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What do our experts think of the 2023 Kia Sportage? We look at powertrain, interior options, trim levels, and more. Find out our thoughts here.
2023 Kia Sportage – kia.com | Shop 2023 Kia Sportage on Carsforsale.com
What’s New for the 2023 Kia Sportage?
Literally everything from the ground up is new on the 2023 Kia Sportage. That is because this is the first model year for the fifth generation of the Kia Sportage.
The Breakdown
Exceptional technology
A drivetrain for every buyer
Unbeatable warranty coverage
Base motor is a bit loud
Not as sharp to drive as a CX-5
Love it or hate it styling
A modern gear shift would be nice
2023 Kia Specs
- 187 horsepower from base engine
- 178 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 12 available trims
- 39.6 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- 74.1 cu-ft of cargo capacity with seats folded
- Towing capacity of 2,500 lbs
- New WiFi Hotspot
- Standard lane following assist
- 10-year powertrain warranty
2023 Kia Sportage Powertrain
We haven’t had the chance to get behind the wheel of the new hybrid versions of the Sportage but from what the naturally aspirated gasoline version feels like, we bet we’ll enjoy each of them. The base engine is the only option in seven of the twelve trims and it makes 187-horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. Most trims are front-wheel-drive though all-wheel drive is either standard or optional on every trim. The gas-only Sportage models use an eight-speed automatic transmission and we like it along with the rest of the package quite a lot.
It’s a smooth drivetrain with decent power delivery throughout the range. We’d love to see more power though because it feels like this Kia has just barely enough to get around without being a liability. Thankfully, both the conventional hybrid and the plug-in version offer exactly that. The normal hybrid makes 226-horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and sends that to the front or all four wheels via a six-speed automatic.
The plug-in hybrid is set to offer 261-horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque when it’s released later this year. It will also use the same six-speed automatic as the conventional hybrid and we expect both hybrids to be even better driver’s cars than the gas-only Sportage. No, it’s not as sharp as something like the Mazda CX-5 but the Sportage proves to be a comfortable cruiser without any major drawbacks.
Towing & Payload
While it might not sound like much, Kia touts the 2,500-pound towing capacity of the 2023 Sportage as class-leading. You won’t be able to tow a camper or a big trailer, but the Sportage should have no problem towing smaller stuff.
2023 Kia Sportage Fuel Economy & MPG
While we don’t have economy estimates for the plug-in Sportage, Kia does say that it’ll go up to 32 miles on electricity only. We do know that the conventional hybrid gets up to 42 mpg in the city and 44 on the highway according to EPA estimates. The base 2.5-liter engine gets up to 25 and 32 mpg respectively.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
Perhaps the biggest complaint about the outgoing Sportage was a lack of interior comfort. Thankfully, Kia has addressed that in a large way with the new 2023 edition. It’s more spacious in every dimension and feels great in both the front and back seats. That’s in part due to Kia extending the body a further 7.1 inches and increasing the wheelbase by 3.4-inches. Headroom, legroom, and shoulder room are all much better.
We also like the way the seats and touch surfaces feel inside of the new Sportage. This SUV isn’t about to pass for a premium or luxury product, but it’s much closer to that end of the spectrum than rivals from Honda or Toyota. The quilted faux leather seats are a good example of that because they look good and they feel even better thanks to great adjustability. The climate control works well and reacts quickly to inputs so long as you hit the right button (more on that soon). The heated and ventilated seats are a nice touch too and the optional dual-pane sunroof is stunning.
Entertainment & Technology
Overall, the technology package in the new 2023 Kia Sportage feels a lot more expensive than it is. It’s very fast, reacts to touches accurately and instantly, and the menus are easy to understand and to learn. We also really like the big driver information display that’s integrated into the central touchscreen. Kia also offers a bunch of above average safety technology like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot camera feeds in the gauge cluster, and lane-centering assist.
