When I reviewed the Kia Sportage LX in 2022, I called it a segment laggard and hoped that Kia would make it competitive. And Kia acted, refreshing the Sportage with a new modern, adventurous design (their adjectives, not mine). In addition to stylish new sheetmetal, the updated Sportage got an astonishingly long list of standard equipment, including goodies like keyless entry, push-button start, heated seats, radar cruise control, wireless smartphone connectivity, digital gauge cluster and infotainment screens, and a bevvy of active safety systems. Has the comprehensive remake propelled the Sportage to the front of the class? I aim to find out.
Today, I am renting a 2026 Sportage LX from Hertz. The LX is the lowest-priced Sportage, and my example is as stripped as they come: Save for the $1,800 AWD, Hertz didn’t splurge on a single option! As such, my bare-bones black-on-black LX rings up at $30,590 (excluding taxes and the unavoidable $1,495 destination fee).
I would have thought that a zero-option Kia would require a physical key to open the doors and start the engine, but the Sportage LX bucks my expectations. When I approach the vehicle, it senses the fob in my pocket, illuminates the front door cups, and lets me keylessly unlock the car using a button on the door handle. To start the engine, I simply prod the start-stop button on the center console.
Kia is building a reputation for tech-forward vehicles with avant-garde designs. Its investment in cabin tech pays off when I pair my phone with the Kia infotainment system. After attaching my phone to the car with a USB-C cable, I approve the connection, and Android Auto is good to go. This initial pairing is the only time I’ll need the wire; all subsequent connections can be wireless.
Kia’s infotainment software is responsive and reasonably easy to navigate. I browse through the vehicle options and find a surprising level of detail in the settings. For example, the radar cruise control has settings not just for following distance, but also for how quickly the Sportage will accelerate to its set speed when a slow-moving vehicle moves aside.
When I am bored with menu browsing, I launch Google Maps on Android Auto to enter my destination. I’m impressed by the map’s rendering on the high-resolution infotainment screen; Kia hasn’t burdened the Sportage LX with a budget display.
A second LCD screen of equal size and quality renders the virtual gauge cluster. The gauge graphics feature a modern, minimalist motif that complements the Sportage’s interior and exterior styling.
The HVAC controls follow the minimalist aesthetic. There are twin knobs for setting the fan speed and temperature—turn to red for hot, blue for cold—and a panel of haptic buttons for the vent choices and defrosters. Five buttons below the shifter control the drive modes and parking sensors, and a pair of seat heater buttons is nearby.
My first taste of the Sportage LX’s dynamics comes on the short drive home from Hertz. Unfortunately, my initial impression—made just 1,000 feet out of the rental car lot—is deeply disappointing!
Simply put, the Sportage LX’s driver’s seat kicks rocks! It is poorly padded, with a saggy bottom that pinches my tush. Furthermore, my lower back is poorly supported; in my search for lumbar adjustment, I find manual controls for sliding, tilting, and lifting, but nothing to help my spine. For the first time in a decade, I wish I had a thrift-store cushion to sculpt the seat!
(The Sportage’s higher trim levels get adjustable lumbar and powered seats.)
The 30-minute drive to my destination reveals that the Sportage LX’s suspension is also cut-rate. The SUV has a softer setup, which I appreciate as a nod to comfort. However, the Sportage LX only handles modest bumps with grace; larger impacts provoke float and residual oscillations.
Thankfully, under steady lateral forces like a highway cloverleaf, the Sportage LX manages body roll well and steers with confidence.
The quick drive has me doubting that the 2026 Sportage LX is a class leader.
The next day, I explore the Sportage LX on a family road trip to New York City. We load the SUV for the weekend getaway, appreciating the spacious cabin and capacious trunk that easily swallows our single large suitcase and four backpacks. (Four 26” suitcases could go in the trunk with space leftover for day packs.)
