Can Kia’s petrol Sportage family SUV still hold its own in a sea of electric rivals? FW road tester Al Suttie tests it for a week to find out.

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Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi 3 FWD manual

List price (BiK): £32,560 (35%) CO2: 154g/km Economy: 41.5mpg Test efficiency:37.6mpg

Monday

It came as something of as pleasant surprise to climb into the Kia Sportage that arrived this morning to find it pleasingly ‘old school’. Nothing outdated about the way the Kia looks or the fit and finish of the Sportage, it’s just this one has a petrol engine and manual gearbox – no hybrid, no fancy auto, no cables to move out of the way in the boot. ‘Simple’ is the word that springs to mind and it’s one that holds plenty of appeal.

Tuesday

Further study of the spec sheet today shows this is a 3 trim, so not the most basic Sportage on offer but not far off. It’s also front-drive only, which again keeps things uncomplicated. So it proves on a work journey up to Perth and around the houses. The Sportage sits square on the motorway, feeling very much in its element as the 150hp 1.6-litre petrol hums quietly. There’s also little wind or road noise at these speeds.

Wednesday

Some errands to run this morning along local lanes and the composure of yesterday is traded for decent agility through the corners. As with most SUVs of today, there’s not a huge amount of steering feel or interaction, but the Kia gets on with the job. The ride is a little on the firm side on occasion, so I soon started to subconsciously position the Sportage to miss potholes or minimise their impact.

Thursday

As this is a 3 trim Sportage, it comes with the dual 12.3-inch main display and infotainment screens. It makes a formidable scene to look at and lends the Kia a very high-grade feel next to many rivals. This is helped by the infotainment being easy to navigate and quick to respond, while the separate controls beneath the centre screen for ventilation are a good call. The Sportage’s driving position also deserves a mention for how comfortable it is.

Friday

The weekend looms and the practical side of the Sportage comes to the fore with ferrying kids to cricket, football, swimming, dance… A generous boot has no trouble with any of these demands and my ever-more lanky son fits in with two mates. Fortunately, there are also plenty of USB chargers for them to connect devices so they can communicate via clicks and grunts.

Saturday

Parked up alongside the other parents’ cars at my daughter’s swim class and a couple ask about the Sportage. They’re surprised it’s not an EV due to the looks but also say they’d rather stick with a petrol or hybrid for the time being. It’s an unscientific insight into the thinking of current drivers but shows Kia has judged the Sportage’s looks well.

Sunday

Time to take off the Suttie gloves and socks for a bit of weekly arithmetic. Kia claims 41.5mpg combined economy for this Sportage model and I’ve achieved 37.6mpg according to the onboard computer. That’s been as low as 33.3mpg in town and nudged 40mpg on the motorway. Decent enough but fleet drivers are still better served by the hybrid versions due to their lower emissions and list prices that are not much more than this (attractively) simple petrol model.