All 2023 Sportage models ride on the N3 platform used by the larger Kia Sorento, which brings a size increase over the 2022 Sportage. The new model is 7.1 inches longer with a 3.4-inch longer wheelbase that primarily benefits rear-seat legroom. The new Sportage is also about an inch taller, and about half an inch wider, than its predecessor.
The previous-generation Sportage took some styling risks, but the new versions goes even further. Both hybrid and non-hybrid models share a radically styled front end with angular LED headlights and what Kia calls “boomerang” LED daytime running lights. This gives the Sportage a face unlike any other car and, while we’re not sure how shoppers will react, it’s better to be different than boring.
The Sportage Hybrid LX gets standard 17-inch alloy wheels, while other models get 18-inch wheels. Because Kia isn’t offering a hybrid version of the new Sportage X-Pro, you can’t get its more rugged styling features and BF Goodrich all-terrain tires. Those tires probably aren’t great for fuel economy, anyway. Hybrid models get unique wheel designs and subtle exterior badging, but no other distinguishing styling features.
The interior is largely designed around the Sportage’s large optional infotainment display, with large air vents flanking the touchscreen and instrument cluster like brackets. The shape of those vents is echoed in the interior door handles—a nice touch. The rest of the interior has a pleasingly clean, minimalist look that’s more elegant than the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid cabin, and a sharp contrast from the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid’s faux ruggedness.
Typically for this price range, base models get cloth seats. But instead of offering real leather upholstery on higher trim levels, Kia only offers SynTex artificial leather, which the automaker now promotes as an “animal free” alternative to real leather. Regardless of the potential benefit of eliminating animal products, this material felt a bit cheap. And the steering wheel is still wrapped in real leather, anyway.
In addition to the SynTex upholstery, our SX-Prestige test car was dressed up with gloss black plastic trim, and additional plastic with a silver metallic finish. This looked nice at first, but the gloss black trim quickly accumulated fingerprint smudges, and both materials produced a lot of glare.
The Sportage Hybrid uses a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission, assisted by a single electric motor that draws power from a 1.49-kilowatt-hour battery pack. This combination produces 227 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The base LX trim level gets standard front-wheel drive (FWD) and optional all-wheel drive (AWD), while the EX and SX-Prestige are AWD-only.
This is the same powertrain used in the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, but for some reason the Hyundai is rated at 226 hp. Both Korean crossovers offer more horsepower than the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Escape hybrids, but those manufactures do not quote torque outputs. The Sportage Hybrid is also more powerful than the non-hybrid version, which uses a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four producing 187 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Sportage Hybrid was very pleasant to drive—and not just because of its extra power. In addition to providing robust acceleration, the powertrain delivered thrust smoothly and predictably. The handoff between electric and gasoline power was impossible to detect, as was the introduction of turbo boost at higher rpm. The Sportage Hybrid drove like a conventional car with a larger-displacement engine.
The powertrain was aided by a well-tuned transmission, which provided smooth shifts and quick responses. Other pluses included a quiet cabin and comfortable ride. Our test car had the larger optional 18-inch wheels, but thick tire sidewalls ensured they didn’t diminish the ride quality.
The Sportage Hybrid wasn’t meant to be a driver’s car, but the Honda CR-V Hybrid does feel a bit more composed and stable in corners than the Kia. That’s partially down to the Sportage Hybrid’s steering, which weighted up in a nonlinear way, and got artificially heavy in the Sport driving mode.
The Sportage Hybrid has a maximum towing capacity of 2,000 pounds—500 pounds less than the non-hybrid version.
The Sportage Hybrid has slightly less headroom and cargo space than the non-hybrid Sportage, but it’s still competitive with other vehicles in its market segment.
Kia offers a bit more front-seat headroom in the Sportage than you get in the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 hybrids, but less headroom for second-row passengers. Rear-seat legroom is tied with the related Hyundai Tucson Hybrid for best-in-class, but the CR-V and Ford Escape Hybrids offer a bit more front legroom.
Kia included a dual-level cargo floor for added flexibility. With the floor at its lower level, the Sportage Hybrid has 39.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 73.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. That means, with the seats up and the floor lowered, the Sportage Hybrid has more cargo space than its hybrid crossover rivals. The Tucson Hybrid has more space with the rear seats folded, but the Sportage still beats the Escape, CR-V, and RAV4 hybrids.
