All-new Kia Sportage GT Line S PHEV 2022 Test Drive [AD | Press Invite]
Happy as Larry test-driving the all-new Kia Sportage GT-Line S
Car & Lifestyle Blogger, Lucie Loves at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022. Image Credit: Lara Ellison
Kia PR: “Would you like to come to Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022 as a VIP Guest of Kia, Lucie?”
Me: No hesitation “HELL YEAH!”
Kia PR: “And…. To get you down to Chichester… we’re going to give you the all-new Kia Sportage GT-Line S 2022 Plug-in Hybrid Crossover SUV to test drive for the week!”
Me: “Woo hoo! I’ve got wheels, baby!”
Blogger Lucie Loves in Kia EV6 GT at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022
Lucie Loves Victorian Terrace Cottage
Those of you who have followed me and/or the Lucie Loves Blog for some time now will know how excited I get when the opportunity arises to review a car. To be fair… I’m wondering whether the excitement part of it for me is purely down to the fact that I have never - in my 36 years on earth - actually owned my own car… yet!
And so, after a decade of living in London, I’ve upped sticks and bought a place of my own up north. Yes! I’m a home owner. A first-time buyer. Proud purchaser of a 1880s Victorian Terrace cottage, in a lovely Cheshire village. Nestled snuggly between Manchester and Liverpool. Bliss!
But… What I have come to discover - along with the leaky bath tub and lack of Deliveroo and Uber Eats to my village - is the LACK OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT and inability to get a taxi when you really really need one. It’s a blimmin’ nightmare! #FirstWorldProblems eh?
I REALLY NEED TO BUY A CAR! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE!
Anyway, the offer to review a brand-spanking new Kia Sportage GT-Line S was a well-timed Car Blogger’s dream!
Catching sunsets by the harbour in Pompey!
hello you…
Instant visual impactA new design identity based on a bold and daring philosophy
The exterior of the new Sportage Plug-in Hybrid establishes new design boundaries, giving it dramatic presence on European roads.
Tense and crisp lines ripple along the refined body, amplifying exquisite styling tensions. At the same time, clean but muscular surfaces join forces with intricate graphics to give the SUV a dynamic and assertive road presence.
Revealed last year to great acclaim from the design community, Kia’s new design language – Opposites United – is at the core of the new Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, influencing every aspect of its appearance and character.
The thought-provoking and daring philosophy is formed of five pillars: Joy for Reason, Power to Progress, Technology for Life, Tension for Serenity and Bold for Nature. The last pillar – Bold for Nature – has profoundly influenced the design creation of the new Sportage, embodying the natural world and creating a design identity that takes a daring, emotional, modern but organic form.
Making the most of the spacious interior
My review (read as: a few observations) on the all-new kia sportage gt-line s phev plug-in aka my temporary new motor…
Running late for your gym class and won’t get there in time on foot? No probs! I’ve got you covered. Need to change lanes? The little red hazard warning light will illuminate in your wing mirror if you are at risk of colliding with an oncoming vehicle. MAGIC!
Need to nip to Screwfix to Click & Collect a couple of tubs of Ronseal Tudor Black Oak fence paint? Sure! I’m all over it! Need help to your car, love? Na! I’m alright ta… *cue boot opening automatically as I get close enough to opening it* SHOCK!
Terrible at parking? The incredible intuitive parking sensors and reverse camera will look after you. There’s this inbuilt functionality which turns the reversing camera into some sort of Drone Shot, showing your vehicle in space – from a bird’s eye view – so that you know how much room you how to either side of the car. So cool!
Ever parked in the supermarket and had a daydreaming shopper walk out behind your car or another cheeky customer try to edge into your spot? The Sportage has an amazingly accessible mobility setting which senses hazards behind the vehicle and alerts the driver with a beep and vibrate of the steering wheel, to focus your attention where it needs to be.
Fancy coming to a garden party in East London with a handful of your best mates? Yes, mate! Give me 5 or 6 hours, subject to traffic, and I’ll be allll over it! The lane drift sensors – which I am WELL AWARE are not everyone’s cup of tea, when it comes to autonomous driving and car safety – were actually really good. When driving such long distances, every bit of car safety functionality is a plus in my books!
