Sportage improves design, fuel efficiency
If you’ve been sleeping on Kia, it’s time to pay attention.
Though the brand has been improving in leaps and bounds over the past few years, its product line-up has been close-but-not-quite-perfect for Canada for quite some time. Pick-up trucks and compact SUVS rule here in the Great White North and Kia’s not a truck company, so that makes smaller SUVS extremely important to the brand’s success.
Sportage is Kia’s compact SUV and the previous-generation version was certainly compact — too much so, in fact. It was a tighter squeeze in both passenger room and cargo, relative to its competitors.
The fifth-generation 2023 Kia Sportage solves this problem and a few others: it’s more attractive, more fuel-efficient, and there are hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions being offered for the first time. The hybrids are arriving now, while the PHEVS are due in later this summer.
Our test drive of the internal combustion engine (ICE) version of the Sportage took place on a damp spring day on Vancouver Island in the top-tier X-line Limited trim, one of two new X-line trims being offered with the gas-only powertrain. These trims add more rugged-looking exterior elements such as skid-plate shaped mouldings on the front and rear, a unique front fascia, ladder-style roof rails, and exclusive interior and exterior colours.
All gas-only models are powered by a 2.5-litre fourcylinder engine producing 187 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque peaking at 4,000 rpm, fed through an eight-speed automatic. The ability to select drive modes is standard equipment. The only grade available with front-wheel drive is the base LX, with which fuel consumption comes in at 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 7.4 on the highway, and 8.4 combined. Kia says this represents a seven per cent improvement in fuel efficiency versus the outgoing model. With allwheel drive — which costs $2,000 extra on LX and is
standard on all other trims — fuel consumption measures at 10.4 L/100 km city, 8.5 highway, and 9.5 combined, representing a five per cent improvement. These are acceptable figures for the segment, though not exceptional.
The hybrid also delivers stellar fuel consumption figures at 6.1 L/100 km in the city, 6.3 on the highway, and 6.2 combined. Unlike Hyundai, Kia has opted to package the Sportage Hybrid in grades that match the mid and top grades of the ICE powertrain, making the entire line-up more accessible budget-wise.
The new Sportage is a pleasure to drive. Its Macpherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear provide tight and controlled handling that’s an ideal balance of smooth and steady. Steering is pointed and predictable.
All-wheel drive versions of the Sportage come with 21 cm of ground clearance. (The entry-level LX FWD clears 18.1 cm.) While the standard towing capacity is 1,653 pounds, up to 2,500 pounds of towing is possible with additional equipment (or up to 2,000 pounds on the hybrid).
Design-wise, if you like everything about the Hyundai Tucson except its exterior, you’re in luck: the Sportage has the same underpinnings and it looks sharp. Dimensions grow by 18 cm in length, 5.3 cm in height, and one centimetre in width. The boomerang-shaped headlights are reminiscent of those found on the Hyundai Sonata, but they’re not nearly so outlandish here and present as classy, yet distinctive. Kia’s signature tiger-nose grille is still here, sort of: it’s been compressed into a pair of accent lines above an expansive notched-look grille. At the rear, the turn signal rejoins the brake lights in a single assembly flanking a band that spans the width of the tailgate.
The Sportage stands out on the road in excellent fashion.
Paints in black, white and multiple shades of grey are joined by new shades of red, blue and a rather striking green that’s exclusive to X-line trims. All exterior colours but black cost $250 extra, apart from a new matte grey finish that’s offered only on top X-line Limited, which costs $1,000 more. Because they’re exclusive to X-line, the green and matte grey paints are not available on the hybrid.
The wheelbase on the 2023 Sportage is 8.5 cm longer than in the previous generation, which helps to improve interior space significantly. Kia says the second row has just two millimetres less leg room than the front row. Our early impression is, for all but the most long-legged front occupants, positions in the second row will find sufficient leg room without having to compromise.
The good news is the longer wheelbase has also created more cargo space. The bad news is that you lose some of that cargo space if you opt for the hybrid, where room needs to be given up to accommodate the battery. An adjustable cargo floor can be set to two positions, the lower of which provides a maximum cargo space of 1,121 litres with the rear seats up and 2,098 litres with them dropped in the ICE versions — very competitive figures. However, the hybrid loses 118 litres with the rear seats up for a total of 1,003 litres, and 226 litres with them down for a total maximum of 1,872 litres. The hybrid loses some second-row headroom as well, though those differences are just a few millimetres.
The interior is stylish. Our X-line Limited featured wood-look inserts (not real wood, but convincing), a tall centre console that isolates the driver, and leatherette seats with a quality feel. Some materials on the doors are of a lower-quality plastic, but, for the most part, the interior finishes are above par for the price point. The HVAC and radio controls are on the same dual-function panel that’s found in the Kia EV6, a very elegant solution to keeping a lot of controls at easy reach without adding a lot of visual clutter.
A black interior is standard, though the enormous panoramic sunroof offered on higher grades helps brighten things up significantly. Red or sage green interiors are available with some grades and are striking, though the green
tone is very subtle in the latter and it comes across as more of a grey.
Several clever storage solutions have been included such as bag hooks near the USB ports on the backs of the front seats, retracting cup holder surrounds and coat hangers integrated into the backs of the front-row headrests. This is a clever idea, but these headrests sit a little far forward to be comfortable for those who prefer an upright seating position. The seat backs and bottoms are very supportive with solid bolstering.
A dramatic curved housing contains the infotainment screen and instrument cluster. All versions of the Sportage have digital versions of both. The entry grade gets a 4.2-inch display surrounded by digital instruments and an eight-inch infotainment screen. This system comes with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto. However, in the twin 12.3-inch screen setup for the digital instrument cluster and infotainment system found on higher trims, smartphone apps are wired.
Regardless, this update is a big one for Kia. By getting key things right like design and fuel efficiency, it takes the Sportage from being a niche vehicle for smaller families to one that’s likely to appeal to a whole lot of Canadians.
But, unless the X-line is screaming your name, consider test driving the hybrid before making your decision. With standard all-wheel drive, the Sportage EX Hybrid is likely to be one of the bestvalue electrified SUVS on the market.
(Kia) takes the Sportage from being a niche vehicle for smaller families to one that’s likely to appeal to a whole lot of Canadians.