Beverly Braga, Independent Expert | May 02, 2022 Show
The opinions expressed in this review are the author’s own, not J.D. Power’s. No portion of these reviews may be reproduced, distributed, publicly displayed, or used for a derivative work without J.D. Power’s written permission. © 2022 J.D. Power Subscribe to the J.D. Power Newsletter Thank You  Explore new car previews 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty Preview F-Series Super Duty trucks got what they needed for the 2023 model year. Ford announced a more powerful line of heavy-duty trucks with a load of available new tech, great standard safety features, and unique upfits to make the trucks more appropriate for specific industries. Read the full review 2023 Honda Pilot Preview The fourth-generation 2023 Honda Pilot is about to go on sale, and Honda substantially upgrades it over the popular third-generation model it replaces. Honda will offer the redesigned 2023 Pilot in Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, Touring, and Elite trim levels in December 2022. Read the full review 2023 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel Preview Ram used the 2022 State Fair of Texas to show off its new 2500 Heavy Duty Rebel, a beefy off-road truck that retains its work-truck capabilities. It brings hardcore off-road upgrades such as an electronic-locking rear differential and a rear limited-slip differential. Read the full review
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Buying tipThe 2023 Kia Sportage hybrid drives better and is more efficient, and only costs about $1,300 more than the gas model. features & specsThe 2023 Kia Sportage grows into mid-size SUV proportions, and is loaded with standard safety and convenience features.What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Kia Sportage? What does it compare to? The Sportage is a compact crossover SUV that grows in size and features for the latest generation. With seating for five and new off-road-leaning trims, the Sportage rivals vehicles such as the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape. Is the 2023 Kia Sportage a good crossover SUV? Review continues below The redesigned Sportage overcomes its uninspired driving dynamics with excellent safety and convenience features, a roomy interior, and enough options to suit any taste. It earns a solid TCC Rating of 6.8 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.) What's new for the 2023 Kia Sportage? The fifth-generation Sportage wears a sharper face and sports a roomier interior thanks to its longer body. Two off-road trims, X-Line and X-Pro, expand the line to seven models, with gas, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Kia broadened its face to match the broader proportions of its bestselling crossover. Vertical DRLs boomerang from the bumper to the fender and LED lighting front and back defines the Sportage from day to night. On X-models, a black roof holds up raised roof rails, and tasteful black cladding runs over round wheel arches for a clean, smart profile that looks more like a Subaru than the daring Hyundai Tucson. Inside, most models feature a 12.3-inch touchscreen underscored by a touch panel of climate controls. Hybrid models get a dial gear shifter, whereas gas models have a mechanical shifter. Adjustable cupholders and deep storage cubbies reflect the focus on space. The Sportage can be had with essentially four different driving personalities. An underpowered 187-hp 2.5-liter inline-4 comes with a begrudging 8-speed automatic and front-wheel drive. X-Pro grades add standard all-wheel drive and off-road enhancements that can handle rutted service roads or hilly backcountry paths. A 227-hp hybrid with a 1.6-liter turbo-4 and a 6-speed automatic drives more smoothly and with much more efficiency at 43 mpg combined. In any variant we tested the Sportage and its independent suspension wallows over humps and leans through corners. The plug-in hybrid promises 34 miles of electric range. Slotting between the smaller Kia Seltos the three-row Kia Sorento with which it shares a platform, the Sportage grew from one of the smallest in the class to one of the roomiest. Safety remains as big a priority as space in the new Sportage. Standard safety gear includes automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and parking sensors. Options include a surround-view camera system that’s as helpful for mall parking as for off-roading. The new Sportage performed well in crash tests. How much does the 2023 Kia Sportage cost? Pricing ranges from $27,245 for the base LX with front-wheel drive to $38,045 for the X-Pro Prestige with all-wheel drive. The Sportage plug-in hybrid starts at $39,785 for the X-Line model, while the top Prestige grade runs $44,285. Prices include a $1,255 destination fee. The expanded lineup includes LX, EX, SX, SX-Prestige, and X-Line, as well as X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige. X-badged models come standard with AWD, though it can be added on other trims for $1,800. Hybrids come in LX with front-wheel drive, EX, and SX-Prestige trims with AWD. Standard features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and Bluetooth pairing for two phones