforsale.com
What is New for the 2025 Kia Sportage?
If you haven’t paid attention to the Kia Sportage since it was a laughably cheap runabout in the mid-2000s, prepare to have your mind blown. The fifth-generation Sportage has been riding high for the last four years, and the 2025 variant seems to be no exception. It’s so far removed from what it was 20 years ago that they no longer have a passing resemblance to each other.
But does that mean the typical suburban family of five should opt for a Sportage over something else from Honda, Toyota, or Volkswagen? These days, that’s not an easy choice to make at all. But we can at least break down the finer points of the 2025 Sportage to see how they stack up to their market rivals.
Carsforsale.com Score
8.75/10
Powertrain
Score
9/10
Interior
Score
8.5/10
Technology
Score
8.75/10
Value
Score
8.75/10
The Breakdown
Handsome-Looking Revised Exterior
Spacious and Revamped Interior
Plenty of Variety with Trims and Hybrid
Expensive at the High End
Lackluster Performance in Gas Engine
Expensive Upper Trim Levels
A solid compact crossover
2025 Sportage Specs
- 187 horsepower from base engine
- 178 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 7 available trims
- 39.6 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- 8-Speed Automatic Transmission
- 5 yr 60,000 mi basic warranty
- 10 yr/100,000 mi powertrain warranty
2025 Sportage Powertrain 9/10
Make no mistake, the fifth-generation Sportage was never a sports car. Its base powertrain reflects this, a meager 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine with just 187 horsepower to its name. That works out to zero to 60 in about 9.4 seconds, or around a full second slower than the equivalent non-hybrid Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4.
The available all-wheel drive with center locking and a proper eight-speed automatic transmission does help to liven things up, especially during adverse weather and the odd camping trip. But let’s be real, you’re not going to notice the difference when dropping little Timmy off at the mall. Most families of five would just call the performance adequate for what it is.
Fuel economy is about what you’d expect from a four-cylinder crossover SUV of this type with 32 highway MPGs when equipped with two-wheel-drive. That number dips 27 mpg when all-wheel drive is included.
Not bad for the non-hybrid, and the hybridized models are even better at a combined 38 MPGs. The Sportage Hybrids are also more powerful, with 227 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque to work within its non-PHEV form and 261 horses from the plug-in variant which nets you 34 miles of full-electric range.
2025 Kia Sportage Interior 8.5/10
If you’re familiar with older Kia models, you’ll know their interiors were consistently their weakest point. Not so with the Sportage or any vehicle made by Kia/Hyundai. To match the re-styled exterior complete with reworked trim pieces and front fascia, the interior of the 2025 Sportage is equally new. Two full-sized screens, one eight inches and the other 12.2, combine seamlessly into a blended display that makes up the gauge cluster and center infotainment screen.
Inspired in part by similar getups applied to the Sorrento, EV3, and EV9, such a prominent screen does a surprising job of feeling normal; as if the speedometer and tachometer weren’t even digital in appearance. Higher trimmed examples also net a larger, higher-fidelity 12.3-inch center capacitive display. Of course, iOS Car Play and Android Auto are included.
The Sportage’s suite of driver assistants is equally beefed up, complete with blind spot collision avoidance assist, forward collision-avoidance capability with automatic braking that works on vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians, and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist. It might be a mouthful to pronounce, but they’ll all serve you well to keep your family safe. On top of the obligatory 360-degree field of cameras and parking distance warning sensors that new cars have nowadays.
Add on Kia’s swanky SynTex soft-touch seat covering on all models from the EX upward with special color options in the SX and SX Prestige trims, there are more old-school forms of luxury on hand in this family daily driver than you might expect. When you factor in the 41.3 inches of rear legroom, the little ones have enough room back there to grow up behind the driver and front passenger. In all the practicality and connectivity-related features that families rely on to be strong, the Sportage doesn’t disappoint.
2025 Sportage Tech Features 8.75/10
Just about all modern cars have a passable suite of tech and features. But Kia’s made a habit over the last decade of loading up on technology, even in lower trim packages. In this sense, the 2025 Sportage is around on par with that high standard. Especially in upper trims, the functionality integrated into that screen cluster is more capable than you might think. Via this screen, almost all of the 2025 Sportage’s interior functions are accessible and changeable with a minimum of fuss.