Kia also made good use of the available space between the front seats. Sportage Hybrids get a rotary shift knob instead of the more traditional lever on gasoline models, which doesn’t get in the way when reaching for a phone or drink.
Speaking of those items, phones sit in large bin ahead of the shifter with neatly packaged USB ports and optional wireless charging. The cupholders, meanwhile, have clever rings that move inward to grasp undersized cups or bottles, and open to accommodate larger items. The center console storage bin had a decent amount of space as well.
The standard infotainment system includes an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot that can support up to five devices. The EX model gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen, while the SX-Prestige gets a panoramic display combining the 12.3-inch screen with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in one housing. Note that models with the larger touchscreen have wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, not the wireless versions.
The panoramic display is visually impressive, as even the related Hyundai Tucson doesn’t get it. It’s also pretty nice to use, with pleasing graphics and a responsive touchscreen. The instrument cluster was placed so the steering wheel didn’t block it (in our driving position, at least). Android Auto doesn’t display across the entire touchscreen, however, with a good chunk of the space remaining unused.
Kia also added touch controls on a thin bar below the screen. Like the panoramic display, this is a tech feature that also functions as a design feature, giving the dashboard a cleaner look. The individual controls can also switch between audio and climate controls depending what the driver wants to play with. That also goes for the analog knobs Kia included, which can adjust audio volume or temperature.
Hybrid models get four standard USB-C ports, with an additional two rear USB-C ports, wireless phone charging, and an upgraded Harman Kardon audio system are available on higher trim levels.
Because of the recent redesign, crash-test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) weren’t available at the time of our test drive.
The base LX trim level gets standard forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and a driver attention monitor. Stepping up to the EX trim level adds blind-spot monitoring and safe-exit warning, but you really need the SX-Prestige trim level to get the most driver-assist tech.
The top Sportage Hybrid trim level gets adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, a blind-spot view camera that displays the camera view in the instrument cluster, a 360-degree camera system, Remote Smart Parking Assist automated parking, and Highway Driving Assist, which combines adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering.
While competitors (other than parent brand Hyundai) don’t have anything to match Remote Smart Parking Assist and the clever blind-spot view camera, it’s worth noting that even the most basic Honda CR-V Hybrid or Toyota RAV4 Hybrid gets adaptive cruise control as standard equipment.
The base FWD Sportage Hybrid LX gets EPA fuel-economy ratings of 43 mpg combined (42 mpg city, 44 mpg highway), while AWD models are rated at 38 mpg in all three categories. The FWD figures allow Kia to claim best-in-class fuel economy, but that’s not the case with the AWD ratings. With AWD, the Ford Escape Hybrid is rated at 40 mpg combined, and that’s also the case for the AWD-only Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The Sportage’s Hyundai Tucson Hybrid cousin is also AWD-only, and matches the Kia’s ratings in its most-efficient Blue spec.
Other automakers can’t match Kia’s 10-year, 100,000-mile, powertrain warranty and five-year, 60,000-mile, limited warranty. You get the same warranty on a Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, though, because Kia and Hyundai are part of the same company.
Pricing starts at $28,545 for a base LX model with FWD (all prices include a $1,255 destination charge). The AWD-only EX and SX-Prestige models start at $32,245 and $37,445, respectively. Our SX-Prestige test car was relatively light on options, the only notable add-ons being Shadow Matte Gray paint and a Carmine Red interior. Those items pushed the as-tested price to $38,155.
Those prices are in line with other small hybrid crossovers, as is the Sportage Hybrid’s fuel economy and interior space. The Sportage has a clear advantage over the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4 hybrids in power, and the way that power is delivered.
And while the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid offers the same powertrain and warranty, the Kia has a more sophisticated infotainment system and dramatically different styling. So buyers can choose which look fits their tastes, or shop around to see whether their local Kia or Hyundai store offers the best deal.
The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid gets off to a strong start, then. It’s definitely making us excited for the forthcoming plug-in hybrid model, which Kia says will offer 261 hp and 32 miles of electric range. Stay tuned.
