Kia’s full hybrid Sportage SUV gets a thorough seven-week check from our man.

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Test Model: Kia Sportage 1.6 GT-Line S HEV auto FWD

List price (BiK): £38,480 (31%) CO2: 132g/km MPG: 48.7mpg Test efficiency: 46.3mpg

Monday

This morning’s arrival chez moi is a Kia Sportage. As one of Kia’s major prongs in its successful battle to win fleet sales, this will be an interesting week ahead, especially as this Sportage is a hybrid. It’s the front-wheel-drive model in GT-Line S trim, so plenty of equipment but without the cost of four-wheel drive or added expense of the plug-in hybrid model.

Tuesday

The combined power of the 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor totals 226hp in this Sportage. It’s enough to deliver a claimed 0-60mph time of 7.7 seconds and it feels a bit brisker than this on this morning’s drive as the Kia gets off the mark with nippy haste. The only downside is the six-speed automatic gearbox can hesitate for a split second when you put your foot down, which can make pulling on to roundabouts a touch trickier than it should be.

Wednesday

Great as it is to have all of the kit of the GT-Line S model, I was worried its standard 19-inch alloy wheels might be a liability on my usual routes. However, today’s mix of awful and acceptable road surfaces show the Sportage has enough pliancy to keep its occupants suitably well insulated from the jolts thrown up by ragged tarmac. It also results in a cabin that’s quiet even at higher speeds.

Thursday

As a hybrid, this Sportage only has a limited electric-only range. For some who use their fleet car largely in town, this would be a greater hindrance. For me, driving on mostly A and B roads, and motorway, it’s not an issue and the Sportage is returning a decent 46.3mpg average so far. Given the claimed number of 48.7mpg, I reckon the Kia is doing well as I’ve been enjoying its ability to pass slower traffic.

Friday

Kia has played a blinder inside the Sportage. By lifting some of the design elements from the EV6, it looks very smart, yet the brand has also very wisely kept some physical buttons on the dash. The 12.3-inch infotainment is easily one of the best I’ve used and, as a bit of Luddite, that’s high praise. It’s easy to work and proper dials help with sorting the volume. The only minor gripe is the screen background can sometimes clash with the menu icons, making it trickier to see them as you drive.

Saturday

There’s a fraction less boot space in the full hybrid Sportage than there is in the petrol-only model. But you know what, I can’t spot the 4-litre shortfall and the Kia does an admirable job of swallowing hockey, football and cycling gear this morning. With one of the three seat sections folded down, I even fitted in a bike with only the front wheel removed.

Sunday

A rare burst of early autumn sunshine today sees the temperature heading towards warm in my corner of the world. As a GT-Line S, this Sportage has heated and ventilated seats, with the latter function proving surprisingly effective and pleasant this afternoon when the car had been sat in direct sunlight for a few hours. It underlines how well specced this model is and why the Sportage is still a firm fleet favourite.