We conduct extensive research for this blog in relation to certain inquiries about various autos. One of the most important factors for your car is the kind of gasoline or power. We’ll examine the Kia Sportage today and address what kind of fuel this vehicle needs. We’ve read through the owners’ guides for every Kia Sportage model produced since 2012 to determine the type of fuel to use in your car. Here is a brief response:
All Kia Sportage models are made to run on 87 octane regular unleaded fuel. No engine performance or power increases will result from using premium fuel with an octane rating of 91.
That, however, does not cover all. The sort of petrol or diesel you should use for your individual Kia Sportage model is covered in more depth below.
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In This Article...
What kind of fuel does Kia suggest?
It’s possible that the New Vehicle Limited Warranty won’t cover harm to the fuel system and any performance issues brought on by
the use of fuels containing more than 15.0 percent vol. (Oxygen Content) of MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) or methanol
Do not use methanol
Methanol (also known as wood alcohol)-containing fuels shouldn’t be utilized in your car. This fuel can impair a vehicle’s performance.
can harm fuel system, engine control system, and emission control system components.
Fuel additives
Use unleaded fuel (petrol) with an octane value of 91 RON (Research Octane Number) / AKI, according to Kia.
For clients experiencing beginning issues who do not frequently use high-quality gasoline (petrol), including fuel additives
Every 10,000 kilometers, one bottle of additives should be put to the gasoline tank, whether the engine is running rough or not.
A professional workshop sells additives together with instructions on how to utilize them. Kia advises going to an
E10 is permissible in the Kia Sportage.
KIA permits the use of gasoline with a maximum 10% ethanol concentration (E10). Failures or defects resulting from operating on fuels with an ethanol percentage greater than 10% or from the use of fuels that do not adhere to the necessary criteria are not covered by the KIA New Vehicle Warranty.
In the event that you have any sort of drivability issue, KIA advises that you stop using gasoline combined with ethanol.
Does the Kia Sportage require premium fuel?
Almost all 2020 and 2021 Kia vehicles are made to run on standard gasoline with an octane rating of 87 or higher. The Stinger is the only vehicle in the Kia lineup that is suggested for premium fuels.
Does the 93 octane rating matter?
Most vehicles accept standard, but few only accept premium. There have been some erroneous purchases made at the pump because it is not quite clear how these two kinds of gasoline differ from one another. Continue reading if you’re unsure about what to put in your car’s gas tank. You could end up saving money.
So, what’s the difference between premium and regular gas?
In most areas, regular gas has an octane rating of 87, whereas premium gas frequently has a higher rating of 91 or 93. Higher octane fuel can withstand greater compression before detonating. In essence, the risk that a detonation occurs at the wrong time decreases with increasing octane grade. This event will occasionally probably not cause any damage to your car. However, if it occurs frequently, it could hasten the performance deterioration of your engine.
For optimum performance and fuel economy, engines with high compression ratios or turbochargers frequently need the high octane gasoline found in premium gas. The majority of vehicles on the road today, however, are designed to run on ordinary gas.
If your car doesn’t require premium, fill up with regular.
Why spend a lot of money on something you don’t require? Premium petrol costs around 50 cents more per gallon than regular gas and doesn’t affect vehicles that can’t use it in any way. The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers that, “In most circumstances, using gasoline with a higher octane rating than your owner’s manual suggests delivers absolutely no benefit. It won’t improve the efficiency, performance, speed, or mileage of your vehicle.
In order to clean your engine and improve performance, the detergent additives in your gasoline are significantly more significant than the octane rating. Every shop offers a unique mixture of additives that are applied to all grades. For instance, Chevron’s Techron is available in both their normal and premium gas.
Some people hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to additives. The Top Tier Gasoline standard, which requires a higher-percentage of detergent additive than the EPA minimum criteria, was developed with the assistance of BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Audi. They contend that lesser detergent additive concentrations may cause greater deposits to form on engine parts like the intake valves and fuel injectors. As a result, emissions may rise and engine performance may be affected. j
If your car requires premium, fill up with premium.
For high compression ratio engines to operate at their intended levels of performance, fuel economy, and emissions, higher octane gasoline is often required. Don’t cut corners if your car requires premium fuel. Your automobile will be less powerful and fuel-efficient even though you might save money on gas. When driving a car with a turbocharged engine, this can significantly alter the performance.
