2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid Review _ New look, new powertrains.

Compact SUVs are the best-selling passenger vehicles just behind pickup trucks. The Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 have led the charge historically, but there are plenty of alternatives out there. And this, this is one of the best. This is the all-new 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. Before we get into why, do us a favor, hit like and subscribe below to get all of our latest reviews. The Sportage gets a full redesign for 2023 and gains this new hybrid model as well as a plug-in hybrid. As far as styling goes, I like it a lot better than the last generation, which had kind of a weird, weak, and high chin, and some weirdness going on in the lower grille. This, well, this is really nice because it maintains Kia's double-tab design motif but adds this center slat here that introduces a new convergence in their design with these accent lights here. Meanwhile, the headlights, well, they're hiding out in plain sight right here. Overall, I think it's a more cohesive and futuristic design. I think it has a lot more appeal than before. Now, if you're thinking that this Sportage looks a little bigger than before, you're right. It gains 7 inches nose to tail. The sportiness is enhanced with the sharp crease down the side as well as this flared-out rear fender. Meanwhile, on the back, it has echoes of the electric EV6 with a pleasing rounded shape and a hint of a flip-up spoiler. Under the hood of the Sportage Hybrid is a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid powertrain. That's good for 227 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and it's made to a six-speed automatic transmission. The base LX is front-wheel drive, while the EX and this top SX Prestige trim are all-wheel drive. Now, that's more power than the RAV4 or CR-V, as well as the standard gas-powered Sportage. Kia estimates it'll accelerate to 60 miles an hour in seven seconds. That's faster than the CR-V, RAV4, as well as the gas-powered Sportage, which takes 9 and 1 1⁄2 seconds. The new Sportage plug-in should be even more powerful and gets up to 32 miles of EV range. So how does this all stack up? Well, let's find out and go for a drive. Right off the line, the Sportage Hybrid is very responsive. There's no delay between the time you press the pedal and start moving. That's because it starts off in electric mode first, and it gets taken over by the hybrid gasoline engine later. The transition from electric to hybrid is fairly seamless, with a predictable and linear delivery of power. Now, you can hear the engine start up, but you really won't feel it much. Now, if you need to get moving quickly, Sportage Hybrid is just as immediate. You will hear that gas engine more. But when driven conservatively, it's really quite enjoyable. The ride quality is soft and smooth, and there's ample power. There's a hint of road noise at all times, but it's not intrusive, and it's easy to drown it out just turning up the radio a little bit. The brake pedal is on the soft side, but that's appropriate for a family SUV like this. It's also nice and consistent throughout its stroke, which means that you won't feel that transition between brake regeneration and when the brake pads are actuated. Despite having Sport in its name, the Sportage, it really isn't all that sporty. If you push it harder, the engine gets louder and starts to drone as though it's attached to one of those continuously variable transmissions. And that's also the case if you're in a lower gear coming down a steep grade. The tires definitely seem as though they were selected for fuel efficiency above all else. These rolling resistance tires, they are great for that purpose, but they howl loudly when even cornering at moderate speeds. You really don't want to push them harder. But this is a family SUV, not a sports car, so that's not really going to be a deal breaker for any sensible shopper. It does sap a little driver confidence, though, as it doesn't feel as solidly planted on the road in case you need to swerve out of the way of something. When it comes to safety features, Sportage does pretty well. In the week I've had it, I haven't experienced any false alarms. The adaptive cruise control is a little slow to get up to speed, but it does a great job of maintaining the gap between you and the car in front. But when it comes to a stop, it can be a little abrupt. That means it's better for highway cruise control than that city assist stuff that we get in a lot of other cars. Overall, the Sportage Hybrid feels heavier and softer than the last generation. According to the specs, it's almost 600 pounds heavier than the previous gas-powered Sportage. That's not great if you like having fun behind the wheel, but like I said, this isn't the class for that. With driving out of the way, now we can start talking about the details on the interior. So let's pull on over for that. Both Kia and Hyundai are known for punching well above their class when it comes to interiors, and the Sportage Hybrid is no exception. This interior is, at least on the surface, as nice as a last generation BMW. You have this tack sharp digital instrument panel, as well