simultaneously. Options include twin 12.3-inch screens under one curved panel of glass, wireless smartphone charging, and Harman Kardon sound. Where is the 2023 Kia Sportage made? Most Sportages will be made in West Point, Georgia, alongside the Telluride, Sorento, and K5. Others will be imported from South Korea. Bigger and bolder, the 2023 Kia Sportage sports a dual-natured look.Is the Kia Sportage a good-looking car? Kia doesn’t try too hard to make the new Sportage stand out, giving it a welcoming presence as either a subtle hybrid or a suggestive off-roader. This dual nature earns it a point as does its interesting interior. It’s a 7. The bigger dogbone grille matches the bigger Sportage proportions, as do big lower faux intake panels. LED lighting abounds, but the boomerang DRLs tie the face together. Kia ironed out the hood creases to the edges, and modest black cladding runs over round wheel arches to the rear. LED taillights bridge the tailgate. As on other new Kias, bits of flair wink here and there. The X-Line model gets distinct bumpers and gloss-black side mirrors, roof rails, window surrounds, and 19-inch wheels. The X-Pro adds off-road tires wrapped on 17-inch black wheels, LED fog lights, and a two-tone roof. Inside, all but the base LX comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen oriented horizontally. An available 25-inch display that integrates the digital cluster curves toward the driver under one pane of glass. Same as in the Kia EV6, the touch-sensitive climate control panel doubles as a menu bar: press the arrow button and the temperature dials change to audio volume and tuning, and the climate controls change to a menu bar for the touchscreen. Asymmetrical vents framed with chrome-like plastic add visual curiosity to more refined wood and carbon-fiber-like trim. The smudgy gloss-black plastic console and door panels take away from that premium shine. Review continues below The 2023 Sportage prioritizes comfort over sport.The Sportage doesn’t earn a point for its sluggish acceleration or its soft handling, but Kia offers shoppers distinct driving characteristics that cast a wide net. It’s a 5. If rated alone, the hybrid would score a 6. How fast is the Kia Sportage? We estimate a 0-60 mph time in the mid-seven second range, but lighter-weight front-drive models might be a tad quicker. Quickness is not the Sportage’s forte. The underpowered 187-hp 2.5-liter inline-4 makes 178 lb-ft of torque, and the sluggish 8-speed automatic transmission hesitates to engage from a stop and at speed. It’s designed more for efficiency than power delivery, so any urgency on the throttle results in the engine running high and the cabin filling with noise. The 227-hp hybrid pairs a 1.6-liter turbo-4 with a small 44-kw motor charged by a 1.49-kwh lithium-ion battery. With the 6-speed automatic, it drives smoother and much quieter than the gas model, and has a bit more life under throttle. There’s no hitch when the engine comes on and the shifts are nearly seamless. In any variant we tested the Sportage plies in comfort not sport, and the independent suspension—with MacPherson front struts and a multi-link rear setup in back—wallows over humps and leans through corners. Steering is numb but that’s nothing unusual for the class. The Sportage plug-in hybrid uses the same 1.6-liter turbo-4 but a larger 66.9-kw motor to produce 261 hp and 258 lb-ft. The hybrid system uses a 5-speed automatic transmission with a clutch that disengages the engine for full electric power, and the 13.8-kwh battery pack enables 34 miles of electric range. Is the Kia Sportage 4WD? Front-wheel drive comes standard on both gas and hybrid models, but all-wheel drive can be added for $1,800. It's standard on the PHEV. With a center-locking differential, AWD comes standard on Hybrid EX and SX-Prestige models, as well as the gas X-grade models. The AWD models gain 1.5 inches of ground clearance over the old model, to 8.3 inches, while FWD models sit at 7.1 inches. X-Things In addition to the cosmetic differences mentioned in the preceding section, the X-Line comes with four drive modes and 19-inch wheels. It has no more off-road functionality than other grades. The big difference on the X-Pro models is the addition of 17-inch wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich all-terrain tires. With the push of a button, the locking center differential locks torque 50/50 between the axles for better grip on loose uphill surfaces as well as for negotiating dry creek beds or uneven, rutted paths. It’s no Wrangler, but it can handle Subaru-like terrain. A hill descent control and surround-view camera system help navigate obstacles at up to 5 mph. LED fog lights and LED projector headlights on X-Pro Prestige grades light up the night better, we’re told. Review continues below The 2023 Sportage excels in space and comfort.With roomy front and back seats, and above average cargo space, the new Sportage earns an 8. Sharing a platform with the seven-seat Kia Sorento, the new Sportage is half an inch wider and taller, and 7.1 inches longer with a 3.4 inch longer wheelbase than its predecessor. It seats five, and the fifth person might not even feel like the fifth wheel. The longer wheelbase