It snowed lightly overnight, so the Sportage LX’s heated front seats and AWD are welcome. My rental wears 235/65 Kumho Crugen HP71 all-season tires on 17” wheels, and I don’t feel any slippage on the snow-covered road.
The DOT has cleared and salted the highway, so I can drive at my normal (rushed) pace. I lean on the Sportage LX’s radar cruise control as I navigate the light traffic. The system is well-tuned, slows naturally when cut off, and doesn’t mistakenly accelerate during lane changes. (Inferior systems will see the gap in traffic between lanes and hit the gas.)
Other manufacturers have cruise control systems that will steer a car down the road, but the Sportage LX lacks true lane-following. (It’s an option on top-trim Sportages.) Still, I have lane-keeping assistance to keep me from unintentionally wandering out of my lane; it steers the SUV back towards the center of the lane. The safety feature is better than nothing, but I’d prefer Tesla’s Autopilot or Nissan’s ProPilot Assist for the two-hour drive.
My Sportage’s engine is a 2.5L four-cylinder that drinks regular unleaded and churns out 187 hp. Churn as it may, the engine is anything but buttery smooth. Dip deep into the accelerator, and the four-banger whines like a distressed egg-beater and fills the steering and shifter with gritty vibrations. Despite the unpleasant sounds from under the hood, the engine is effective at pushing the Sportage LX across the Garden State at speeds that could net me a ticket.
Sadly, the Sportage LX’s considerable wind and road noise at 80 mph make conversations with my kids in the back seat difficult. Thankfully, they are content listening to satellite radio as we plod across New Jersey. (The only volume knob is on the steering wheel, so my wife has to wade through the infotainment pages when she wants adjust the volume.)
The Sportage LX’s engine is a modern anomaly, as it lacks turbocharging or hybrid assistance. It produces 178 lb-ft of torque, which is just enough to make the Sportage LX tolerable when sprinting away from tollbooths. According to Autoblog.com, the Sportage LX goes 0-60 mph in about 9 seconds; a hybrid drivetrain is available for owners who want more economy and speed. We saw 26 mpg on our drive to New York, but drivers with lighter right feet will get ~30 mpg.
Kia fits the Sportage LX with a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. The gearbox is well-tuned; when I ask for acceleration, it promptly downshifts to build power. And at a steady cruise, the transmission upshifts to keep the rpm near 2k and maximize fuel economy.
The Sportage LX’s steering has a good sense of straight ahead, with the wheel feeling tight on center and immediately alert. The system hides most road textures, though some bump impacts still reach my fingers through the steering column.
I don’t expect sportscar steering from the Sportage, so my only quibble with the system concerns the wheel’s shape. Kia reinvented the circle by squaring off its top and bottom; the style-driven shape makes it harder to place my palms in hand-over-hand turns.
Remember my initial bad impressions of the front seats? After the two-hour drive to NYC, I feel fine. My butt is still awake, and my back doesn’t ache—while the driver’s seat is a low point for the Sportage LX, it isn’t as bad as it first seemed.
Instead, the discomfort award goes to the door’s elbow rest. The unpadded plastic is so uncomfortable, I avoid it at all costs!
After 150 miles in the Sportage LX, familiarity is breeding contempt. With each passing mile, my disdain increases for its coarse engine, substandard suspension, and penny-pinching interior. If cheap plastics are evil, then the Sportage LX’s cabin is a dark den of iniquity. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is the only quality touch.
Ultimately, I care too much about refinement and driving dynamics to gel with the Sportage LX. Though the SUV has family-friendly dimensions and ample features, the tech bells and whistles seem more like a ploy to get buyers into the showroom than an honest attempt to build an exemplary vehicle.
I hope I’m just experiencing the scourge of a no-options Sportage LX; it’s a vehicle that’s only fit for rental lots. For Kia’s sake, I pray that the higher trim levels and hybrid drivetrain make the Sportage the smooth, comfortable SUV it deserves to be.
Mike's Steering Column 