What if premium gas is needed but isn’t readily available? While newer automobiles have sensors that are watched by the engine’s computer to assist prevent knock and, by extension, engine damage, older ones may be subject to engine knock when driving on low octane fuel. As the engine’s computer can alter the ignition timing, your car will probably be alright running on normal occasionally, but we don’t advise doing so frequently.
A modern vehicle’s ECU (Electronic Control Unit) can take differing octane levels into account and adjust when you use a lower grade of fuel than what is advised or required. Your horsepower and MPG are likely to decrease as CO2 emissions increase. Gas may be cheaper, but in this case, you get what you pay for.
If your car only recommends premium, the choice is yours.
The Ford F-150 and Mazda MX-5 Miata are two examples of automobiles for which automakers advise premium fuels but do not mandate it. According to AAA’s research, these vehicles’ performance and fuel efficiency somewhat improved while using premium gas. If you drive a luxury or performance car, premium gas might assist highlight your car’s desired qualities.
However, you can safely run on ordinary if your owner’s handbook specifies “premium fuel suggested.” Commuters trying to get from point A to point b might not notice or care depending on what and how you drive. It all comes down to personal preference in the end. Your rules, your car.
Need some fuel-friendly vehicle choices?
It can be challenging to compare all the vehicles that are now on the market with rising gas prices. Check out these vehicles that use little to no gasoline to make things simpler! Check out these gas-saving suggestions as well.
Premium Gas Offers Better Performance
This myth is partially true and partially false. The majority of automobiles operate at the same level of performance whether you use standard or premium petrol. You’ll only notice a noticeable difference between the two with particular car models and engine types.
You Need to Use Premium Gas if It’s in Your Car Manual
This myth also rests on circumstantial evidence. Many automakers, like GMC, Ram trucks, and the works, will indicate in the owner’s manual for some of their cars whether they advise or demand the use of premium gasoline. What counts is how these two terms differ from one another.
There are certain advantages to using premium gas when the manual advises against it, but using regular gas won’t hurt your car. It won’t void your warranty in this situation either. Premium gas could potentially improve the performance of these vehicles.
But if the owner’s handbook specifies premium fuel, it signifies the engine does really require higher octane levels to operate properly. Using conventional fuel in these vehicles could potentially harm the engine, and your warranty won’t cover these damages.
Make sure you carefully study your owner’s manual before buying a new or used automobile to make the best decision. Save yourself the money if it’s not necessary.
Premium Gas Lasts Longer
So, is premium fuel more durable? This appears to be a lure of using the ostensibly higher grade fuel for many people. Who among us wouldn’t like to visit the petrol station less frequently?
Regrettably, premium gasoline contains nothing that would extend its shelf life relative to other fuels purchased at the pump. Since the higher octane levels are what set them apart, the only true advantage is a decreased risk of engine knocking, which poses no danger with most contemporary fuel systems.
Premium Gas Cleans Your Engine
This myth is untrue, much like the idea of living longer. The majority of engines are effective in removing residue. You’re in better shape keeping up with routine maintenance checks if you’re worried about the cleanliness of your vehicle’s components.
Can I put unleaded 88 in my car?
- E15, which is frequently marketed as Unleaded 88, is a mixture of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. It has 5% more ethanol in it than E10, the most widely used fuel in the US. While E10 has an octane rating of 87, E15 has a higher octane typical of 88. To emphasize its high octane value, retailers are selling E15 as Unleaded 88.
- Up until recently, gasoline ethanol mixes could include no more than 10% ethanol, or E10. 97 percent of the gasoline sold in the US is E10. Unleaded 88 uses the same kind of ethanol as is blended into E10, but the amount of ethanol in a gallon of gasoline is increased from 10% to 15%.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given unleaded 88 permission to be used in all automobiles, trucks, and SUVs manufactured in 2001 and later. According to the EPA, more than 90% of gasoline sales is used in vehicles with a model year after 2001.
- The ethanol sector petitioned the EPA in 2009 to lift the current cap of 10% and allow a blend of up to 15% ethanol in gasoline. By replacing conventional gasoline with low-carbon ethanol, increasing the blend from E10 to E15 will hasten the use of renewable fuel, boost energy security, generate jobs in the United States, lower transportation costs, and benefit the environment.
