2026 Kia Sportage MPG and Fuel Cost
The 2026 Kia Sportage gets up to 28 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 42 mpg as a hybrid, across 6 EPA-tested versions.
EPA fuel economy
2026 Kia Sportage · 6 EPA-tested versionsBest gas version
28MPG combined
25 city 33 highway
$2,200 a year to fuel
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic
Best hybrid version
42MPG combined
41 city 44 highway
$1,500 a year to fuel
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual
Best version saves $3,500 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)
Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.00 a gallon (regular gas).
At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $1,500 to $2,600 a year. The plug-in hybrid adds 33 miles of electric range and 83 MPGe on electricity. Compared with 2025, the best hybrid version is down 1 mpg.
Too new to rank against other Sportage years
The 2026 Sportage has not had three full years of owner complaints yet.
Years to avoid: 2017 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
Every Sportage year rankedThe 2026 Sportage's recalls and problems
Every 2026 Sportage version
EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices; for plug-in hybrids it assumes typical charging.
| Version | Combined | City / Hwy | Fuel / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | |||
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual Best
EPA listing: Sportage Hybrid FWD |
42 mpg | 41 / 44 | $1,500 |
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual
EPA listing: Sportage Hybrid AWD |
35 mpg | 35 / 36 | $1,800 |
| Gas | |||
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic
EPA listing: Sportage FWD |
28 mpg | 25 / 33 | $2,200 |
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic
EPA listing: Sportage AWD |
26 mpg | 24 / 30 | $2,400 |
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic · X-pro
EPA listing: Sportage X-pro |
24 mpg | 23 / 26 | $2,600 |
| Plug-in hybrid | |||
1.6L turbo 4-cyl plug-in hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual
EPA listing: Sportage Plug-in Hybrid · 83 MPGe on electricity · 33 mi electric range · MPG shown is running on gas |
36 mpg | 35 / 36 | $1,250 with charging (EPA); gas only $1,750 |
Fuel cost at your prices
EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.00 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.
| Version | Per year | 5 years |
|---|---|---|
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual | $1,429 | $7,143 |
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual | $1,714 | $8,571 |
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic | $2,143 | $10,714 |
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic | $2,308 | $11,538 |
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic · X-pro | $2,500 | $12,500 |
1.6L turbo 4-cyl plug-in hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual (on gas) | $1,667 | $8,333 |
At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50. Plug-in hybrids are calculated running on gas only.
Does the hybrid pay for itself? See the payback for every model sold both ways.
Kia Sportage MPG by model year
The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 22 to 28 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); 28 since 2023. Hybrid: 42 to 43 mpg (2023 to 2026); highest in 2023.
- Best gas version
- Best hybrid version
2026: gas 28 mpg · hybrid 42 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Best gas version | Best hybrid version |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 22 | – |
| 2011 | 25 | – |
| 2012 | 25 | – |
| 2013 | 25 | – |
| 2014 | 23 | – |
| 2015 | 23 | – |
| 2016 | 23 | – |
| 2017 | 26 | – |
| 2018 | 26 | – |
| 2019 | 25 | – |
| 2020 | 26 | – |
| 2021 | 26 | – |
| 2022 | 26 | – |
| 2023 | 28 | 43 |
| 2024 | 28 | 43 |
| 2025 | 28 | 43 |
| 2026 | 28 | 42 |
Every Sportage year's ratings in one table
How the 2026 Sportage compares
2026 compact SUVs covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.
| 2026 model | Best combined | Best gas | Fuel / year |
|---|---|---|---|
Best: hybrid |
43 mpg | – | $1,450 |
Kia Sportage This page Best: hybrid |
42 mpg | 28 mpg | $1,500 |
Best: hybrid |
40 mpg | 30 mpg | $1,550 |
Best: hybrid |
39 mpg | 30 mpg | $1,600 |
Best: hybrid |
38 mpg | 28 mpg | $1,650 |
Best: hybrid |
38 mpg | 26 mpg | $1,650 |
Best: hybrid |
37 mpg | – | $1,700 |
Best: hybrid |
35 mpg | 29 mpg | $1,800 |
Best: gas |
32 mpg | 32 mpg | $1,950 |
Best: gas |
29 mpg | 29 mpg | $2,150 |
Best: gas |
27 mpg | 27 mpg | $2,300 |
Best: gas |
27 mpg | 27 mpg | $2,300 |
Best: gas |
27 mpg | 27 mpg | $2,300 |
Best: gas |
27 mpg | 27 mpg | $2,300 |
Best: gas |
26 mpg | 26 mpg | $2,400 |
Best: gas |
26 mpg | 26 mpg | $2,400 |
2026 Sportage recalls and complaints
Questions
Does AWD lower the 2026 Kia Sportage's gas mileage?
Yes. On versions that differ only in drive, AWD lowers the combined rating by 2 to 7 mpg: the 1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid gets 42 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 35 with AWD.
How much fuel does the 2026 Sportage hybrid save?
Comparing AWD or 4WD versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.00 a gallon), the hybrid costs $1,800 a year to fuel against $2,400 for the gas model: $600 a year, or $3,000 over five years.
Does the 2026 Kia Sportage need premium gas?
No. EPA lists every 2026 Kia Sportage version on regular gasoline.
How does the 2026 Sportage's MPG compare with the 2025?
For 2026, the best gas version is rated 28 mpg, the same as the year before and the best hybrid version is rated 42 mpg, down 1 from 43.
Sources and method
- US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026.
- EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.00, midgrade $4.61, premium $5.01, diesel $6.13 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
- Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026.
Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.