The Kia Sportage has clocked up its 500,000th UK sale, cementing its position as the firm’s best-selling model in Britain.
The half-millionth UK Sportage was sold by flagship Kia retailer GWR in Brentford. It was a GT-Line Hybrid model, finished in Blue Flame.
Kia UK president and CEO Paul Philpott called it “a landmark moment for Kia.”
Philpott continued: “The Sportage has become the UK’s favourite family SUV because it consistently provides what people want: quality and reliability they can trust, efficient and flexible powertrains, all housed in a thoughtful and stylish design.
“Its continued success shows the strength of our brand and the trust customers place in us.”
A good Sport-age
Along with being a Kia success story, the Sportage is also the UK’s best-selling SUV – a position it held in 2024 and 2025, too.
More than 115,000 Sportages have been sold in the past three years alone. And with over 21,000 registrations so far in 2026, the Kia is currently second in the overall best-seller rankings.
The Kia Sportage has now been on sale for 31 years in the UK, and 33 years overall. And its success isn’t just restricted to the these shores; it is also Kia’s most popular model in Europe and globally.
Generation game
The Kia Sportage initially went on sale in the UK in August 1995, after the first-generation model was revealed two years earlier in Seoul, South Korea.
The second-generation car was sold between 2004 and 2010, then the third between 2010 and 2016.
The fourth iteration of Kia Sportage was sold between 2016 and 2022, while the current, fifth-generation model arrived in January 2022. The Sportage marked its 30th anniversary in November 2023.
In July 2025, the current Kia Sportage was facelifted, with new front and rear styling, an updated interior and a simplified line-up of Pure, GT-Line and GT-Line S.
All versions of the Sportage are available with either petrol or hybrid powertrains.
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