KIA Sportage (1993-2023) firing order — diagram & guide

The KIA Sportage has been one of the best picks from the compact SUV and crossover class for 30 years now, and the current model is still going strong. During that time, a lot of different engines were used, but a common trait is that the KIA Sportage (1993-2023) firing order can help all the owners improve their maintenance efforts while reducing the cost.

So, our team hopes that this guide will help you deal with some potential issues on your own without having to pay for excessive service fees. That’s why we’ll elaborate on the firing order for every particular engine used from 1993 and give you some pointers on cylinder locations along the way.

First-generation KIA Sportage (1993-2004) firing order

The first-generation model of the KIA Sportage only featured a single engine option, so we’ll focus on the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. This is the engine that future four-cylinders were based on as well, and a lot of these still have the same firing order to this day.

KIA Sportage 2.0L firing order

The first-ever Sportage engine was a 2.0-liter petrol used in the first-gen model as the only offered option. The KIA Sportage 2.0L firing order is 1-3-4-2 since the engine uses a simple straight-four-cylinder configuration.

In other words, the cylinders are arranged in 1, 2, 3, and 4 order from left to right, which makes it easier to mark the cylinder positions and use the firing order.

Second-generation KIA Sportage (2004-2009) firing order

The second-gen model first saw the introduction of a V6 among offered engines, and it’s the only V6 engine used in the Sportage to this day. It still offered the optional 2.0-liter base engine which was used in the first generation, along with a 2.0-liter diesel one.

KIA Sportage 2.7L firing order

The KIA Sportage 2.7L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6 and this engine is a transverse V6. That means the engine is rotated in the engine bay and cylinders are ordered in the upper and the lower bank. The upper one closer to the windshield and your driving position houses cylinders 1, 3, and 5.

So, cylinders 2, 4, and 6 are all ordered in the lower bank from left to right, looking at the engine from the mechanic’s perspective.

KIA Sportage 2.0L diesel firing order

Along with a 2.0-liter petrol engine, KIA also offered a same-sized diesel powertrain and it had a pretty similar configuration. So, the KIA Sportage 2.0L diesel firing order is 1-3-4-2 and the cylinders are ordered from left to right in a straight-four sequence.

The only difference is that a diesel engine doesn’t have spark plugs so you won’t have to deal with misfires caused by worn-off plugs. You can still apply the firing order to solve engine stalling issues, especially in colder weather where this engine may struggle to start.

Third-generation KIA Sportage (2010-2014) firing order

The introduction of a third-gen Sportage model saw a completely new engine lineup with turbocharged four-cylinder options being the base options. There were four new engines used in total, so let’s see how they rate with previous ones in terms of their firing orders:

KIA Sportage 1.6L turbo firing order

As a base engine option for the third-gen model, the KIA Sportage 1.6L turbo firing order is 1-3-4-2. While the engine was different from the previous ones due to a turbocharger being added, it still had the same engine block and cylinder configuration.

So, the engine’s cylinders were ordered from 1 to 4 in a straight sequence, looking at the engine from left to right.

KIA Sportage 2.0L turbo firing order

Just like with the earlier 2.0-liter engine used in the first two generations, the KIA Sportage 2.0L turbo firing order is 1-3-4-2. The engine’s cylinder configuration also matches the one of a regular 2.0L engine, so it goes 1, 2, 3, and 4 from left to right.

KIA Sportage 2.4L firing order

The KIA Sportage 2.4L firing order is 1-3-4-2 as well, and it’s the only naturally-aspirated engine among the third-gen Sportage options. As you are probably getting used to by now, the cylinder layout is a straight-four that goes from left to right, with the first cylinder being the left-most one.

KIA Sportage 1.6L diesel firing order

Finally, the KIA Sportage 1.6L diesel firing order is 1-3-4-2 also and the engine’s configuration is the same as for the 1.6-liter turbo petrol engine. It’s like the 2.0-liter diesel which has the same straight-four sequence of cylinder arrangement and the engine doesn’t use spark plugs like petrol options.

Fourth-generation KIA Sportage (2015-2020) firing order

The fourth-gen Sportage featured a lot of the same engines as the previous model. From the 1.6L diesel and 1.6L turbo petrol to a 2.0-liter turbo and an N/A 2.4-liter engine, all of the options are as we previously discussed. The only change was the addition of a new diesel engine so we’ll discuss that one next.

KIA Sportage 1.7L firing order

The KIA Sportage 1.7L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and this engine is a diesel four-cylinder which means it doesn’t use spark plugs either. The engine’s cylinder configuration matches the one of the previously mentioned 1.6L and 2.0L diesel powertrains, with the first cylinder on the left, and the rest following up to the right and finishing with the fourth cylinder.

Fifth-generation KIA Sportage (2021-present) firing order

With the fifth-gen model that’s still ongoing in production, KIA kept the 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter engines and introduced a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder. It’s the only recent addition to the lineup so let’s see what its firing order looks like.

KIA Sportage 2.5L firing order

The KIA Sportage 2.5L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and this engine is a naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine. It’s the only such engine offered for the fifth-gen Sportage, and the cylinders are arranged from 1 to 4 in a straight sequence from left to right.

Our take

Well, that settles it for our guide on the KIA Sportage (1993-2023) firing order, and our team hopes you’ve learned something important through it.

Keeping up with the engine’s maintenance is way easier once you get to know the firing pattern of your engine and how the cylinders are stacked up, so you should now have an easier time dealing with potential misfires or even oil leaks.