The Compass price list states that adding a contrast black roof costs £1,200, even if it’s combined with the standard Hawaii hue.
| Model: | Kia Sportage 1.6 HEV Storm |
| Price: | £37,640 |
| Powertrain: | 1.6-litre 4cyl petrol hybrid, 235bhp |
| 0-62mph: | 7.9 seconds |
| Test efficiency: | 48.5mpg |
| Official range: | 555 miles |
| Annual VED: | £200 |
The Sportage has been a staple of the Kia line-up for more than 30 years, although it was the third generation that arrived in 2010 which really launched it as a stylish SUV, and sales rocketed as a result.
We’re now on to the fifth generation, but the basic formula of the Mk3 remains, with sharp looks, plenty of useful space and neat touches throughout the cabin. Prices start from £31,400, with the highest-spec PHEV with four-wheel drive at £48k.
Tester’s notes
Adjustable regenerative braking is often the reserve of fully electric models, but Kia, as with Jeep and other Stellantis brands, has seen fit to include it on the Sportage. And just like Kia’s EVs, it’s super-easy to adjust the set-up on the fly, because you use the paddles located behind the steering wheel.
There are three levels of strength, ranging from heavy resistance to freewheeling, and it offers a good opportunity to recharge the drive battery when descending a steep slope, for example.
Storm special edition is a trim level that offers added value to the Sportage and the all-electric EV5. Metallic paint is standard in grey, dark grey or black, while the black interior adds artificial leather seats with suede-effect upper sections. The front seats have electric adjustment and are ventilated as well as heated, while the outer rear seats are heated.