2023 Kia Sportage

system, junction assistance, highway driving assist, navigation-based smart cruise control, front parking sensors, reverse automatic braking, blind-spot view monitor, a self-parking feature and a 360-degree camera system.

Eighteen-inch alloy wheels, integrated LED turn signals in the side mirrors, gloss black grille, roof rack and a panoramic sunroof are added to the expansive list of standard stuff in the high trim levels.

The ride quality is superior, adding to a keen overall driving experience.

The interior is spacious for frontand-rear seat passengers, with quality seating materials. The cargo area is surprisingly large for a compact SUV.

Two issues: the hybrid engine has a high-pitched tone similar to highpressure steam. It’s constant and alarming as if the engine is problematic. In reverse, a backup alarm is reminiscent of commercial trucks’ characteristics.

In recent years, Kia has improved in exterior styling throughout its lineup, offering a more sport-oriented, edgy look with sharp angles and unusual-shaped lights. The carmaker also changed its logo in 2022 to the brand’s polarizing futuristic lettering. Does the three-letter insignia really spell Kia? It’s hard to tell.

But the new Kia badge works well with the new Sportage Hybrid, the best of it in the exterior Shadow Matte Gray paint choice. With its complementary black interior, several onlookers remarked on the car’s good looks and guessed its price as twice as much as the SUV’s $38,000 cost.

The new Kia Sportage Hybrid is unofficially categorized in a small fraternity. It’s valued priced while offering a vast selection of safety and technology features. It mimics a luxury vehicle without an inflated cost.