Hybrid, petrol and LPG: can the technological neutrality proposed by Kia be an answer to the rising price of petrol and diesel caused by the war in Iran?
As Europe grapples with the rising cost of petrol and diesel triggered by the war in Iran, and online marketplaces record surges in searches for electric and hybrid cars, Kia launches a proposal that is as concrete as it is unusual: the Sportage Tri-fuel, a full hybrid SUV that adds LPG to the hybrid powertrain. Three energy sources in a single car: petrol, electricity, gas. All together. Eureka! Well, sort of. Let us explain. LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), long considered an effective transitional solution for reducing pollutant emissions, is still a by-product of oil.
Compared to traditional fuels (petrol and diesel), we are talking about significantly lower emission factors for nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and carbon dioxide. The advantages? Not so much environmental ones — rather, lower running costs and expenses, and a greater range: aspects that can favourably influence the choice of a car. LPG remains, however, a fossil fuel and as such depends on an energy market that is vulnerable to geopolitical crises — the very same vulnerability that today, with the intermittent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, is sending petrol and diesel prices through the roof. One thing should be clear, though: nothing comparable to alternatives such as hydrogen or certain biofuels, both of which are the leading candidates as alternatives to oil — after the electric car, obviously.
At the heart of the new Sportage Tri-fuel is the full hybrid system from the well-known HEV version, to which Kia Italia, in partnership with Westport Fuel Systems Italia — a company active in the supply of automotive systems and components dedicated to alternative fuels — has added a second 48-litre LPG tank housed in the false floor of the boot (which is reduced in size but remains nonetheless reasonably spacious).
The combustion engine remains the 4-cylinder 1.6 turbo producing 180 horsepower, paired with a second electric motor rated at 47.7 kW (65 hp) powered by a 60.7 kW battery that recharges under braking or via the engine itself. Combined output stands at 237 horsepower, with performance that — as we shall see — remains essentially unchanged compared to the Kia Sportage hybrid, but with the advantage of a significantly greater overall range.
One of the most tangible strengths of this system is its range — more so than its emissions, as we have seen. To put it simply, on a full tank of LPG Kia claims it is possible to cover around 650 kilometres, which, combined with the efficiency of the hybrid system and the petrol tank, comes close to 1,500 kilometres — more than a diesel car, and slightly above some recent plug-in hybrid models as well.
With an additional advantage that is even more apparent for those who cover many kilometres by car: filling up with LPG today costs around 40 euros. The economic aspect — positive even taking into account the higher cost of the LPG version, which starts at 40,000 euros, 2,000 euros more than the full hybrid version — is far from negligible at a time when the conflict in Iran has sent diesel prices rocketing to 2.50 euros per litre in Germany and has prompted millions of Europeans to question the cost of fuel. A rise that has driven demand for electric cars up by 40 per cent in Germany, Austria and Italy.
In short, solutions with genuinely low running costs, such as the one offered by Kia with the Sportage Tri-fuel, are clearly not an exercise in innovation — rather, they are a virtuous example of how technological neutrality can meet needs arising from historical and political situations that also impact people's mobility. In an Europe of expensive fuel and geopolitical uncertainty, this is a car that responds to a real need.
As we anticipated, the Kia Sportage Tri-fuel remains virtually unchanged compared to the hybrid model. The main novelty is the debut of the Black Edition version, available exclusively in the Tri-fuel configuration. Recognisable externally by new chromatic details, alloy wheels and tinted windows, inside it features a dual 12.3-inch display and eco-leather seats. The level of finish remains consistently good and the assembly quality is carefully executed.
On the road, no differences are felt. Whether one exploits the hybrid system (and therefore electric and petrol) or LPG, the Kia Sportage Tri-fuel remains an SUV that is primarily comfortable, quiet and well suited to family trips; to make the most of the admittedly limited electric range, one can select Eco driving mode — a range that lasts all the longer the more one uses the paddles behind the steering wheel to vary the intensity of regenerative braking, on descents and in urban stretches.