Kia Sportage Charging Cable

Quick recommendation

Only one Kia Sportage plugs in: the 1.6 T-GDi PHEV, sold from 2022 onwards. If that is your car, order the Type 2 to Type 2 cable in 32A single phase. It is the quickest lead the Sportage can use.

Check the badge on the boot before ordering anything. Kia sells the Sportage as petrol, as a 48V mild hybrid marked MHEV, as a self-charging hybrid marked HEV, and as a plug-in hybrid marked PHEV. Only the PHEV has a charging port. A T-GDi, CRDi, HEV or MHEV Sportage has nowhere to plug a cable in at all. No plug-in Sportage was offered before 2022 either, so a 2016 to 2021 car does not take a cable whatever its badge says. Trim level changes nothing about charging.

With the PHEV the numbers are refreshingly simple. The battery is 13.8 kWh and the onboard charger stops at 7.2 kW. Our 32A lead carries 7.4 kW, a fraction more than the car will accept, so the Sportage sets the pace and fills from empty in roughly 2h15m on a home wallbox.

That same small battery is why the three phase cable makes no sense on this car. 22 kW is a three phase rating, the Sportage charger is single phase, and a British house is single phase anyway. You would pay more and still wait 2h15m.

The 16A lead is the real decision. At 3.7 kW a full charge takes about 4h15m, near enough double. Plenty of owners never notice, because 4h15m still disappears overnight. Pay the difference for the 32A version if you top up between journeys during the day, when two hours saved actually matters.

Keep a Type 2 to 3 Pin lead in the boot as a fallback. At 2.3 kW the Sportage takes about 6h45m from empty, which still fits comfortably into a night at a friend's house or a hotel car park with an outdoor socket.

For length, 5m works when the charge point sits beside the parking space. 10m buys slack for a shared post, a longer drive, or reversing onto the drive. Cables are IP55 rated, or IP67 on the 3 pin version, and every one ships with a 2 year manufacturer's warranty and same-day dispatch on working-day orders placed before 2pm.

Kia Sportage Charging Times

Sportage 1.6 T-GDi PHEV, 2022 onwards, 13.8 kWh

Kia Sportage Charging Cable FAQs

Does every Kia Sportage need a charging cable?

No. Only the 1.6 T-GDi PHEV, built from 2022 onwards, has a socket. The petrol, CRDi diesel, 48V MHEV mild hybrid and HEV self-charging hybrid versions have no charging port, so no cable will fit them. Any Sportage registered between 2016 and 2021 also predates the plug-in model.

Which cable suits the Sportage PHEV?

A Type 2 to Type 2 cable in 32A. The Sportage PHEV accepts up to 7.2 kW and our 32A lead carries 7.4 kW, so the car takes everything it can use and refills its 13.8 kWh battery in about 2h15m. Choose it in 5m or 10m to suit your parking.

How long does a Sportage PHEV take to charge?

Around 2h15m from empty on a 7.2 kW home wallbox with a 32A cable. Step down to the 16A lead at 3.7 kW and the same charge runs to about 4h15m. On a domestic three pin socket at 2.3 kW, allow roughly 6h45m for the 13.8 kWh battery.

How do I tell a PHEV from a Sportage hybrid?

Look for the letters PHEV on the badge, and check the V5C or the handbook. A self-charging HEV or a 48V MHEV Sportage refuels only at a petrol pump and has no charging port anywhere on the car. Only the 1.6 T-GDi PHEV, from 2022 onwards, carries a Type 2 socket that takes a cable.

Is the three phase 22 kW cable any use?

Not on this car. The Sportage PHEV has a single phase 7.2 kW onboard charger, so it cannot draw more than 7.2 kW from any lead. A three phase cable would still take 2h15m for a full charge while costing you more, and UK homes are single phase in any case.

What length cable should I order?

5m covers most driveways where the charge point sits beside the parking bay. Pick 10m if the wallbox is round a corner, you park nose first with the socket facing away, or you share a public post. Both lengths come in every amperage we stock for the Sportage.