Kia Sportage Gas, Hybrid, or Plug-In Hybrid? Here’s the Mileage for Each

As a car that offers buyers an unbelievable amount of powertrain options, the Kia Sportage is one of the best. Available in either gas-only, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid setups, there’s a Sportage out there for everyone. That, plus its generous cargo volume, make the Sportage a top pick in our book, and it even ranks among the best compact hybrid SUVs by our tally.

Because of its small size and efficient powertrain, the Sportage returns strong fuel economy across all three powertrain options, so keep reading to see the ratings: If you’re shopping based on fuel economy, we have everything in one place for you. And regardless of what powers it, each Sportage wears the brand’s slick, modern design.

Kia Sportage

Gasoline-only Sportages are powered by a 2.5-liter inline-four with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It produces a claimed 187 hp and can tow up to 2,500 pounds when properly equipped. Either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive are available, and six different grades are offered: LX, EX, SX, SX Prestige, X-Line, and X-Pro Prestige.

2026 Kia Sportage fuel economy:

• FWD – 25/33/28 mpg city/highway/combined
• AWD – 24/30/26 mpg city/highway/combined

Kia Sportage Hybrid

Standard hybrid Sportage models use a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine and motor to produce 232 hp, which is 5 hp more than last year’s model. That’s routed via a six-speed automatic transmission, and either FWD or AWD can be equipped. You can expect a massive leap in mileage over the gas-only version. There’s also a 2,000-pound towing capacity with the proper equipment.

Kia Sportage Hybrid grades expand for 2026, with S and the rugged X-Line joining the LX (the only grade offered with FWD) and EX. The S brings the big touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, powered driver’s seat, and heated front seats. Glossy black window trim and front grille and 18-inch alloy wheels complete the look.

The Hybrid X-Line comes standard with AWD, as well as 8.3 inches of ground clearance, which is up from the base model’s 7.1 inches. It rides on 19-inch wheels with all-terrain tires and has a changeable Terrain mode for Snow, Mud, or Sand. Despite all that extra hardware, though, fuel economy remains the same as other AWD models.

2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid fuel economy:

• FWD – 41/44/42 mpg city/highway/combined
• AWD – 35/36/35 mpg city/highway/combined

Kia Sportage PHEV

As the most expensive Sportage model in the family, the plug-in version also only comes with AWD and in the top X-Line and X-Line Prestige grades. Power comes from a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine and a 72-kW motor paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. And, like the Sportage Hybrid, the Kia Sportage PHEV sees a 7-hp increase over the 2025 models. It also has a 2,000-pound towing capacity when equipped properly.

The PHEV Sportage can return up to 34 miles of electric-only range with its bigger battery. However, we’ll note the Sportage Hybrid has a much better overall driving range than the plug in, with FWD and AWD models netting more than 580 and 520 miles on a single tank, respectively.

2026 Kia Sportage PHEV fuel economy:

• AWD – 36 mpg combined (gas-only); 83 mpg-e combined (electric and gas)

A PHEV makes sense if you’re going to regularly use the battery-only range. But if you’re going to drive the car like normal without relying much on the battery, we’d recommend going the standard hybrid route.

We’d consider the Sportage Hybrid in the top-tier SX Prestige, because in addition to the great fuel economy, we love the standard luxury onboard features like the panoramic dual displays, surround-view camera, heated and ventilated front seats, head-up display, and wireless phone charger. MSRP for the 2026s start at $42,085, which is a hell of a lot of car for the price.