I drove UK’s two best selling cars and there was a | Tech News

Every yr the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) tracks the best selling cars within the UK. At the top of every month, and then on the finish of annually, it releases a assertion saying which is the best selling car within the nation.

All clear up to now? Good. For the previous few years the best selling car within the UK has been the Ford Puma, a small SUV that took over the mantel from its now-no longer on sale sibling the favored Ford Fiesta.

However, in latest months, two challengers have emerged to take the Puma’s, and Ford’s, crown within the form of the Kia Sportage and Jaecoo 7. In reality, at the beginning of 2026 the Sportage outsold the Puma, earlier than the American model retook the lead in February.

With this in thoughts, and having reviewed the Puma final yr, we determined to take a nearer take a look at the Sportage and assess whether or not it’s higher than the Puma or not.

Specifications

The car we had on check was the HEV ‘GT-Line’ 1.6 T-GDi 6AT FWD version of the Kia Sportage with a hybrid system. It options a petrol engine and a 47.7kW electric motor working collectively to ship 235bhp and 265Nm of torque to the entrance wheels through an six pace automated gearbox.

When it involves boot space with the rear seats up there’s 587 litres of space and with them down there’s 1,776 litres to play with. Meanwhile, on the street, the car is succesful of a mixed MPG determine of 50.4mpg.

All in, our Sportage as specced value £36,975. However, costs for the car can begin as low as £23,954.17 if one goes for the 1.6 T-GDi model with the six pace handbook gearbox. A bit just like the Puma, costs can vary from simply above £20,000 to simply above £30,000, however with each finance choices can be found.

The inside

The inside of the Kia is a hybrid of buttons, a touchscreen, and haptic controls. There’s a handbook selector for ahead, reverse, impartial, and park in addition to a buttons for heated seats, heated steering wheel and the beginning button.

As with most fashionable cars there are button shortcuts on the steering wheel that help you flip off issues like lane help with out going into a sub menu and help you swap between Eco and Sport Mode.

If you get into a Kia Sportage and its infotainment systems really feel just like these on Hyundais of a related age, don’t be shocked, as a result of they’re each half of the identical company. There are a couple of variations right here and there, however in any other case they’ve the identical shortcuts.

If you’ve not been in both of these cars earlier than it takes a little understanding, however total it’s superb to make use of. I want there was a bodily dial that meant you didn’t have to the touch the screen to get to completely different elements of the system and, sadly, the aircon is operated through a haptic contact bar which means it feels a bit fiddly.

The steering wheel, just like the Puma, is sq. with rounded corners. I don’t actually perceive why each Ford and Kia have carried out this as a result of the wheel turns into too giant and subsequently the car more awkward to manoeuvre.

At least the opening on the high by no means disrupts your view of important on the sprint in entrance of you and the padels for the adjustable regenerative braking are at all times within simple attain. If I had an further small critique, it will be that the steering wheel didn’t come out far enough to me for my driving place.

On the street

Whilst the Kia is wider than the Puma, and regardless of the unusual steering wheel, it felt much better to drive than its American rival. I didn’t just like the Puma for the way in which it felt like a metropolis car on stilts and rolled a lot within the corners.

In distinction, the Kia may be very flat via corners. There’s communication via the steering and pedals. It’s not BMW iX3 ranges of driving pleasure, it’s inoffensive and plain. In this context, that’s not a unhealthy factor as a result of it means the car gained’t throw up any surprises.

This doesn’t imply there aren’t any issues. The regenerative braking has three energy settings and going down hills it felt very delicate. It by no means felt harmful, however it was a curiosity, when it will cut out and then cut back in; prefer it was unsure.

Another curiosity was how the petrol engine and relaxation of the hybrid system labored collectively. I at all times felt the durations in all electric mode have been all too transient earlier than the petrol engine fired back in. The car is at all times attempting to strike a stability, however in case you’re getting a hybrid, you’re doing so to burn much less fuel, so you may want a car to spend more time not burning it.

Apart from these two small critiques I loved my time with the Kia. It was nicely sprung, and its width helped give it stability on motorways and B-roads.

Conclusion

Overall, I assume the Kia Sportage is a higher car than the Ford Puma. Yes, it’s larger and subsequently probably much less capable of deal with some of the UK’s tightest spots. It does, as a result of of that, imply that wider hundreds will more simply slot in it.

Furthermore, I really feel the inside is less complicated to make use of, with fewer capabilities handled through the touchscreen and that it drives higher. Whether it finally succeeds in dethroning the Ford might be fascinating to see because the yr roles on.

Christopher’s Verdict: 7.5/10