22:50 11-05-2026

Kia Sportage Tri-Fuel Hybrid: Over 1,500 km Range on Three Fuels

Kia is taking the fight to diesel on its home turf: long-distance driving. The company has unveiled the Sportage Tri-Fuel Full Hybrid LPG in Italy. This crossover can run on petrol, LPG, and electricity, with a combined range of over 1,500 km.

On the outside and inside, it's a standard Sportage. The cabin features two 12.3-inch displays, five seats, and a power tailgate. The LPG tank sits in the spare wheel well, meaning there's no spare tire, but trunk space remains unchanged at 587 liters with the seats up and up to 1,776 liters with the second row folded.

The powertrain combines a 1.6-liter T-GDI engine producing 180 hp with a 64.8-hp electric motor. Total output is 237 hp, nearly matching the regular Sportage HEV. The lithium-ion battery pack has a 1.49-kWh capacity and is charged by the engine and regenerative braking.

The key difference lies in the fuel system. The Italian version keeps a 52-liter petrol tank and adds a separate 50-liter LPG tank. On LPG alone, the crossover can travel up to 650 km, and combined range exceeds 1,500 km. Fuel consumption isn't class-leading—8.0 L/100 km combined versus 5.8 L/100 km for the standard hybrid—but the focus here is on range and fuel cost rather than minimum consumption figures.

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The transmission is a six-speed automatic. The paddle shifters work differently depending on mode: in Eco they adjust regen braking force, while in Sport they allow manual gear changes.

In Italy, the Sportage Tri-Fuel is offered in Business, Style, and Black Edition trims. Pricing starts at €40,000, which is about €2,000 more than a comparable self-charging hybrid. For a family crossover, that premium doesn't seem too steep if the owner frequently covers long distances and uses LPG.

There's one catch: this version is only sold in Italy, and there are no plans to bring it to Spain. That's a shame, because the Sportage Tri-Fuel is exactly the kind of vehicle that doesn't argue with diesel on paper but simply goes farther on a single tank.