The interior of the car is super spacious and modern. The in-built Apple CarPlay and Satellite Navigation system is one of the EASIEST and most intuitive I’ve ever owned. So much so, that I have decided that whatever car I end up buying for myself, an ABSOLUTE pre-requisite is that is has Apple CarPlay, a reversing camera – oh…. And maybe heated seats…
Now! Let’s talk about heated seats. Yes, yes! We love them! They are a little luxury on a chilly day. But have you ever been in a car with cooling seats?!? Well, the all-new Kia Sportage sports exactly that! On a hot and sticky drive down to Goodwood Festival of Speed, my friend Lara and I were mega grateful for the aircon and cool setting on our seats.
Looking slick by the sea front.
I’ve gotta say, it was such a joy was it to not have to rely on ANYONE for lifts for the week. COMPLETE FREEDOM to do as I wished! Bloody marvellous! Over the course of the week I filled up the tank twice – about £71 a pop. But I did get some miles out of it. Travelling down from Lymm to London to Portsmouth to Chichester to Portsmouth and back up north via the stunning Peak District – I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take this car on more windy country roads and enjoy golden hour as it hit those glorious hills.
As someone who hadn’t driven for a while either - especially not a car the size of this sexy “Bold, Muscular and Sophisticated” Crossover SUV beast – I found it a real pleasure to do so, and was put at ease by all of the super sensors – particularly when driving or parking in narrow spaces.
And now for a few of my favourite Goodwood Festival of Speed snaps…
Kia EV6 GT vibes.
Kia EV6 angles
We had a really fun time at Goodwood too – it’s like a posh petrolhead Glasto! If you’re into old cars, nostalgia, classics, F1, rallying, moto GP, living legends, racing drivers, new technology and automotive innovation and supercars – then this is the festival for you!
So… back to car ownership…
Once my wheels had been collected, and once more, I found myself reliant on the good will of my family and friends and the intermittant Cheshire Cat bus service… I was on my way back from a friend’s hen party in Warrington with my heavily pregnant friend Sarah, who had kindly offered me a lift home. I commented on her nice car, and she laughed and said that with the new baby on the way, they are looking to get a brand new car, as this one just isn’t big enough anymore… I asked what she was after and her reply made me chuckle and wonder how many other new parents around the world have this simple yet tight brief for car salespeople to fulfil…
Their key questions when buying a new family car… Are you ready?
“We don’t care. Q. Is it bigger (read as: does it have a bigger boot)? Q. What colour is it (read as: is it a black or neutral shade)? Q. Is it a hybrid (read as: We don’t want to do to the petrol station every week)? Deal.”
Simples!
Fancy finding out more about the all-new Kia Sportage GT-Line S Plug-in Hybrid Crossover SUV priced from £27,250? Then check out these specs:
Driving through the Peak District at Golden Hour
Ddelivers 1.1 I/100km with an emissions free** range of 70km* and up to 78km* in city driving
A highly-efficient 1.6-litre T-GDI engine, a 66.9kW permanent magnet traction electric motor and a 13.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack.
High-performance powertrain produces 265PS and 350Nm of torque; outstanding efficiency with emissions of just 25g/km
Inspired by nature, the new Sportage features a bold, muscular and sophisticated exterior design
Cutting-edge interior with a state-of-the-art integrated curved display that centres on the driver
All-new Terrain Mode and electronically-controlled AWD system ensure superior traction in all conditions
State-of-the-art ADAS technologies deliver advanced safety and convenience
A high-tech 12.3-inch touchscreen and the multimode touch display act as the nerve centre for driver and passenger connectivity, functionality and usability needs.
The advanced connectivity software in the new Sportage allows users in Europe to connect with their vehicle remotely via the Kia Connect smartphone app. The interactive, easy-to-use tech also gives users access to key onboard features, providing total peace of mind with a simple tap to check that their Sportage is locked, and the doors are closed, and full convenience by informing users exactly where they parked their SUV.
A smartphone charging bay offers high-speed 15W wireless charging and fast charge USB ports