The only down side in the cabin is the switchable climate/media controls. Instead of a dedicated set of controls for each of these vital systems, Kia has integrated them into a single bar of capacitive buttons and users will need to switch between the two as necessary. In our experience it was far too easy to accidentally turn the heat up to 87-degrees when you simply wanted to turn up the volume or vice-versa. We would have preferred Kia add a second row of buttons instead of combining them.
Safety Features
Kia is a leader in the industry in these next two categories. Its lane-centering assist and stop-and-go adaptive cruise control technology makes long tedious drives considerably easier. In addition, every single 2023 Sportage will come with a bunch of safety equipment like lane-following assist, LED headlights with automatic high-beams, driver attention warning, forward collision mitigation, and more.
2023 Kia Sportage Trims & Pricing
LX – $27,205
The base Sportage starts out with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED tail lights, an 8-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, six-speakers, a 12.2-inch driver information display, a rear-view camera, and forward-collision mitigation. FWD is standard while AWD is optional.
LX Hybrid – $28,505
This Sportage is nearly identical to the base car save for two changes. First, automatic climate control becomes standard and secondly, the powertrain is swapped out for the conventional hybrid with 226-horsepower mentioned above. FWD is once again standard while AWD is optional.
EX – $29,205
The gas-only EX adds dual-zone automatic climate control as well as remote start, 18-inch wheels, a wireless device charger, rear-seat USB charging ports, a larger 12.3-inch infotainment system, heated front seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
X-Line – $32,005
Think of the X-Line as a sort of EX with an off-road package. It gets unique 19-inch wheels, gloss black side view mirrors, high-utility roof rails, and all-wheel-drive with a locking center differential.
EX Hybrid – $30,990
This trim combines the hybrid engine with the EX trim features. In addition, it adds all-wheel-drive as a standard feature.
SX – $32,705
Driver’s seat memory gets added to the SX along with 18-inch wheels, a powered tailgate, LED interior lighting, a Harman Kardon premium sound system, and a slightly bigger 12.3-inch driver information display.
SX-Prestige – $34,705
The SX Prestige starts off with 19-inch wheels, LED fog lights, solar control glass, ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel.
X-Pro – $38,005
As the serious off-roader of the bunch, the X-Pro gets AWD standard as well as unique 17-inch wheels, hill descent control, multi-terrain modes, alloy pedals, and BFGoodrich all-terrain tires.
SX Prestige Hybrid – $36,190
Combine the SX Prestige features with the hybrid engine and you’ll get the SX Prestige Hybrid which also comes standard with AWD.
X-Pro Prestige – $38,005
The X-Pro Prestige is a combination of all the top-end luxury features from the SX Prestige and the X-Pro off-road goodies. Of course, instead of using the 19-inch wheels and tires of the SX, the X-Pro Prestige uses the same 17-inch wheels and tires from the normal X-Pro.
X-Line PHEV AWD – $39,000 (est)
While Kia hasn’t announced what features we’ll find in either the X-Line PHEV AWD we bet they’ll stick to the way they’ve constructed the first ten trims and that the base PHEV will come with the same sort of off-road styling as the normal X-line as well as many of the same interior features as the EX trim level. It’s likely that many luxury features will be optional extras.
X-Line Prestige PHEV AWD- $42,000 (est)
Likewise, the Prestige version of the PHEV Sportage will likely be equipped similarly to the SX Prestige but with X-Line trim.
Warranties
No brand in the entire industry, save for corporate partner Hyundai, can keep up with Kia’s stunning 5-year or 60,000-mile limited warranty and its 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain coverage. If warranty matters to you, this one can’t be beaten.
What We Think
2023 Kia Sportage – kia.com | Shop 2023 Kia Sportage on Carsforsale.com
Kia continues to make big moves on the rest of its competition and the Sportage is clear evidence of that. It’s bigger and more comfortable than ever before. It’s also jam-packed with more technology than most of its rivals and it still carries the best warranty in the business. Not everyone will love the styling or the somewhat ho-hum way that it drives but as a family SUV it’s a pretty spectacular package for the money.
