For the latest Kia Sportage pricing and information:
https://www.kbb.com/kia/sportage/

The fifth-generation Kia Sportage is here. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been hearing so much about the Telluride these days, I haven’t thought much about the subcompact Sportage. That’s clearly about to change because we’re getting a first drive in it.


There are three powertrain options available for the Sportage. The gas engine option is a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline 4 (187 hp). Estimated EPA numbers are solid even for this option (FWD: 25 city/38 hwy AWD: 23 city/28 hwy) even if you do take a hit if you get AWD.

There are two hybrid options available on the Sportage, a standard hybrid that gets 227 hp combined; EPA: 43 MPG an 44kW permanent magnetic motor and more than 500 miles of range per tank of gas.

And you can get a plug in hybrid that comes with a 66.9-kw motor and a 13.8-kw hour battery and can run up to 32 miles on pure electric range.

If those estimates are correct that American drivers average only 30 miles a day, it will only take you two hours to replenish the battery using a Level 2 charger, and you might never fill up your gas tank.


That gas engine mates to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The HEV and PHEV get a 6-speed automatic transmission.


There are a lot of trim levels to fulfill any Sportage designs you may have. The base LX starts at just under $26,000 and the AWD X-Pro Prestige model, which is the top of the line tops out at just under $37,000. Those prices don’t include Kia’s $1255 destination fee. In between those two extremes you can get the EX, SX, SX-Prestige and X-Line as well as the X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige. That’s a pretty wide array of options for an $11,000 spread in price.


Kia is pretty good at offering solid standard equipment and we’re going to have a lot of time in a deeper dive video to talk all about those, but for now, we’re going to focus on how the Sportage drives. And I’m going to do a bit of that both on and off road.


I got a chance to drive both the gas powered X-Pro and the HEV hybrid. I definitely appreciated that generous 227 horses on the hybrid model. Acceleration is quick and the transmission doesn’t take a long time to figure out the gear it needs to be in.

On the X-Pro, it’s not as quick, but I only got a chance to drive it off-road and I didn’t have a chance to test on the highway, so more to come later on that.


The Sportage rides on new architecture and it’s the same that underpins the Sorento. This chassis gets more hot-stamped parts made of ultra high-strength steel.

What does that mean, well, it gets a stiffer structure for improved stability and better driving dynamics. It feels stable around corners, but it’s still a crossover so you get a bit of body roll, that’s to be expected, but it felt confidence inspiring around corners.


And I feel the same way about the brakes. The pedal is nice and progressive, you do get a bit of regen feeling with the hybrid, but it’s not so artificial that it’s a distraction.


There are increased sound absorbing and insulating materials inside the cabin.


The Sportage gets a lot of standard safety equipment including lane following and lane keeping assists. And you can add on with options like blind spot collision avoidance and a navigation based smart cruise control.


The one thing you might notice when you’re looking at or in the Sportage is how much bigger it is. Yes, it’s a full 7-inches longer than the previous model with a 3-inch longer wheelbase. That’s segment changing.

That means a lot more cabin space for second row folks as well as cargo space. Do I like that we’ve lost yet another small crossover, not 100%, but I think most people are looking for more room, so this should fit the bill nicely. The Sportage is still maneuverable and could make it into a compact spot without being a jerk.

While you’re in the car you’ll be interacting with either Apple CarPlay or Android auto, both standard on up to 25-inches of screen. That’s 12.3-inches for the gauge cluster and 12. 3-inches of infotainment screen.

An 8-inch screen comes standard and that smaller screen gets CarPlay and Android Auto wireless, the 12.3-inch screen does not for reasons Kia said were “logistical”. Not sure why, but that’s a shame.


Just a first drive, but clearly a lot to unpack in the new, larger version of Kia’s most storied suv nameplate. It’s bigger, more of an off-roader and a bolder, better looking vehicle that’s got a lot going for it. Kia keeps hitting home runs, now more people need to show up at the ballpark to check them out! Go, do it, now!




00:00 2023 Kia Sportage
0:22 Engine
1:26 Pricing
2:06 Driving Impressions
7:14 Interior