That above-mentioned suite of driver aides might not have a fancy brand attached the way Subaru and GM might have done, but they’re sure to come in handy in heavy traffic and parallel parking situations. Though, that said, adaptive cruise control doesn’t make an appearance until you’ve already spent nearly $33,000 on the X-Line AWD trim. Ditto for the heated windshield, exclusive to the X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige, and the panoramic sunroof starting with the SX. It does make a compelling case for upgrading from the lower-trimmed Sportage.
That’s especially true of the Harmon Kardon premium eight-speaker sound system available starting with the SX as well. Moving to exterior features, it’s safe to say the facelift did wonders for the model’s longevity. Prominent LED headlights look like two glowing boomerangs as the new Sportage goes down the road. That new front grille doesn’t look too shabby either, especially with the choice of 17,18, and 19-inch alloy wheels flanking on either side.
As a space where families can legitimately accommodate the whole gang with enough luxuries to make a road trip bearable, the 2025 Sportage is one of the heavyweights at its price point. One that has a real fighting chance in arguably the most competitive market segment on the planet.
2025 Sportage Trims and Pricing
LX – $27,190
Say what you will about base-level vehicles. But it’s not like you lose that much opting for the 2025 Sportage LX. You get the same two-in-one gauge cluster and nav screen, USB-A and USB-C connectivity, and snazzy alloy wheels with this, baby Sportage. Granted, you will have to settle for cloth seats.
EX – $29,290
Moving up a trim, that cloth seat covering is replaced with Kia’s SynTex leather alternative while the 17-inch alloys get traded for a set of 18s. Meanwhile, the front grill comes in a special silver accent over a gloss black package. Very stylish all around.
X-Line AWD – $32,090
Camping trip and beach ride gang, this one’s for you. All-Wheel-Drive is at your service to provide all the trimmings of the revamped Sportage but with even more capability. Will it be a Range Rover on the trail? Probably not. That said, the X-Line AWD Sportage will get you some off-road ability at a fraction of the price and includes some nice touches like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and high utility roof rails.
SX/SX Prestige – $32,790/$34,790
By the time you reach the SX sub-class of trim packages, you’re already dropping a good chunk of coin on what’s still a Kia. But with a trim-specific body kit colored in gloss black, plus front and rear skid plates for an extra aggressive look, you’ll notice the difference between these and lessers in the range. 18-inch matte gray alloy wheels on the SX, or 19-inch gloss-finished alloy wheels on the SX Prestige bring a layer of class that’s almost European in looks.
X-Pro/X-Pro Prestige – $36,290/$38,090
Looking for something even more off-road friendly? Well, if you take the center-locking AWD from the X-Line and add 235/65R17 all-terrain tires, you get the X-Pro and the up-trimmed X-Pro Prestige. You’ll be paying a premium of over $10,000 over the base LX. But if an X-Pro becomes the family chariot for every summer camping trip for the next 15 years, then the added expense is decent value for money.
2025 Kia Sportage Overall Value 8.75/10
Well, safe to say a mid-life refresh did wonders for the Sportage. You get everything you got in the previous model year, plus some nice new features and a very photogenic exterior facelift. Is it a better value than a RAV4? Well, most of the vehicles built in the last 140-ish years aren’t as good value as a RAV4. But chances are good that this Kia will come close, with its staggering amount of technology option, and its outstanding five-year limited warranty and a ten-year 100,000-mile warranty.
Carsforsale.com Overall Score 8.75/10
2025 Kia Sportage – kia.com | Shop 2025 Kia Sportage on Carsforsale.com
Conventional wisdom used to tell us that you’d be foolish to buy anything but a CRV or an RAV4 in this market segment. Nowadays, Kia makes that paradigm feel as outdated as Windows Vista. You can do a lot worse at this price point, we’re looking at you Ford and Chevy.
2025 Kia Sportage FAQs
Can the Kia Sportage tow?
With added trailering breaks, the Sportage can two up to 2,500 lbs.
Where is the Kia Sportage made?
Kia builds the Sportage in West Point, Georgia.
Is the Kia Sportage AWD?
The Kia Sportage is available with AWD.