- In the history of the EPA fuel waiver procedure, Unleaded 88 has undergone more testing than any other gasoline additive. The U.S. Department of Energy tested Unleaded 88 in a variety of vehicles for 6 million miles and found no issues.
- Unleaded 88 is permitted for use by automakers. More than 93 percent of model year 2019 vehicles have express manufacturer approval for the use of Unleaded 88, according to an RFA analysis. Ford recommends Unleaded 88 for its 2013 and newer vehicles, and General Motors recommends Unleaded 88 starting with its 2012 model year vehicles. Volkswagen, Audi, Toyota, Land Rover, Porsche, Jaguar, Honda, Subaru, and some Mercedes-Benz and Lexus cars are also permitted to run on unleaded 88.
- It’s also crucial to remember that certain fuels and gasoline additives, like fuel stabilizers or octane boosters, aren’t always included in vehicle owner’s manuals. The use of fuels and gasoline additives not specifically listed does not always make a vehicle’s warranty void. In fact, if the use of a different fuel did not cause the issue for which the warranty claim was submitted, vehicle manufacturers may not reject a warranty claim based on that reason.
- Unleaded 88 and normal gasoline have very imperceptible mileage differences in a real-world setting. In a controlled environment, ethanol’s effect on fuel economy would be equal to the loss of energy density, according to studies by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. When compared to ordinary gasoline, this results in an Unleaded 88 loss of less than 2%. This would translate to a loss of about 29.4 mpg for a car getting 30 mpg, or roughly the loss of miles per gallon when a car’s tires are not properly inflated.
- Ethanol continues to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report (GHG). According to the report, using ethanol as a transportation fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 43%, and if current trends continue, these reductions will reach 47% by 2022.
- At the pump, unleaded 88 is clearly distinguished. For usage in passenger cars manufactured after 2001 and flex-fuel vehicles, look for the government-mandated orange and black label mentioning E15 (as seen on the right).
- Nearly all of the gasoline infrastructure that is currently in place can use unleaded 88 without risk of damage. According to studies by Underwriters Laboratories, gasoline blends having 15% ethanol should be used at American gas pumps.
- Unleaded 88 was not permitted to be used in automobiles manufactured before 2000 by the EPA. This was partly because older vehicles have a variety of factorssuch as mileage, state of repair, and types of usethat would render test results ambiguous.
- Because many non-automotive engines lack sophisticated computer controls to account for fuel variances, the EPA did not approve usage for Unleaded 88 outside of the automotive industry. These engines come in several sorts and sizes and are used in different applications.
Which Kia Sportage has the best fuel efficiency?
This Sportage isn’t far behind the class leaders in terms of emissions and economy, even though it can’t quite match them. Whether you choose the manual or automatic gearbox, the two-wheel-drive, 134-horsepower mild-hybrid 1.6-liter Diesele emits from 146g/km of CO2 and offers average fuel economy of up to 50.4mpg. If you choose the same engine with four-wheel drive, your fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions drop to 42.8mpg and 173g/km, respectively.
Prior to 2020, a diesel engine with 182 bhp higher power was accessible. This 2.0-liter engine achieved 44.8 mpg and 166 g/km of CO2, or you could choose the 134-bhp version, which achieved 47.9 mpg in automatic mode and 54.3 mpg in manual mode. The 1.7 CRDi was the most economical diesel, achieving 61.4 mpg and 119 g/km with a manual transmission, however only older cars are equipped with this engine. Keep in mind that this number was obtained using the older NEDC test cycle rather than the more recent WLTP cycle.
As an alternative, you might choose a petrol engine. There are two 1.6-liter engines in each model, one of which is turbocharged and the other is not. With the aid of Kia’s ISG stop-start technology, the base, non-turbocharged model generates 130bhp, achieves up to 38.7mpg on average, and emits 166g/km of CO2.
Now available with two- or four-wheel drive, the more potent turbocharged petrol engine does impair its fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions. If you choose the front-wheel-drive, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, you can get 35.3 mpg with the manual transmission and 37.7 mpg with emissions of 170 g/km. With a manual or automatic gearbox, the four-wheel-drive variant may achieve up to 33.2 mpg and 192 g/km of CO2 emissions.