Rent Kia Sportage 2020 in Dubai

The Kia Sportage 2020 we rent in Dubai is the previous-generation car, and that's the whole pitch: a roomy, well-sorted compact SUV at a budget rate, with 250 km a day included so a week of city running rarely tips into extra-mileage charges. This is the QL-generation Sportage, the one before Kia's big redesign, and it runs the 2.0-litre petrol making 150 hp. Our take: if you want SUV height, a big boot and an easy automatic for a family week without paying current-model money, this is a sensible rental. If you specifically want the latest cabin tech and styling, the newer Sportage is the one to ask for, and we have it.

What you're renting and why the price is keen

Being the outgoing generation is the Sportage 2020's strength on a rental rate. The engineering is mature and the car is proven, so you get a comfortable, predictable SUV for less than the newest model costs. The cabin is plainer than the redesign that followed, but everything you actually touch on a Dubai week is here: a high driving position, simple climate controls, and enough room to live with for a fortnight.

The 2.0-litre petrol drives the front wheels through an automatic and makes 150 hp. Around town that's relaxed and easy, fine for the school run, mall trips and crawling through traffic. On the open road it builds speed steadily rather than sharply, so overtaking on Sheikh Zayed Road wants a little planning. At a 120 cruise on the E11 it's settled and quiet. For ordinary Dubai use it has all the pace you need.

Spec at a glance

Space for the family

Inside, the Sportage carries more than its compact badge suggests. Four adults sit without arguing over knee room, and the back bench takes three across for shorter trips, handy when there are kids and a grandparent along. The seating position is high, you look over the traffic the way SUV buyers want to, and the doors open wide so fitting a child seat is no wrestle.

It's a five-seater, and that's the honest ceiling. A group of six or seven, or three child seats side by side, is the wrong job here, and you'd want a proper seven-seater. For two adults and two or three kids, the room is there without full-size bulk to park.

The boot and your luggage

The boot holds around 466 litres with the rear seats up, which is solid for the class and takes real luggage. Two large hard cases plus a couple of soft bags slot in for a DXB or DWC run without anyone nursing a bag on their knees. Fold the rear seats and the load floor stretches out flat for a mall haul, a flat-pack run or a few weeks of supplies. For a family stocking up or moving in, that long flat space turns three trips into one.

Heat, parking and Dubai roads

The air conditioning is the spec that matters most from May onward. The Sportage's cabin seals up well and the front vents pull a baking, sun-parked interior down quickly, which is exactly what you want climbing in at 45 degrees. There are rear outlets too, so kids in the back aren't left to cook while the front cools first. On a July afternoon that's the line between a calm drive and a fractious one.

At 4.49 metres it's a mid-size footprint, so multi-storey bays and Marina ramps are manageable, though you'll lean on the reversing camera in the tightest spots. The 182 mm of ground clearance clears Dubai's speed bumps and mall ramps without scraping. It's front-wheel drive, so treat it as a road car: fine for everything a normal week involves, but leave soft sand and dune tracks to a dedicated 4x4.

Fuel and the running week

The 62-litre tank is a real advantage here. Combined consumption sits around 7.9 litres per 100 km, a little thirstier in pure stop-start heat with the AC working, so a typical week of errands and a couple of airport runs is one fill, maybe two. The big tank means fewer stops than the smaller SUVs in the class, and with petrol cheap in Dubai the running cost stays low.

Two admin notes to keep in mind. Salik tolls pass to you as the renter at each gate, and any RTA fine during the rental is yours, so watch the limits. Under-fours need a child seat by law, and the wide rear doors make one easy to fit.

Who should rent it, and who shouldn't

Rent the Sportage 2020 if you want a roomy, comfortable compact SUV for a family week at a value rate, and you don't need the very latest cabin or styling. The high view, the big boot and the easy 2.0-litre automatic cover the city and the highway, and the included mileage suits the typical Dubai week.

Size up to a seven-seater if you regularly carry six or more, or three child seats abreast. Choose the newer Sportage if current tech and a fresher interior are what you're after. And if your plans include dunes or Hatta off-road tracks, this front-wheel-drive SUV isn't built for it, so pick a proper 4x4. For a sensible, spacious week on tarmac, the 2020 car still does the job well.