opens up what were already spacious rear seats to larger SUV comfort with 41.3 inches of rear leg room. Head room and shoulder room are good, though the front seat cushions might be on the small side for more generously-sized Americans. All but the base LX gets a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat. More durable synthetic leather upholstery covers the seats and armrests, but animal-hide leather still wraps the steering wheel and shift knob on higher trims. The roomy rear seats can recline or be folded down from convenient latches in the back. A two-tiered cargo floor adds more depth and hidden storage. Fold down the 60/40-split seats and the space expands from 39.6 to 74.1 cubic feet, which is only 1.4 cubic feet shy of the Sorento. The hybrid components sacrifice little interior space at 73.7 cubic feet. The hybrid in particular has a calm, quiet cabin that’s more refined than the gas models. Review continues below The 2023 Sportage both withstands and avoids crashes.How safe is the Kia Sportage? The suite of standard safety gear and available driver-assist features earn the Sportage a point each, as does its Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS. But that only applies to top Prestige grades on account of headlights rated at "Poor" on the rest of the trims. Still, it's an 8. Outward vision is good except for deep blind spots caused by thick rear quarter pillars. The Sportage has LED headlights with automatic high beams, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, active lane control, parking sensors, and a rear-occupant alert. Options include blind-spot monitors with camera projections in the cluster that can alert you of oncoming cyclists or cars, a navigation-based adaptive cruise control that can adjust speeds based on posted speed limits, and a limited hands-free driving system on the highway. A surround-view camera system with birds-eye views as well as front wheel projections simplifies parking and off-roading. Review continues below The 2023 Sportage sets the bar for how to equip and warranty a crossover SUV.Standard features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and Bluetooth pairing for two phones simultaneously. Those features, plus luxury-leaning options, a good infotainment system with natural voice commands, and a starting price of $27,245 for the base LX all earn the 2023 Sportage a point. The cherry on top is Kia’s industry-leading 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. It checks all our Features boxes for a perfect 10. Which Kia Sportage should I buy? The hybrid resonates with a $28,545 starting price, which is only $1,300 more than the base LX. Offered in LX, EX, and SX-Prestige trims, the hybrid follows a similar feature set as the gas model. If you’re getting AWD, consider the hybrid EX with standard AWD for $32,245. In addition to the larger touchscreen (at the expense of wireless smartphone connectivity, though it adds wireless charging), the wheels grow to 18 inches, synthetic leather replaces cloth upholstery, and it comes with heated side mirrors, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. How much is a fully loaded Kia Sportage? The X-Pro prestige tops the lineup at $38,045. In addition to the cosmetic and mechanical upgrades, it has a wood dash trim, a power passenger seat, cooled front seats, a surround-view camera system, blind-spot cameras, and heated windshield nozzles. Review continues below The Sportage Hybrid has an excellent 43 mpg combined rating.Is the Kia Sportage good on gas? Yes, especially the hybrid and its EPA-rated 42 mpg city, 44 highway, 43 combined with front wheel drive. All-wheel drive drops it to 38 mpg across the board, which trails the 40 mpg of the RAV4 and Ford Escape hybrids. If rated alone, the Sportage Hybrid would earn a 6 on our scale. Kia expects the gas model to be the volume seller, and its EPA rating of 25/32/28 mpg with FWD scores a 3 here. AWD models get 23/28/25 mpg. Both estimates trail the competition by about 2 mpg on average. The PHEV has a 34-mile range with AWD. A 7.2-kw onboard charger enables a full 240-volt charge in about two hours Review continues below Continue Reading The Car Connection Consumer ReviewWhen can I get Kia Sportage 2023?Front-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD) versions of the 2023 Kia Sportage will be available when the vehicle goes on sale in early 2022.
How much will the 2023 Sportage cost?A plug-in hybrid is set to arrive soon. Kia has announced pricing for the redesigned 2023 Sportage. It starts at $27,205 and ranges up to $38,005 for a loaded X-Pro Prestige model.
How much bigger is the 2023 Kia Sportage?In addition to the standout styling, Kia went bigger — literally — by increasing the 2023 Sportage's overall length by 7.1 inches to 183.5 inches, and the wheelbase went up by 3.4 inches to 108.5.
How many packages are available for the 2023 Kia Sportage?The 2023 Sportage will be available in seven trim levels: the Sportage LX, the Sportage EX, the Sportage X-Line AWD, the Sportage SX, the Sportage SX Prestige, the Sportage X-pro, and the Sportage X-Pro Prestige. What can you expect from these trim options?
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