2022 Kia Sportage vs 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E

The 2022 Kia Sportage featured Kia's tiger-nose grille styling, which worked well on models like the Stinger and Sorento but seemed out of place on the Sportage. The grille, positioned under oversized headlights and above a chrome trim, resembled a fake mustache plastered to the SUV's front. Despite this, Kia nailed other design details, from the four-dot running light signature reminiscent of the Porsche Macan to the Volkswagen-style symmetry of the back door shut line and rear fascia seam. The SX Turbo's 19-inch wheels pushed out to the corners gave it proper proportions and a planted stance.

Inside, the Sportage boasted Germanic design cues with a black dashboard featuring polished metallic accents and plain white markings on a black background for instrumentation. The SX Turbo included metal pedal covers, and the interior came in black, gray, and beige, adding a rich, high-contrast look. Buttons and knobs made it easy to adjust the stereo, change the cabin temperature, and access the infotainment system's main menus. The transmission shifter's solid and fluid operation imparted a sense of quality, making every drive feel upscale.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E initially shocked enthusiasts with its Mustang styling cues on a five-door crossover SUV, especially an electric one. However, it proved to be a smart move. The Mach-E's long, narrow, and tall dimensions wore galloping horse emblems, scowling headlights, bold rear fender haunches, and tri-bar taillights, making it visually tied to the legendary pony car. Ford built over 150,000 Mustang Mach-Es since its 2021 debut, shipping them worldwide. In the U.S., it came in Select, Premium, California Route 1, and GT trims, ranging from $45,995 to $63,995, plus a $1,800 destination charge.

Our GT test vehicle, priced at $66,590 with Cyber Orange paint, exuded style, quality, and technology. The GT trim featured revised bumpers, unique 20-inch wheels, and a dark front panel resembling a traditional grille, giving it a more aggressive look. Inside, it felt like a luxury car with artificial leather and synthetic suede sport-bolstered seats, copper stitching, and fabric on the dual-cowl dashboard, door panels, and speaker grilles. Metallic and gloss-black trim, along with two rectangular display screens, conveyed a sporty, upscale, high-tech ambiance.

The 2022 Kia Sportage offered a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 181 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque, forming a competitive but unremarkable powertrain. The Sportage SX Turbo, however, equipped the SUV with a robust 240 hp (237 hp with AWD) and 260 lb-ft of torque, making it ideal for those living at higher elevations. Both engines used a six-speed automatic transmission to deliver power to the front wheels, with Kia's Dynamax all-wheel-drive system as an option.

The SX Turbo's acceleration was quick, with maximum torque arriving at a low 1,450 rpm and remaining available until 3,500 rpm. The sudden surge of torque could surprise drivers, especially in Sport mode, where the SUV adopted an almost frenetic personality. The Sportage featured a MacPherson strut front suspension and an independent multi-link rear suspension with high-performance dampers. The SX Turbo had upgraded brakes with larger ventilated front discs and exclusive 19-inch wheels with 245/45 tires. The ride was smooth and compliant, with a hint of body roll and some lateral rocking over pavement undulations. The Sportage felt athletic and sporty up to a point, but the steering could be quicker and sharper, and the tires could offer a higher threshold before howling.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E offered standard-range and extended-range battery packs and single-motor rear-wheel-drive (RWD) and dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) electric drive systems. Power and efficiency ratings varied, spanning from 266 to 480 horsepower, 317 to 634 pound-feet of torque, and 224 to 312 miles of driving range. The Mach-E GT had an extended-range battery and AWD drivetrain layout, producing 480 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque, with a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds and an EPA-estimated range of 270 miles.

The GT Performance Edition package increased torque to 634 lb-ft, reduced the range to 260 miles, and improved acceleration to 3.5 seconds. It also added an adaptive damping suspension, larger front brakes, and summer performance tires. The Mach-E GT featured Whisper, Engage, and Unbridled driving modes, with an exclusive Unbridled Extend mode for racetrack use. One-pedal driving was available, allowing operation by simply pressing the accelerator to go and releasing it to stop. The Mach-E GT was undeniably fast, with impressive driving dynamics, good brakes, and a firm suspension. However, the ride quality was less satisfying, with a choppy ride and firm suspension settings.

