2026 Sportage EX

The features you touch every day

Step from the LX to the EX and the upgrades are the ones your hands and back register on the commute, not the ones that only show up in a spec sheet. Heated front seats earn their keep from November through March here; dual-zone climate ends the thermostat negotiation; the wireless charger keeps a phone topped up without a tangle of cords; and the hands-free smart liftgate is a small daily luxury when you are walking up with groceries in both arms. The SynTex upholstery also wipes down after a sandy day at Point Pleasant far more easily than cloth. None of it is exotic — it is just the stuff that makes a car feel finished.

Safety that used to be optional, now standard

The EX makes blind-spot collision-avoidance assist and rear-cross-traffic assist standard rather than a package — genuinely useful on Route 88 merges and when backing out of an angled beach-lot space with an SUV parked beside you. Layered on Kia's already-standard forward-collision and lane-keeping systems, it gives the EX a driver-assist set that punches above its price. All of it runs on the same 187-horsepower 2.5-liter and eight-speed automatic as the rest of the gas range, with EPA estimates of roughly 25/33 in front-drive form and 24/30 with all-wheel drive.

Who lands on the EX

This is the trim for the buyer who wants a Sportage that feels equipped, not entry-level, but has no interest in paying for 19-inch wheels or the big twin screens. It is the family default. One EX-range buyer summed up the store experience: "I had a catastrophic failure of my old car and needed a replacement quickly. Sales Consultant, Al Angelo, and the entire team at DiFeo came to my rescue... He put together a package for a 2026 Sportage that fit me to a T. The sales and finance process was just perfect." — Rick P. Another kept it short: "Vito was fantastic to work with, he was up front and honest. My wife couldn't be happier about her new 2026 Sportage." — Mike S.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the 2026 Kia Sportage EX?

$30,590 MSRP with front-wheel drive and $32,390 with all-wheel drive, each before destination and New Jersey tax and fees. It sits one rung above the LX and below the sportier SX. Live pricing and incentives are on the specials page.

What does the EX add over the LX?

Heated front seats, SynTex synthetic-leather trim, dual-zone automatic climate, a wireless phone charger, a smart power liftgate, 18-inch wheels, and standard blind-spot and rear-cross-traffic assist. In short, it turns the well-built base Sportage into a fully comfortable daily driver for about $1,800 more.

Should I add the Panoramic Sunroof Package?

If open-sky feel matters to you, yes — the $1,000 package adds a panoramic sunroof, LED interior lighting, and gloss-black roof rails, and it is the EX's main optional upgrade. It is also the kind of feature that helps resale, since sunroof-equipped SUVs tend to move faster on the used lot.

Is the EX available with all-wheel drive?

Yes. Like the LX and SX Prestige, the EX offers AWD as a $1,800 option, which brings the 2026 Terrain Mode for snow, mud, and sand. If you want all-wheel drive as standard equipment plus rugged styling, compare the X-Line.

Is the EX worth it over the base LX?

For most buyers, comfortably. The heated seats, dual-zone climate, power liftgate, and standard blind-spot alerts are features you use constantly, and the roughly $1,800 step spreads to only a few dollars a month on a typical lease or loan. If your budget is firm at the LX price, the base car is still a good one — but the EX is where the Sportage stops feeling like a value play and starts feeling like a nice car.

The bottom line on the EX

The EX is the Sportage most Lakewood families should shortlist first: comfortable, well-equipped, sensibly priced, and available with the winter traction a Jersey Shore year sometimes demands. Check EX inventory in Lakewood, or schedule a drive and see whether the sunroof package is worth it to you.