as this large 12.3 inch infotainment touchscreen. In this top trim, you also have the option for this beautiful carmine red upholstery that really sets off the interior. Upon closer inspection, you'll notice that some of these surfaces are hard plastic, but even armed with that knowledge, this is a really classy space. Everything is canted towards the driver for easier use, and I'm particularly happy with this strip of controls here that are pulled from the EV6. This multifunction row gives you the ability to switch between climate and navigation and audio. It cleans up the center stack really well, but it does still force you to take your eyes off the road to use it. It'd be slightly easier if they gave us little buttons here to locate where each of these virtual buttons are, but as it is, I think it's a great solution. I'm also not a fan of this liberal use of piano black plastic, but at least in this application, it's angled away from you to avoid a lot of uncomfortable reflections. It's also pretty decent at hiding some of the smudges and dust. These front seats are shaped for comfort, and in this top trim, they're ventilated. The upholstery is Kia's Syntec synthetic leather. It's pretty convincing to the eye and to the touch, and on a hot day like this, it also breathes pretty well. I really like this muted red color for the interior, personally. It adds a little life to an otherwise boring landscape of small SUVs. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below. Will you go with the red or stay with the boring black? The added length for this year's Sportage really pays dividends for interior space. I'm 5 foot 10 sitting behind the driver's seat, which is set for me, and I have more than enough room. I have plenty of headroom, knee room, and lots of space underneath the front seat for my feet. There's good thigh support, too, which means that the seat isn't slammed down to the deck. I don't have to feel like my knees are up in my chest this way. Another nice touch are these two USB-C charge ports and this new hook here behind the headrest. That's for hanging a coat over so it doesn't get all wrinkled and fall over. There's also some handy hooks here for shopping bags. Materials quality, as is usual with SUVs like this, are a little harder plastic back here, but that's for durability so your kids won't kind of tear things up. Otherwise, it's a nice space to spend some time in because you don't feel confined. There's good-sized windows around you and even over your shoulder to make it feel airier, and this giant panoramic sunroof also helps in that regard. Behind the rear seats, you can squeeze as much as 39 and 1 1⁄2 cubic feet of cargo. That's way larger than before and actually larger than the CR-V by 6 cubic feet, also larger than the RAV 4 by 2 cubic feet. Compared to the last generation, it is 10 cubic feet larger. I do wish that we had some of the hooks that we have on the back of the front seats here because, as it is, my groceries tend to get a little scrambled back here. I do like that they have the remote seat back releases here. With just a touch of a lever there, it folds flat, which makes loading bulkier objects that much easier. Also, this floor drops down about 3 inches to give you just a little more space if you have really tall objects. It does seem odd to me that the cargo cover is an option for $150. To me, that should be included. Without even thinking of this as a hybrid, the Sportage is an excellent alternative to the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV 4. It drives well with plenty of power and an adequate level of overall performance. It's when you start crunching the numbers that it starts really coming into its own. The Sportage Hybrid starts right around $27,000, which is only $1,300 more than the non-hybrid Sportage. The EPA estimates the base front-drive model return 43 MPG in combined city and highway driving. That's compared to the non-hybrid's 28 MPG. Based on 15,000 miles annually and gas around $4 a gallon, you could break even with a non-hybrid price in as little as 1.7 years. After that, you'll be reaping about $750 in annual gas savings. This top trim with all-wheel drive is estimated to return 38 MPG. But because of the way the math works out with the top trims, it'll only take 1.1 years to break even. And you'll save about $825 a year over the standard top trim Sportage. As tested, this Sportage costs just over $38,000. But I think most shoppers will find the supporting trims more than adequate. The RAV4 is estimated to return 40 MPG in combined city and highway driving, while the current CR-V matches the Sportage's 38 MPG. There is a new CR-V on the way, however. And judging from its past, it may be the one to beat in the class. We should have more information on that as we get closer to the on-sale date, so keep checking back for all the latest developments. Thanks for watching, and don't forget to hit the Like and Subscribe buttons below. Also, if you have a vehicle to unload, head over to CarGurus.com and check out their Sell My Car feature. You'll get a great price, and they'll even send someone to pick up the car for you. So far, this is my favorite in the class, but I'm holding out for that CR-V. So see you next time.