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New Kia Sportage PHEV Gets £38,395 UK Starting Price, Promises 43-Mile EV Range

Sold as a 2022 model in the United Kingdom, the completely redesigned Sportage is available with a fuel-sipping powertrain in the guise of a plug-in hybrid. This variant isn’t cheap at £38,395 ($50,100), but it’s probably worth your money based on the all-electric driving range estimate.
2022 Kia Sportage PHEV for the UK 7 photos
Photo: Kia
2022 Kia Sportage PHEV for the UK2022 Kia Sportage PHEV for the UK2022 Kia Sportage PHEV for the UK2022 Kia Sportage PHEV for the UK2022 Kia Sportage PHEV for the UK2022 Kia Sportage PHEV for the UK
Kia quotes 43 miles (69 kilometers) in electric driving mode, which is more than enough for most daily commutes. What’s more, the Sportage PHEV costs less to run than many other competitors thanks to its low carbon-dioxide emissions of 25 grams per kilometer. Customers, therefore, enjoy a £0 VED first-year tax after registration, a benefit-in-kind tax rate of 7 percent for 2021/2022, and a BIK of 8 percent through tax year 2024/25.

The South Korean automaker offers four trim levels of the Sportage PHEV in the United Kingdom, starting with the GT-Line. In this configuration, the compact utility vehicle boasts a 12.3-inch touchscreen display with satellite navigation, 19-inch alloy wheels, a 4.2-inch cluster display, quilted leather-suede upholstery for the seats, smart cruise control, and loads of active safety features that include lane follow assist. What makes it tick, though?

A 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder engine opens the list, joined by a 66.9-kW electric motor and a 13.8-kWh battery of the lithium-ion-polymer variety. As opposed to the continuously variable transmission in plug-in Toyotas, the Sportage PHEV features a torque-converter automatic with six forward ratios. Equipped with AWD right off the bat, this fellow develops 265 ps (261 horsepower) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) between 1,500 and 4,500 rpm.

It's okay to believe in fairy tales I guess, but it’s not okay to believe Kia’s fuel economy rating of 252 miles per gallon. That’s nearly 210 miles per gallon in the United States or 1.12 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers, which is borderline ridiculous if you ignore the inherent flaws of the WLTP, which stands for Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure.

Typical of Kia, the names of the remaining trim levels don’t really make sense: 3, 4, and GT-Line S. The latter costs £43,795 (make that $57,170).
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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