Gas mileage (mpg) is the ratio of fuel used to how many miles traveled. Kia produces vehicles with better than average gas mileage. The Sportage is Kia's compact SUV and benefits from the same engineering found in other Kia vehicles. Improving the mpg requires improving the quality of the spark, increasing the air pulled into the engine, and opening the exhaust lines.
The standard spark plug misfires occasionally during vehicle operation. The misfires increase the amount of fuel consumed. Replacing the stock spark plugs with split platinum or iridium plugs increases the quality and consistency of the spark used to ignite the fuel. A better spark tells the on-board computer to send less fuel. You can swap out the spark plugs in approximately 30 minutes. The majority of Kia Sportages have the plugs positioned top center of the engine block. Remove the plug wires and plugs one at a time to avoid mixing up the wires. Newer models use individual coil packs that use a Phillips-head screw to mount them to the block. Remove the screw and pull the coil pack off, which looks like a black, rounded block on the top of the engine block. The spark plugs remove like normal.
More air in the fuel to air mixture provides for a more powerful explosion in the cylinder. The computer reads the amount of air and adjusts the fuel to air ratio automatically reducing the amount of fuel. A lifetime, high-flow air filter, available from any auto parts retailer, provides for a stronger current of air flowing through the vehicles air intake system. The high-flow air filter is a direct replacement for your stock air filter. Lift the air filter housing cap, which connects with latches on the side, and replace the air filter with the high-flow model. You can also purchase a cold-air intake system, which replaces the existing air filter housing using the stock bolts and hoses. The system comes with explicit installation instructions specific to your year Sportage.
A more expensive but highly effective way to improve gas mileage is by opening up your exhaust system. Opening the exhaust means increasing the diameter of the exhaust pipe and the exhaust manifold, which allows for a smoother release of exhaust gases. The impact to the fuel mileage is similar to the impact from increasing the air flow through the intake system. Installation of a larger exhaust system is very complicated and should be completed by a professional. The noise level of the exhaust will also increase, which makes the option not highly attractive to some drivers.
