The 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid is proof that the Koreans have done what the Japanese did 30 years ago: looked at the established order, taken notes, and then made better cars at lower prices with more style, more cleverness, and more empathy for the human beings who actually drive them. The 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid isn’t just an appliance; it’s a conscious, environmentally friendly guilt-neutralizer that is helping save the world. You can park at Whole Foods without getting too much stink-eye from the anti-capitalist crowd. They’ll just see it and nod in approval, and you’ll nod back as if you’ve cured climate change with a cup of kombucha.

Inside, Kia’s done what all car manufacturers are doing, festooning the instrument panel with a pair of 12.3-inch screens stretched across the dash like a Best Buy showroom. One is the instrument cluster, the other the infotainment setup. OK, that’s a lot of screen. Thankfully, Kia sets the climate controls apart, lower on the instrument panel, making it easy and quick to use. New options include a head-up display, and a Digital Key, which allows you to use your smartphone wallet as a vehicle key. There's also a new Terrain mode on all-wheel-drive models to handle snow, mud and sand.

Elsewhere, every surface is soft-touch, vegan-friendly and probably sterilized with essential oils. Thoughtfully, there are purse hooks on the back of the seatbacks as well as ridges that can hold a smartphone or iPad on the back of the headrests. The door panels are beautifully designed as are many of the cabin’s surfaces. The comfortable seats have prominent side bolsters and there’s good headroom. Rear seat sits comfortably high, but headroom is tight for taller passengers. But you’ll find the ride is extremely firm, as there’s not enough bump absorption, resulting in a very jiggly ride over rough pavement.

The styling is pure modern Kia: all sharp edges and confident stances, like a pair of sunglasses that cost too much but feel worth it. There’s a touch of swagger here. Clearly, Kia knows what it’s doing. It’s a cabin that feels like it was designed by people who actually drive.

The powertrain isn’t going to break any records, but it’s not trying to. It’s a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a 44-kW electric motor. If that sounds somewhat timid, that’s because it is. Total output is 232 horsepower routed through a six-speed automatic transmission. That’s plenty for normal, non-track-day, non-road warrior wannabes. Acceleration is adequate, but that reserve of power needed for a quick burst of power is lacking. It will get you to 60 mph in less than 8 seconds, which is fast enough to escape your own bad decisions and just peppy enough to make you feel like you’re doing something vaguely sporty. Should you want to tow something, it will yank 2,000 pounds. Lower-level trims come with front-wheel drive, while the EX and SX-Prestige have all-wheel drive system with center locking.

Hit the road and the Sportage is smooth, linear and blessedly quiet. There’s a sense of refinement, a polished composure that makes you wonder why anyone still buys a purely gas-powered small SUV. It comports itself with an almost eerie silence. No drama. No fuss. Just competence executed beautifully. It performs like a well-behaved intern: competent, unobtrusive, and absolutely terrified of offending anyone.

Cornering brings out modest body lean, braking is well-mannered, and the steering wheel feels like it was borrowed from a very expensive video game controller. And the fuel economy? It’s rated as much as 42 mpg in combined city/highway driving, but the test drive yielded 36 mpg.

Sure, the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid is not perfect. Nothing with an engine, a VIN, and a cupholder will ever be perfect. But this thing comes closer than it has any right to. You get into it expecting an appliance and discover something that’s been crafted with real intent, like finding out your accountant plays jazz saxophone after hours.

In a world full of forgettable crossovers, the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid is memorable for all the right reasons. It’s handsome, efficient, and deeply satisfying in the way that only a well-thought-out machine can be. It reminds us that good design, honest engineering, and a touch of ambition still matter.

2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid

Base price: $31,785

Powertrain: 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and 44-kW electric motor

Horsepower/Torque: 232/271 pound-feet

EPA rating (combined city/highway): 42 mpg

Fuel required: 87 Octane

Length/Width/Height: 184/73/66 inches

Ground clearance: 8.3 inches

Payload: 1,098 pounds

Cargo capacity: 34.5-65 cubic feet

Towing capacity: 2,000 pounds

©2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC