The Kia Sportage Plug-In Hybrid: The Complete Guide For The UK

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Overview

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Kia Corporation, the South Korean automotive manufacturer is fast developing a portfolio of lower emission ‘eco’ vehicles, to include zero-emission battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and mild hybrids. The BEVs and PHEVs range includes:

• The all-electric Kia Niro EV
• The all-electric Kia Soul EV
• The all-electric Kia EV6
• Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid
• Kia XCeed Plug-In Hybrid
• Kia Ceed Sportswagon Plug-In Hybrid
• Kia Sportage Plug-In Hybrid
• The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid

The Korean automotive company is headquartered in Seoul, and it is South Korea’s second largest automotive manufacturer after the Hyundai Motor Company. Hyundai owns a 33.88% stake in Kia. The Kia Corporation has been active in the European markets since 1991.

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The Kia Sportage PHEV

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The Kia Sportage, now in its fifth-generation, has always been a popular SUV. However, with the addition of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, the family SUV has become even more compelling. Of course, given the lower tailpipe emissions (25g CO2/km), the Kia Sportage plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) will be just as popular with company-car drivers, keen to take advantage of the low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rate (8%) for the the PHEV SUV.

The Sportage plug-in hybrid SUV has a 13.8 kWh onboard EV battery, with a WLTP certified zero-emission electric range up to 43 miles. Adjusting for real-world driving conditions, the Sportage plug-in should comfortably deliver an emission-free pure electric range over 35 miles, useful for city and shorter distance motorway driving! For those new to electric driving, it is worth noting that many factors influence the real-world electric car range. Some of these include: driving style, temperature, elevation, wind, rain, road surface, tyre size, onboard services used etc.

Do keep in mind that driving on the pure electric mode helps reduce the cost of motoring and improve the overall efficiency of the vehicle. Depending on the cost of charging, expect a driving cost between 5 pence and 10 pence per mile, when driven on the e-mode. This is substantially cheaper than driving using the petrol internal combustion engine (ICE).

Kia claims the Sportage PHEV can deliver up to 252 mpg. This is certainly impressive, however, do keep in mind, like the real-world electric range, the real-world fuel economy will be lower than the manufacturer claimed data. Nevertheless, leveraging the pure electric mode on a regular basis is a must in taking advantage of the benefits of electric driving, to include better fuel economy!

Taking advantage of the EV range will also require inculcating a habit of charging the EV on a regular basis, which is as easy as charging a smartphone. We at e-zoomed discourage the use of a domestic 3-PIN plug for charging an electric car. A ‘topping up’ approach to charging will help improve the overall efficiency of the electric vehicle and also improve the long-term maintenance of the onboard EV battery. Kia offers a 7 years or 100,000 miles warranty.

The Kia PHEV does not offer DC charging. The EV has a 7.2 kW onboard charger. The Kia electric vehicle can be charged 10% to 100% via a dedicated EV charging station in 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you insist on using a domestic socket for charging, the EV will take up to 5 hours and 27 minutes to fully charge.

The plug-in hybrid SUV comes as an all-wheel drive as standard. The EV combines a 1.6-litre (four-cylinder) turbocharged petrol engine with an onboard electric motor (66.9 kW), powered by the EV battery. Despite the additional weight of the EV battery (140 kg), the PHEV can achieve 0-60 mph in 7.9 seconds. The 6-speed automatic transmission plug-in electric SUV delivers 226 bhp maximum power and 350 Nm torque. Top speed is 119 mph. The EV has 3 driving modes: comfort, eco and sport mode.

The all-new Kia Sportage plug-in hybrid has an attractive exterior styling, with a good balance between a traditional and futuristic design. The interior cabin is also just as appealing and the level of standard equipment and technology does not disappoint. In terms of practicality, the SUV has much to offer, in particular, a good boot size (540 L). The only real critique is the potential for limited legroom for taller adults seated in the rear.

The electric vehicle (EV) offers a host of safety features as standard, to include: forward collision-avoidance assist (FCA) – city/pedestrian/cyclist/junction covering, hill-start assist control (HAC), intelligent speed limit assist (ISLA), lane following assist (LFA), lane keep assist (LKA) and more. Also included as standard is a 12.3″ Supervision Colour Cluster Display, 360° around view monitor, blind-spot view monitor (BVM), free 7-year Kia Connect (UVO) services and more.

Bottom-line, the Kia Sportage plug-in hybrid is good for the environment and the wallet! You can lease electric vehicles at very competitive prices via e-zoomed!

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PROS	CONS
Low tailpipe emission	Does not offer DC charging
Decent zero-emission electric range	Onboard charger limited to 7.2 kW (single-phase)
All-wheel drive as standard	Rear legroom limited for taller adults

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The Kia Sportage PHEV (credit: Kia)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
Body Type:	SUV
Plug-In Car Grant (PiCG):	Not Available
Engine:	Petrol-Electric
Available In UK:	Yes

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£ Variants (4 Options)
GT-Line Plug-In Hybrid (from £39,150)
3 Plug-In Hybrid (from £40,350)
4 Plug-In Hybrid (from £42,550)
GT-Line S Plug-In Hybrid (from £44,550)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 13.8 kWh
Charging:	DC charging not available. On board charger: 7.2 kW AC (10% – 100%: 1 hr 45 mins)
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	25g (CO2/km)
Warranty:	7 years or 100,000 miles

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Average Cost Of Residential Charging
Battery net capacity : 8.8 kWh	£1.27
Battery net capacity : 11.6 kWh	£1.67
Battery net capacity : 12.0 kWh	£1.73
Battery net capacity : 13.10 kWh	£1.89
Battery net capacity : 14.10 kWh	£2.03

• Note 1: The average cost of residential electricity in the UK varies depending on the region, supplier and type of energy used. An average for the UK is 14.40 p/kWh.
• Note 2: Not all EV manufactures make available the data on net EV battery capacity, and in a number of instances the EV battery capacity advertised, does not state if it is gross or net capacity. In general, usable EV battery capacity is between 85% to 95% of the gross available capacity.

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1650
Width (mm):	1865
Length (mm):	4515
Wheelbase (mm):	2680
Turning Circle (m):	11.4
Boot Space (L):	540

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1.6 GDi ISG PHEV
EV Battery Capacity:	13.8 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	43 miles
Electric Energy Consumption (Wh/km):	N/A
Fuel Consumption (mpg):	252
Charging:	DC charging not available. On board charger: 7.2 kW AC (10% – 100%: 1 hr 45 mins)
Top Speed:	119 mph
0-60 mph:	7.9 seconds
Drive:	All-wheel drive (AWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	66.9
Max Power (bhp):	226
Torque (Nm):	350
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Kerb Weight (kg):	1,905
Colours:	7
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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