PEOPLE say never work with children or animals.
Because they’re totally unpredictable. Treats will only get you so far.
But I’m not one to listen.
So when Kia said Britain’s favourite SUV is better for the family than ever before, I had to put it to the test.
Meet Maisie and her new bestie, Bijoux the cockapoo.
Two little fluff balls, perfect for having a proper rummage around the refreshed Sportage.
Here are five things you need to know.
1. It’s got a “baby and toddler mode” which smooths out acceleration and driver inputs.
Makes everything less jolty. So little toddlers like Maisie stay sound asleep. Happy babies = happy parents. You know that.
2. The boot. Comfortably beats a Nissan Qashqai at 587 litres v 504.
Swallows pushchairs, luggage and all the usual family debris — even a dog crate to keep Bijoux safe.
Which also means no muddy paws on the seats. Bonus. Some dogs will appreciate the baby mode, too.
3. New front end. OUT go the “boomerang” lights from today’s Sportage. IN comes the “star map” LEDs inspired by Kia’s growing EV line-up. Looks punchy.
More aggressive. Will help Sportage stand out from the crowd. The rear lights have also been updated, as well as some other little details to keep things fresh.
4. Cabin. Absolutely nailed it. Lots of big-car tech in here but still knobs and buttons for the things that need knobs and buttons. Comfy.
Roomy. Lots of handy storage, big cup holders, even USB-C charging ports in the side of the front seats for people sat in the back.
Three well-equipped trim levels, not four as before. Posher versions get Apple CarPlay satnav arrows integrated into the Head-up Display.
5. Engines. Three choices — 1.6-litre petrol mild hybrid, full hybrid or plug-in hybrid.
The last two have a bit more oomph than before and the option of four-wheel drive.
It’s got a ‘baby and toddler mode’ which smooths out acceleration and driver inputs
Here’s some good news for caravanners and people with weekend toys. Maximum towing capacity has increased to 1,510kg.
No diesel. No pure electric. If you want to go electric next, there’s a Sportage-sized EV5 coming soon.
6. Sorry, I can’t count. Price. No official numbers from Kia yet but I’m guessing £31k for the petrol manual when it hits showrooms in September?
That would be a lot of car at a sensible price.
Maisie’s parents own a Kia Niro by the way. You can guess what car they want next.
THE thrills and spills of the summer transfer window are finally here – with some huge deals already in the pipeline.
Liam Delap has completed a £30m move from Ipswich to Chelsea.
Elsewhere, Liverpool are entering a final round of talks for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, with a deal expected to be struck in the coming days.
In other news, Man City are advancing in talks for Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri.
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SUN Agony Aunt Sally Land, who also had breast cancer, writes an open letter to Jessie J after the pop star’s shock diagnosis.
DEAR JESSIE: MY heart went out to you as I read about your breast cancer diagnosis and plea for a hug.
You shared that you will undergo surgery within days, and while this is the rawest of times — a “rage stage”, even — as a fellow member of the club none of us wanted to join, I can reassure you that this time of huge uncertainties will pass.
You will be feeling all the possible emotions stacked one upon the other: Relief, hope, guilt, agonising fear and a fury like no other you have ever experienced.
The relief comes from being thankful the cancer has been detected. The hope — that the surgery will remove all cancerous cells.
The guilt isn’t logical, but ever- present nonetheless, that you somehow didn’t know before there was something wrong.
The agonising fear stalks you, occupying your mind with what might happen to your children if the worse case scenario becomes reality.
And then there is the rage.
It’s a visceral anger that this is happening to you.
And there is no reasoning with this rage, because of course why not you, me, or any of the other 56,820 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year?
This anger is about having to go under the knife, fear of surgery, resentment that your breasts, a part of your body so synonymous with being a woman, are about to be cut and changed for ever.
Your news threw me back to this time last year when I was waiting for my own major breast cancer surgery.
Sociable and friendly by nature, I spent the weeks before my surgery pacing angrily alone.
Friends, family and colleagues were amazing, but I couldn’t break out of my simmering fury.
A long weekend at the coast passed in a surreal blur, and while my family played cricket on the beach, I’d take myself and my black mood off for long walks.
Often the only companion I could cope with was Coco, my scruffy labradoodle.
It’s a weird feeling carrying something around within you that you know is potentially lethal, and your conscious thoughts are so often all consumed on that small pin point.
You desperately want it out and yet dread the surgery.
Shopping for post-surgery bras was a real low point.
Normally drawn to bright and bold matching sets, I stared miserably at the monotone post-surgery bras, tears running down my cheeks in the middle of M&S.
This was not a section of the women’s lingerie I had ever wanted to visit.
The only offerings were unapologetically ugly “bolder holders”, but over the next few months I came to appreciate their soft texture and velcro fastenings.
I applaud your honesty at this early stage of diagnosis. It took me months to open up about the experience and I’m so glad I did.
So many women and men have contacted me privately to share their own experiences of cancer.
And some followed up symptoms that they admitted they would otherwise have ignored.
Your willingness to be open will help so many and keep life-saving cancer awareness high.
Disconcertingly, one in five patients wait longer than three months before sharing their symptoms with their GP.
So just think how much better survival rates would be if people sought help earlier.
My surgeon advised me to tell my children about my diagnosis because, as he said, “Children hear more than you think and know when you are keeping secrets from them.”
He told me that I had a long path ahead and if my children didn’t feel they could trust what I was telling them, it would make the whole process a lot harder.
His words echoed in my head when a couple of hours later I put my youngest to bed.
As I tucked him in, he looked straight in my eyes and said, “Mummy, are you OK? I feel like you’re hiding something.”
