The drive
Our route took us on winding roads that had been made pretty undulating by the regular passage of heavy logging trucks, and that clarified for us that the Sportage, despite its name, remains a model focused more on comfort and practicality than coccus-jarring sportiness. And so the suspension (MacPherson strut in front and multi-link in rear) is not soft exactly, but not exactly firm either. We bounced gently over the undulations more than we slammed over them, let’s say.
The chassis of the new Sportage is quite stiff, but on corners you can still feel the substantial weight of the SUV. Kia says the new 2023 edition is only 50 kg heavier than its predecessor, but that predecessor was already a fairly heavy vehicle. At the same time, it remains pretty nimble a handler, especially given its expanded dimensions. Just know that a lightweight sprinter this thing is not.
Another thing it is not is a power-and-acceleration rival to some compact SUVs on the market today. In its ICE configuration, the Sportage makes do with a powertrain that is slightly short on muscle in ascents. Not enough to make highway passing a worry, but enough that you’ll set the engine screeching to get the thing really moving from, say, 60 to 100 km/h in a hurry. We found ourselves singin' in the rain on more than one occasion. Sport mode does improve things, but only a little. We suspect there’ll be more punch from the powertrain in the hybrid; you may want to test-drive both variants if this question matters to you.
And then, you may find yourself having to make the choice between the styling of the X-Line and the power and fuel economy of the hybrid version – and that seems a choice that’s easy to make, especially since the electrified variant is competitively priced.
Specifications sheet of 2023 KIA Sportage
We like
Back-end styling
Interior space and comfort
Lots of cargo space
Modern, well-designed interior
Reasonable pricing
Standard AWD with hybrid version
We like less
Middling power from the ICE powertrain
Lack of wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity in higher trims
Dual-function buttons for audio/climate control
The competition
Chevrolet Equinox
Ford Escape
GMC Terrain
Honda CR-V
Hyundai Tucson
Jeep Cherokee
Mazda CX-5 / CX-50
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan
