2023 Kia Sportage x line features

Capitalizing on a growing reputation for value and reliability, Kia has launched the fifth generation of its familiar Sportage crossover. More aggressively styled than ever before, the 2023 Kia Sportage brings sci-fi troop carrier aesthetic to the local supermarket parkade. And though more expensive than its predecessors, the new model expands its repertoire to earnestly stake itself as the most capable Sportage yet.

Kia calls the new Sportage’s cabin “near-luxury,” with available features including a combined 24.6” of screen space, tablet-friendly cup holders, 360-degree camera view, seatback USB ports, animal-free vinyl seats, and real stitching on the SX and above. Further highlights include wireless charging, LTE wifi hotspot, and decent Harman Kardon premium audio. In step with this effort, Kia has increased sound insulation to render a quieter ride. Though road noise is effectively limited, some engine noise does present under acceleration. 

Kia has come a long way and deserves the praise it continues to receive. Cabin quality is typical of contemporary Hyundai-Kia, which is to say nice, but with a few hitches. Physical buttons depress with a pleasant softness, though some toggle switches feel a touch more plasticky than Kia might wish you to notice. Construction feels otherwise solid, and the effect within that curved dual-screen cockpit is comfortable.

With the success of its crossover lines, Kia has taken the opportunity to bump the Sportage up a class by stretching the model 18 centimetres — always a popular move for shoppers seeking more. This brings some new utility, greater stability on the road, and a more premium overall experience. The Sportage gracefully crests urban obstacles, gently stepping and rolling across diagonal disturbances such as lot-exit kerbs.

The new Sportage shares a platform with the Sorento, enabling Kia to offer as much room for rear passengers as for those up front. With a metre of legroom in both rows and a minimal centre tunnel disrupting the rear floor, the new Sportage moves from young-family runabout to a comfortable four-adult road-tripper. At 5’8, my clones and I can ride comfortably in tandem — a rare accomplishment in a crossover. Better still, those broader dimensions afford a bigger boot for their requisite nutrient storage.

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Canadian shoppers are likely to look to Kia’s X-Line and X-Pro models for their all-wheel drive and 1.2” of additional ground clearance, though the front-drive trims will yield better fuel economy in less-demanding urban duties. Fuel economy for FWD models is rated at 9.3 L/100 km city, 7.4 highway, and 8.4 L/100 km combined; figures for AWD models 1.1 litres steeper, at 10.4, 8.5, and 9.5 L/100 km respectively. 

Pulling off the line, the new 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine produces 187 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque.Whether going to the front or all wheels, this runs through an 8-speed automatic transmission. Transfer in all-wheel drive models is split by an electro-hydraulic coupling with centre differential locking for low-traction or modest off-road situations. 

It isn’t the most enthusiastic powertrain, requiring more throttle than some might like on merges and emitting some direct-injected noises when worked. Though more powerful and significantly less clattery than the smaller, lighter Seltos, that vehicle feels more responsive and maneuverable in busy traffic. Still, the Sportage is a more pleasant driver once at speed.

Up front, electronic power steering makes low-speed maneuvers a breeze; at the rear, four-point multilink rear suspension keeps the ride composed. It’s an easy vehicle to pilot, with clear forward sightlines and reasonable rearward visibility by modern standards. 

Canadian pricing starts from $28,395, but note that the base LX forgoes a lot of feature content. Shoppers seeking heated seats, heated steering, and wireless charging will need to step up to at least the $33,995 X-Line AWD, while those full-sized twin 12.3” screens, dual-zone climate, and smart cruise don’t come until the $35,595 EX AWD. As tested, the model here stickers at $41,245 before Kia’s $1,900 destination charge and applicable taxes. 

The X-Line trim, as reviewed here, is otherwise largely cosmetic. More adventurous drivers can continue up to the X-Pro, which mounts more versatile 17” wheels for all-terrain tires, LED foglamps and available LED projector headlamps. It may be best not to take Kia’s ‘trail-ready’ marketing push too seriously, however: the Sportage is still a light crossover, and without any actual underbody protection, fortune may not favour the bold. 

Keep it on the road, however, and the Sportage will favour the sensible. Hyundai-Kia’s excellent driver assistance systems make commuting a breeze, rubber-banding with congested traffic, holding cleanly to lanes, and slowing smoothly ahead of curves. Fresh to the suite is the addition of left-turn precautions to the Sportage’s forward collision assist, but the highlight remains the blind spot camera feed displayed within the cluster when a turn signal is activated. One weakness remains, however: the remote parking assist is too slow and ponderous a party trick for most any real-world setting. 

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Beneath the central infotainment display, Kia’s new contextual touchpad is dubiously innovative. A toggle switches the buttons and knobs between typical entertainment and HVAC settings. This builds brand consistency with the EV6 and streamlines the dash for the showroom, but diverts drivers’ eyes down to confirm that the temperature knob they’re reaching for isn’t going to blast them with Katy Perry instead. 

Standard features across the lineup include lane-keeping and following assists, LED lighting, rear park sensors, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Drivers who skipped reading Orwell can also remotely start the Sportage using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. 

The Sportage may not be the budget crossover of yesteryear, but it still offers an appealing value for the dollar. Well-equipped from the mid-30s, shoppers will find above-average feature content and the reassurance of the brand’s ascent to the top of JD Power’s reliability index. And while we’d caution against growing too emboldened by Kia’s trail-ready claims, that available all-wheel drive and increased ride height should come in handy through the next surprise blizzard. 

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