I knew then, we’d tell them the next day.
The memory of seeing their faces crumple still floors me. My surgeon was right — while there were plenty of nerve-wracking hurdles from that point on, and I know they were scared, at least they knew they could trust us.
Your son is still very young, so will have limited understanding of your diagnosis.
But you will find an age-appropriate way to communicate that “Mummy is poorly and the doctors are helping her get better”.
Especially post-surgery, the sight of tubes, dressings, drains and tentative cuddles take some explaining.
Macmillan (macmillan.org.uk) has a brilliant section on how to talk to children and teens about cancer.
While my rage and fear consumed me right up until the point when I went under general anaesthetic, the moment I came round from surgery and immediately inspected myself, a huge wave of relief swept over me.
My surgeon, Mr Richard Sutton, the Clinical Director for the Breast Unit at the RUH in Bath, did an absolutely brilliant job.
Like many breast cancer surgeons he is trained both in tumour removal, reconstructive surgery and oncoplastic surgery, which improves cosmetic outcomes.
That means while the surgery is fully focused on giving you the best outcome healthwise, your surgical team does everything they can to give you the best aesthetic results.
I’m sure you will be in very good hands and I’m wishing you the hugest wave of relief.
So deep breaths, Jessie. You’re going through the mill, but the love of all who surround you will carry you through.
And I’m sending you the hugest hug.
With love, Sally
THIS isn’t the first time Jessie J has faced a major health scare.
From a heart condition, to a minor stroke and now breast cancer, here are some of the conditions she has faced. . .
Jessie was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome aged eight.
The heart condition causes an irregular heartbeat and can leave a patient feeling dizzy and short of breath.
Her dad also suffers from it.
At 18, she suffered a minor stroke, said to be caused by the syndrome.
At a cancer gala in 2020, she told the audience: “I thought that I was never going to get better. I feel so lucky that I was given a second chance at life.”
In 2020, the singer temporarily experienced deafness due to Meniere’s disease, a rare inner-ear disorder.
She described it as though “someone crawled” into her ear and “turned on a hairdryer”.
After Jessie suffered a miscarriage in 2021, she said: “I have never experienced physical pain and trauma or felt loneliness like it.”
In 2024, the star revealed she had been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
CHELSEA have confirmed the signing of Liam Delap after beating Manchester United to the £30million Ipswich star.
Delap, 22, has joined the Blues on a six-year contract after his release clause was met following Ipswich’s relegation to the Championship.
The striker emerged as Enzo Maresca’s preferred attacking target after netting 12 Premier League goals for the Tractor Boys.
And their time together at Manchester City also played a pivotal role in Delap’s decision to snub fellow suitors United.
The forward is now set to make an immediate debut for his new side at the Club World Cup.
In a statement on the club’s website, he said: “I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach.
“It’s going to be an incredible place for me to develop, and I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies.”
Delap will battle Nicolas Jackson for a spot up front, with the England U21s star hoping to become Chelsea’s starting hitman for the new Premier League season.
The former Stoke, Preston and Hull loanee has also been reunited with several of his City youth team-mates in Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia.
Their relationship through the centre of the park could play a pivotal role in any future Chelsea success.
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And Delap will be eager to help the Blues seal some silverware after Maresca’s men won last week’s Conference League final against Real Betis.
The two-time Premier League winner with Man City had initially looked destined for a move to their rivals United.
The Red Devils are keen on attacking reinforcements, having already shelled out £62.5m on Wolves’ Matheus Cunha.
But the prospect of linking up with some familiar faces, plus the pull of Champions League football, swung the decision in Chelsea’s favour.
The Blues are expected to continue their major squad rebuild with more incomings and outgoings this summer.
They have already welcomed Kendry Paez, Estevao Willian and Dario Essugo to Stamford Bridge.
While a new winger and centre-back are also highly desired by Maresca.
Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi are among those on his wishlist.
And Chelsea also remain in talks with Jadon Sancho’s representatives over a permanent move from Manchester United.
In terms of outgoings, the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and even Noni Madueke could be heading out.
Misfits including Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell will also be moved on.
And with £1.2billion already spent under Todd Boehly, Chelsea fans will be hoping to finally challenge for the title next season.
WHITE British people will become a minority in the UK in less than 40 years, a population study warns.
The current proportion of around 73 per cent will fall to 57 per cent by 2050, a migration report predicts, slipping below half by 2063.
By the end of the century, just 33.7 per cent of the UK population will have no immigrant parents, falling to 28 per cent for under-40s, according to Professor Matt Goodwin.
His research, based on official current population data, also forecasts a sharp rise in people with immigrant backgrounds — from below 20 per cent today to 60.6 per cent by 2100.
Prof Goodwin, a right-wing commentator, said: “By the end of the century, most of the people on these islands will not be able to trace their roots in this country back more than one or two generations.”
The share of UK-born people is also projected to collapse from 81 per cent today to 39 per cent.
The Muslim population could rise from seven per cent to 19.2 per cent.
Prof Goodwin said: “This raises enormous questions about the capacity of our country and leaders to unify people around a shared sense of identity, values, ways of life, and culture, and avoid the very real risk of us becoming what Sir Keir Starmer referred to in May as ‘an island of strangers’.”
He argued these changes were likely to spark “anxiety, concern and political opposition” among those who want to preserve the UK’s “symbols, traditions, culture and ways of life”.
It comes amid pressure to reduce record levels of legal and illegal migration.
Last month, Labour unveiled a new white paper proposing tighter rules on migrants living, working and studying in the country.