Kia Sportage 1.6T High: Right-Priced Ride

February 4, 2026

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Reduced pricing on the Kia Sportage 1.6T High helps to make the case for this mid-sized SUV.

Malaysians are no strangers to the Kia brand. I distinctly remember one of the teachers in my primary school driving a Sephia and know of friends and family that still own the Forte. One model that never quite got its deserved success in Malaysia was the Sportage which has been around since before even SUVs like the Honda CR-V. Back then, the Sportage was a little rough around the edges but the 5th gen model is a different machine altogether. It’s refined and competitive with avant-garde looks and some unique features that set it apart in the market. Yet it’s not on the shortlist of most Malaysian SUV buyers.

Well, let’s get the bad out of the way first. It’s no secret that the current Sportage is due a replacement – one that will arrive under Kia Sales Malaysia (KSM) in a relatively short time. It’s also quite obvious that this 5th generation Sportage arrived late to the game, getting its Malaysian launch in late 2024 AFTER the facelift was revealed. Yikes. It also arrived with a rather high price tag of RM176,899, putting it right up against established Japanese rivals like the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V.

The product itself is not beyond redemption though. Sure, it’s not the latest version of the Sportage, but a facelift doesn’t usually entail generational upgrades, so you’re probably not missing out on game changing efficiency, power or handling gains. To me it’s the pricing that matter most and the good news is that has been addressed with a massive discount. The Sportage 1.6 Turbo High spec comes in at RM158,800 now which makes it really competitive. At this price point, it’s actually punching slightly above its weigh in terms of equipment. Plus, the discount isn’t so massive so as to tank resale value for customers who paid full price.

Most of what’s expected in terms of equipment is here at this price point – full safety features, ADAS with adaptive cruise control, digital displays, leather seats, 18″ alloy wheels, projector LED headlamps… It’s all here.

They’ve even gone a step further than most rivals by including Blind Spot View Monitoring through the digital instrument cluster. There’s also the relatively rare inclusion of a passenger-side lock toggle for all doors.

The party trick of this Sportage is the dual-purpose capacitive panel, which switches between A/C and media controls. It’s a pretty intuitive but unique way to combine physical and digital interfaces.

Unfortunately there are some items that are still missing. The lack of a wireless charging tray is the most aggregious omission here – particularly since wireless Apple Carplay/Android Auto is present.

The lack of ventilated seats is understandable but the result is a set of blanked out buttons in the centre console and that’s a bit of an eyesore. Also worth noting that the Sportage lacks a sunroof in Malaysia, which is also understandable. However, the lack of a sunroof and the lack of LED cabin lighting is certainly hurts the perceived quality of the interior.

Under the hood sits a 1.6-litre turbocharged Gamma II 4-cylinder petrol engine. It’s nothing particularly special, but it’s the right choice for our market with a healthy 177hp and 265Nm of torque sent to the front wheels via a 7-speed dual clutch automatic.

On the whole the set-up is fine, though the gearbox does still exhibit some less than ideal low-speed characteristics. For that reason, I found myself preferring the 1.5L turbo + CVT in the CR-V over this one, but the gap isn’t particularly large between Japan and Korea now with this class of powertrain. Compared to its Chinese counterparts, the Kia turbo has a lower output but better fuel efficiency and feels a hair more refined in day-to-day driving.

In terms of ride and handling, the Sportage also outdoes some of its Chinese rivals. However, it doesn’t quite do NVH characteristic as well and this will likely be noticed by occupants first. Kia’s ride is typically quite firm, which can be a good thing in the corners but you need to change the drive mode to Sport in order to stiffen the steering response up for it to drive like a more organic machine. Overall, once again, I find myself more impressed with Honda’s work but only at the extremes.

That’s the thing – you’re not getting the best in class with this Sportage, but you’re also not paying a marked up price for it. At under RM160,000 this is an extremely competent family SUV with loads of equipment, an efficient powertrain with a near-complete kit list and genre-bending looks. It’s not a bad buy by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s also not for everyone.

The more adventurous buyers will doubtless be more taken by new Chinese brands with electrified or fully-electric powertrains. More conservative buyers will flock to the smaller Corolla Cross or worse equipped CR-V. Anyone left between these two extremes should give this Sportage a shot. You never know, you may even get a sweeter deal from the showroom than you expect as they’re in the stock-clearance phase for this model.