Amongst the wide foray of trims on offer, the 2022 Kia Sportage Nightfall Edition is the one we'd ask to opt for. For a competitive price of $28,090, this specific trim has a good collection of practical features on offer. It is the newest member in the lineup and brings along with it SynTex seating and many more driver-assistance extras to the mix. It certainly is a value for money proposition.

The 2022 Kia Sportage gets four trim options namely LX, Nightfall, EX, and SX Turbo. The S trim from last year has been replaced with Nightfall trim. The base LX trim starts at $24,090 and the topmost SX Turbo trim maxes out at $35,250 with AWD. All the four trims come standard with FWD while AWD can be added for $1,500 on all except the Nightfall trim, on the Nightfall trim AWD costs $1,700 extra.

The LX, Nightfall, and EX trims are powered by a naturally aspirated engine while the SX Turbo trim gets a turbocharged inline-4 engine. Changes done to the trim features this year include panoramic sunroof now standard on the EX trim and the SX Turbo trim getting equipped with complimentary map updates and ADAS feature support. Most of the trims offer optional packages and a couple of them worth looking at include the likes of the LX Value Edition Package for the LX trim, the Nightfall Premium Package for the Nightfall trim, and the EX Technology Package for EX trim.

While we love the speedy turbocharged model, it's hard to justify its price given that the less powerful engine is still enjoyable to drive - Car and Driver

Engine choices for the 2022 Kia Sportage include a base naturally aspirated and a turbocharged engine. The base Sportage engine is a 2.4-liter inline-4 unit putting out 181 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque. This engine is mediocre in terms of performance and offers a sedate driving experience. The level of refinement of the engine however is top notch and you hardly ever feel any clutter or vibrations while driving.

While those looking for a punchy powertrain will prefer the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine available only on the SX Turbo trim. It cranks out 240 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Both the engines are mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to either front wheels or all four wheels via AWD. The 2022 Sportage with the base engine does 0-60 MPH in about 9.0 seconds and covers the quarter-mile distance in about 16.8 seconds. While the SportageTurbo SX Turbo with the turbocharged engine sprints from 0-60 MPH in 8.1 seconds and covers the quarter-mile taking 16.3 seconds.

The ride quality of the 2022 Sportage falls under the comfortable category soaking up bad roads, bumps, and undulation with ease. The Sportage on the whole is a pretty nimble car to drive. The steering is light but precise, so cutting through traffic and navigating tight spaces is easy. In short, if you’re looking for something that is thrilling to drive or something that you could take off-roading, then you’re at the wrong place. The Sportage is built for sedate driving and is mostly suited for urban cruising which it does perfectly well.

The 2022 Kia Sportage, with its standard 2.4-liter, NA unit, has an EPA estimated gas mileage of 23 MPG in the city, 30 MPG on the highway, and 26 MPG combined. Getting AWD in place of FWD sees a drop of 1 MPG in the city, 4 MPG on the highway, and 3 MPG combined. The Sportage powered by the turbocharged motor returns 20/28/23 MPG in the city/highway/combined respectively. While the turbocharged Sportage with AWD is the least efficient returning 19/24/21 MPG in the city/highway/combined respectively.

The Honda CR-V is the most fuel-efficient car in the competition and gets an EPA rating of 30 MPG combined. The CR-V is followed by the Nissan Rogue that gets a similar combined EPA rating but lower city gas mileage compared to the CR-V. The Hyundai Tucson even with the smaller and least powerful engine has the lowest fuel economy rating in the competition and delivers about 25 MPG combined.

Kia's infotainment is user-friendly, but technology overall is outclassed by newer competitors - Motortrend

The interiors of the 2022 Sportage haven’t changed all that much compared to the outgoing model. The design of the interior has always been simple and subtle. What has impressed us the most is that Kia has not compromised in terms of the quality of materials used on the inside. The plastics and the other bits look and feel much more premium and you do not get to see similar levels of quality in other cars in the segment. The level of fit and finish too is very good and there’s nothing that shakes or vibrates in the car.

The 2022 Sportage can seat four adults plus a child inside comfortably but five adults will be a squeeze. The amount of headroom and legroom on both rows is decent. The front seats are comfortable but lack proper support. The seats are positioned well and they give a wide and commanding view of the outside world. The back seats are similar to what you get at the front. Seats get fabric-trimmed in lower trims while the Nightfall and EX trims get simulated leather upholstery and the SX Turbo trim gets genuine leather upholstery.

