Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDi diesel 4x4 automatic

Our verdict

Kia's compact SUV, the Sportage, has come a long way since the original version was launched in 1993. The car is tested here with the 1.6 diesel engine with 48V mild-hybrid technology. It has a comprehensive range of exhaust after-treatment, including selective catalytic reduction (SCR), a lean NO_x trap catalyst and a diesel particulate filter (DPF). Nevertheless, with an overall rating of just 1½ stars, there is room for improvement. Carbon monoxide remains well below legislative limits under all test conditions and, under standard laboratory conditions, NO_x emissions are adequately controlled. However, the vehicle is not robust in this regard and the more challenging tests lead to high values of NO_x. With its permanent four wheel drive and a fairly high test mass, efficiency is not the best. But it is in the area of greenhouse gas emissions that the car performs most poorly. In particular, N₂O emissions are high and this has a smothering effect on the car's score in this area. With an index of just 0.1 in this part of the assessment, the weighted index is dragged down and the car effectively loses half a star because of this aspect of its performance.