The 2022 Kia Sportage, though smaller on the compact crossover SUV scale, offered a remarkably roomy passenger compartment. The SX Turbo trim provided comfort with perforated leather upholstery, contrast stitching, and piping. The driver's seat had ten-way power adjustment, while the front passenger enjoyed an eight-way power adjustment. The front seats were heated and ventilated, and a heated flat-bottom steering wheel was standard. Rear seat legroom was generous, and the seat was comfortable, with air conditioning vents and a USB charging port for rear passengers.

Interior storage space was generous, but maximum cargo volume was limited. With the second-row seats folded down, the Sportage offered 60.1 cubic feet of cargo space, falling short of segment leaders like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The 30.7 cubic feet behind the back seat was acceptable, enough for four full-sized suitcases. The Sportage featured Kia's smart liftgate technology, a hands-free feature that opened the liftgate when standing near the back for a few seconds. This feature could be turned off if not needed.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E, with its crossover SUV configuration, offered seating for up to five people and 34.1 cubic feet of cargo space, including a sizable front trunk (frunk). The Mach-E GT had eight-way power-adjustable and heated front seats, wrapped in black ActiveX artificial leather with black Miko synthetic suede inserts. The Performance Edition package added performance seats with gray ActiveX and Miko upholstery in a unique pattern. A stylish tiered center console separated the front seats, with a mix of covered and open storage areas.

The rear seat was snug but supportive, with wide-opening rear doors and a standard panoramic glass roof, providing an airy environment. The Mach-E offered 29.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat, expandable to 59.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. The frunk added another 4.7 cubic feet of cargo space, designed to get dirty and including a drain plug for easy cleaning.

The 2022 Kia Sportage came with a standard 8-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Most trim levels included UVO Link connected services and satellite radio, while the SX Turbo featured wireless smartphone charging and an 8-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system with Clari-Fi digital music restoration technology. The infotainment system was easy to use, with knobs for stereo volume and radio tuning, and logical onscreen menus. However, the UVO Link system was falling behind in technological sophistication, with an 8-inch screen, no WiFi hotspot, hit-and-miss voice-recognition technology, and wired smartphone mirroring.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E featured a giant 15.5-inch touchscreen mounted in portrait orientation, running on Ford’s Sync 4A infotainment platform with over-the-air software updates. The screen offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, FordPass Connect services with a Wi-Fi hotspot, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, a navigation system, and wireless smartphone charging. Sync 4A learned user habits and could predictively suggest destinations and showcase recently used apps. The touchscreen provided access to the dual-zone automatic climate control system, vehicle settings, and a comprehensive trip computer.

Sync 4A supported natural voice recognition, successfully parsing a long list of conversational commands. The test vehicle’s Bang & Olufsen premium sound system was excellent, and every Mach-E had a 10.2-inch digital instrumentation display showing vehicle speed, battery charge, remaining range, and driving assistance system status. The Mach-E also featured Phone As A Key technology, transforming a smartphone into the vehicle’s key, allowing unlocking, starting, and driving the EV.

The 2022 Kia Sportage came with forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, automatic high-beam headlights, and a driver monitoring system. The LX Value Edition Package or any version except the base LX included a blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic warning. The SX Turbo test vehicle had adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. The Sportage earned good crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), with the SX Turbo earning an Acceptable headlight rating, making it an IIHS Top Safety Pick.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E featured Ford’s Co-Pilot360 Assist 2.0 technology and the latest version of its BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system. BlueCruise 1.2 added lane-change, predictive speed assist, and lane-repositioning functions. During testing, BlueCruise 1.2 worked well but had some quirks, such as requesting driver control without apparent reasons and struggling with direct sunlight. The Mach-E provided good crash protection, with top marks from the IIHS and a Top Safety Pick accolade for 2022. The NHTSA had not finalized crash-test ratings for the 2023 model, but it received top five-star ratings for side-impact protection and rollover resistance.