Behind the second row of seats, the Sportage offers about 30.7 cubic feet of cargo storage area which is pretty large. The second-row split folds 60/40 and once the second row is folded down flat, you open up to about 60.1 cubic feet of cargo space. Now those figures might look good but actually, Kia’s rivals offer much better cargo space than it does.

The infotainment system on the 2022 Sportage is a standard 8-inch touchscreen display that sits on the center of the dash. The infotainment system is quite simple and easy to use thanks to the physical buttons. As standard, the Sportage gets a 6-speaker audio system while an 8-speaker Harman & Kardon premium surround sound system is available.

Interior Features on offer are-

• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Bluetooth and USB ports
• Tilt and telescoping steering wheel column
• Split-folding rear seats
• Power-adjustable front seats (optional)
• Heated and ventilated front seats (optional)
• Heated steering wheel (optional)
• Wireless charging pad (optional)

Even in its sixth year on sale, the Kia Sportage still looks quirky and cool - Motortrend

Now, there are mixed opinions about the exterior looks of the 2022 Kia Sportage in general and while there is a set of people who find the Sportage absolutely ugly, there is another set of people who think that Sportage looks quite quirky and sporty. Even we think that the Sportage looks cool and its rather unconventional oblong shape and quirky styling help it stand out in the crowd. The 2022 Sportage has had some cosmetic upgrades and Kia has tried to impart a sober and mature character to it. 

Kia has cut down on the shiny chrome bits on the outside and has replaced those with matt and gloss black panels this time around. The Sportage has an aggressive front fascia accompanied by the Kia signature tiger-nose grille and the swept-out projector LED headlight. The Sportage also has got skid plate at the front that gives it an SUV-ish aura. Although its 6.4-inches ground clearance says otherwise.

The Kia Sportage is the smallest car in the competition. The compact dimensions of the 2022 Sportage make it that much more flickable around the city and while Kia hasn’t compromised in terms of passenger volume, the smaller dimensions have resulted in the Sportage offering lesser cargo space than other cars in the segment.

Exterior Features:

• 18” machine-finished alloy wheels
• Powered liftgate
• Heated, power-adjustable, power-folding outside mirrors with LED turn signals
• Panoramic sunroof with power sunshade
• Auto On/Off headlight
• High beam assist
• LED daytime running lights
• Windshield wiper de-icer

The 2022 Kia Sportage has been tested and rated by both the NHTSA and the IIHS and it came out with flying colors. NHTSA gave the 2022 Sportage a perfect 5-star rating for overall safety while the IIHS gave it the highest rating of "Good" in all its six parameters. It went further and chose the Sportage as the "2021 Top Safety Pick".

Safety Features on offer with the 2022 Sportage are:

• Lane-keeping assist
• Lane departure warning
• Automatic emergency braking
• Rearview camera
• Automatic high beam
• Forward collision warning
• Blindspot collision warning (optional)
• Rear cross-traffic alert (optional)

2022 Kia Sportage vs. 2022 Nissan Rogue

The Nissan Rogue and the Kia Sportage come with almost similar attributes yet the former is better than the latter. For starters, the Rogue is quicker and more fuel-efficient than the Sportage. While the Sportage balances it by offering two engine choices while the Rogue offers only a single naturally aspirated motor.

While the Sportage scores well in powertrain, the Rogue scores big in terms of practicality and remains the more spacious and comfortable between the two. Thus our pick would be the Rogue unless one goes for the Sportage with the turbocharged engine.

2022 Kia Sportage vs. 2022 Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V simply rules the compact SUV segment with its powerful engine that offers quick acceleration timings but at the same time is also very fuel-efficient. The CR-V based on these two factors simply dismisses the Sportage from the competition.

Moving inside, the CR-V again not only offers a spacious cabin but also the biggest cargo space in the segment which Sportage finds very hard to even come close to. Thus the CR-V is a clear winner between the two.

The 2022 Kia Sportage is a very well-built package. It offers everything that you would expect from a compact crossover SUV. It has good power under the hood, it is quick off the straight line, it has decent fuel economy numbers, offers a good amount of space to the passenger, and has excellent safety ratings. However, there are cars like the Honda CR-V and the Nissan Rogue that do the same things in a better way. In a nutshell, the 2022 Kia Sportage is not a bad car but if you’re in the market looking for a compact crossover, we would recommend you to first have a look at the above two rivals.