Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD 2025 Review

For $43,890 (all prices exclude on-road costs) you can slip behind the wheel of a 2025 Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD. It’s the cheapest diesel and the least costly all-wheel drive model in the Sportage range.

In total, the line-up spans 13 models starting with the $38,490 front-drive petrol S and topping out with the $60,370 GT-Line HEV AWD (prices plus ORCs). The test vehicle, in the $600 optional Vesta Blue paint, costs $44,490.

The medium SUV market is the biggest in the country, with almost 30 alternatives to Sportage in the less that $60k medium SUV segment. The better alternatives among them include the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Toyota RAV4.

Naturally, the base model 2025 Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD is not loaded with premium equipment. You must climb further up the Sportage model ladder for leather and sunroof, for example. That’s not to say this is a bare bones model. For starters, there’s the grip advantage of an all-wheel drive powertrain.

Elsewhere, the Sportage S gains keyless entry/start, 17-inch alloys (including a full-size alloy spare wheel), single-zone air-conditioning (with second-row vents), cloth upholstery and leather steering wheel. The side mirrors are heated, electrically adjustable and folding, while silver roof rails are also fitted.

It also covers the basics you’d expect to see such as power windows (auto up/down for the driver only), height adjustable driver’s seat, cargo roller blind as well as a height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel.

Kia’s new-car warranty extends to seven years/unlimited kilometres, while you get a free year of roadside assistance. That breakdown help is extended further if you service with a Kia dealer, which costs $3894 for seven years under Kia’s capped-price service offer. Maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000km.

The 2025 Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD is well covered for most safety aspects assumed to be standard in this category.

Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) found onboard include lane keep and follow assist, blind spot monitoring as well as forward autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection.

There’s also rear cross traffic alert (but no auto braking), driver fatigue monitoring, speed sign monitoring with overspeed alert, safe exit warning, active cruise control with stop/go, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

Headlights are LED, with dusk-sensing and auto high beam features. Both front and rear LED lights rely on reflector technology rather than LED projector (front) or direct LED illumination (rear) as with the Sportage GT-Line.

There are seven airbags, including a front centre airbag, and the Sportage serves up a five-star ANCAP rating based on tests conducted in 2022. Test results were parsed thus: Adult and child occupant protection both were scored at 87 per cent, safety assist features achieved 74 per cent while vulnerable road user protection was accorded 66 per cent.

The 2025 Kia Sportage gains a 12.3-inch infotainment screen across the board for 2025. Here it seamlessly transitions into the 4.0-inch digital display.

This is all driven by Kia’s latest ‘ccNC’ operating system which serves up wireless smartphone projection, over-the-air (OTA) updates and connected services. This includes ‘eCall’ with an SOS button (which notifies a call centre of an accident to potentially relay to emergency services, if there’s an airbag deployment detected or manual triggering of the SOS button) in the overhead console. This is part of the KiaConnect telematics, which also bundles remote vehicle monitoring and remote vehicle control.

Sound comes from six speakers in the cabin, while AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio are standard, but embedded satnav is not offered in this trim level. There is a total of four USB chargers (two USB-Cs in the front centre console tray and two at the rear of the console) plus two 12-volt accessory ports, one at the front console box and the other living in the cargo area.

The 2025 Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD is powered by Kia’s Smartstream D2.0 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.

It produces 137kW at 4000rpm and 416Nm between 2000-2750rpm. It uses an eight-speed automatic transmission and drive is via an all-wheel drive set-up.

There are four driving modes: Eco, Normal, Sport and Smart, with Smart adjusting settings according to how easy or aggressive driver inputs are.

How fuel efficient is the Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD?

The claimed average fuel consumption figure for the 2025 Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD is 6.3L/100km but regular driving in Sydney traffic on test returned a result of 8.6L/100km.

The overall average fuel figure we achieved was 7.5L/100km, and with highway cruising 6.5L/100km. Considering the 54-litre fuel tank, you’ll get a touring range of 780km (allowing a 50km safety margin).

As a road tester, sometimes it’s easy to think car companies have started to lose the plot with the overall ride-and-handling compromise. Some vehicles bang and crash their way over every bump and don’t do any better handling those bumps though corners, which the steering lets you know about by means of approximation.

Then you drive something like the 2025 Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD, and the ride/handling world that has been upended by the rough-riders is righted again. Basically, one thing that thankfully has not changed about the Kia Sportage with the latest update is how nice it is to drive.

It’s a bit disconcerting, because there is little to complain about – it just works.

The Sportage absorbs bumps, while also steering and handling as well as you can expect a family SUV to. The engine is relatively quiet and smooth for a diesel and doesn’t lag as much as most of them, either. The transmission is smooth, getting the right gear at the right time.

The seats are comfortable, while all the switches, instruments and menus are easy to navigate. It’s safe to say, the driving ergonomics are sound.

There is so little to fault... until you hear the speed warning chime berating you for exceeding the posted speed limit. For example, when travelling through a 40km/h school zone (in NSW) when it’s the middle of the night. That speed limit is not applicable then.

At least with the MY25 update, the warning can be muted or switched off more easily by either using the shortcut button or mute button.

With 181mm of ground clearance, the 2025 Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD can go off-road, just not very far.

It lacks underbody protection and low-range gearing to make it much more than a dirt road or hard-packed sand driving companion.

With ample space and seat comfort for up to four adults (five will fit, but maybe not comfortably for the centre occupant on the hard padding in the back), the 2025 Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD is on par with competitors.

There are cupholders in the doors and centre console, while there’s a rear folding centre armrest, rear map pockets and rear cabin air vents. The cargo space is also ample with a 543-litre boot, which expands to 1829L with rear seats folded.

The only detraction is that the interior does look a bit plain – there has been no effort to make the S not look like the ‘poverty’ model. The switch blanks on the centre console are a bit obvious that you’re missing features offered up the model walk.

The 2025 Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD basks in the glow of being carsales’ 2024 pick of the medium SUVs. Is that still relevant? Very much so.

The Sportage remains at the pointy end of the segment in terms of pricing and features. Yet, it isn’t just value you’re receiving considering the space and comfort on offer. The fact that it drives, handles and rides very well is a bonus.

2025 Kia Sportage S CRDi AWD at a glance:
Price: $43,890 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 137kW/416Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 163g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au