In the current climate, ways to save money should be embraced - which is why you’ll want to pay attention to this update about the new Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid.
Back in September, when we first brought you news about the PHEV Sportage, it was suggested the SUV would have a range of 35 miles using electricity alone - courtesy of a powertrain that features a 1.6-litre T-GDI petrol engine married to a 66.9 kW permanent magnet traction electric motor and a 13.8 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack.
However, the men in white coats at Kia have redone their sums and realised that, in actual fact, the PHEV Sportage will go further than anticipated - with an electric range of up to 43 miles.
That’s brilliant news if you’re trying to lower your fuel bills, and it gives the plug-in Sportage a better electric range than the Peugeot 3008 PHEV.
On top of that, lease customers can also expect fuel economy of up to 252 mpg while it also falls into a Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax bracket of just 8 per cent as a company car lease.
With all that frugality you might expect the new Sportage to be a little ponderous.
Erm, not so.
You get very decent power of 265 PS and and 350 Nm of torque, which work to provide a 0-60 mph time of just 7.9 seconds, and a top speed of 119 mph.
A Kia spokesperson says:
“A smooth and quick-shifting six-speed automatic transmission ensures drivers can make swift, effortless progress in all conditions.”
Kia also adds that the new model ‘costs less to run than almost all of its rivals, despite its premium interior, strong performance and generous standard equipment levels’.
The on-board charger (OBC) system is rated at 7.2kW, which means the battery can complete a full charge in just 1hr 45m.
Second-row passengers benefit from 955mm of legroom and 998mm of headroom, while luggage capacity is a hefty 540 litres with the rear seats in place.
To put that into context, it’s more than you get with rivals such as the Hyundai Tucson or Volkswagen Touran.
Riding on stylish 19-inch alloy wheels, the Sportage Plug-in Hybrid is available across the ‘GT-Line’, ‘3’, ‘4’ and ‘GT-Line S’ grades with prices starting from £38,395 on the road. The first UK customer deliveries are due to arrive in April this year.
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