650 kilometres with 40 euro: Kia Sportage Tri-Fuel, the test of the full hybrid SUV that also runs on LPG

Kia doubles its offer of Tri-Fuel versions by adding the Sportage to that of the Niro compact suv. Also derived from the full hybrid variant, and therefore capable of running on electric traction alone, this LPG-powered Sportage is the result of a thirty-year collaboration between Kia's Italian branch and BRC, the mainstay of the Canadian giant Westport Fuel Systems, from which more than one hundred and thirty thousand cars of the Korean brand have been powered by liquid gas;

Kia reconfirms with this Sportage its recipe for combining low emissions, due to the ability to run either on electricity or LPG, with operating economy. The technology of this model is a refinement of that of the less powerful Niro. In fact, it injects LPG indirectly into the intake manifold (alongside direct petrol to manage the creation of an optimal mixture for engine operation in certain situations) as well as specific electronic management mappings and a system that prevents wear of the valves and their seats with the injection of a special lubricant to which a specific tank is dedicated;

The powertrain of the Sportage Tri-Fuel mated to a six-speed automatic transmission consists of a 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine with 177 horsepower and an electric unit with 65 horsepower, developing a total of 237 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque. Values only slightly lower than those of the regular Sportage Hev. On the other hand, both the overall range of more than 1,500 kilometres, which comes from the sum of the 870 kilometres covered by the 52-litre petrol tank and the 650 kilometres offered by the 52-litre LPG tank, and the costs are very different. In fact, even in this period in which the geopolitical crisis has caused the prices of diesel and gas to soar, that of 'gas' is always more than 1 euro lower, as the national average cost is 0.85 euro per litre. As far as consumption is concerned, this Tri-Fuel averages 15.2 km/litre on petrol according to the Wltp cycle, while on LPG the figure drops to 12.5 km/litre. However, in practical terms, the disadvantage is offset by its lower price, as less than 7 euros is spent per 100 kilometres.

from the driver's seat you can also feel the same sensations, as this Sportage, which touches 196 km/h and reaches 100 km/h in 7"9 as soon as it starts, moves, as in all manoeuvres, only electrically. The petrol only kicks in for a limited time and depending on the ambient temperature to optimise warm-up of the heat engine. Then, automatically, the Tri-Fuel feeds only on LPG without jolting or hesitation. Of course, you can also switch the power supply to petrol at the flick of a switch;

On the move, the power difference with the normal version is imperceptible, especially as it is also camouflaged by the contribution of the electric motor. Then, when conditions inspire the car's management electronics, the Tri-Fuel moves driven only by the electric motor, obviously depending on the charge of the 1.49 kWh battery from which it is powered, just like the normal full-hybrid version. Similarly to the latter, the performance of the powetrian, which as a base combines liveliness with fluidity of delivery, can be modulated by the Eco configurations, with which the paddles on the steering wheel become selectors of the four steps of energy recovery when slowing down, and Sport with which the "paddles" on the steering wheel are used to manage gear changes;