2023 Kia Niro

2023 is the launch year of the second-generation (SG2) Niro, and its hybrid comes one way only: a 1,580 cc Atkinson-cycle GDI four rated 105 ps @ 5,700 rpm working with a 32 kW traction motor for 141 ps (139 hp) net, identical on LX, EX, EX Touring, SX and SX Touring. That falls below the 150 hp floor of the subcompact-SUV band, which is the honest reading — the Niro is the least powerful thing in its class by design.

Kia quotes 265 Nm (195 lb-ft) of combined system torque for the 2023 hybrid, with the motor alone contributing 170 Nm from a standstill. Low-speed pull is better than the 139 hp headline suggests, but it is still only mid-pack against a segment where turbo gas rivals make similar torque with far more horsepower behind it.

Two US instrumented tests of the 2023 car bracket it tightly: MotorWeek recorded 9.2 seconds to 60 mph and Edmunds' test track 9.7, so ≈9.4 is the fair figure. That sits right at the slow end of the SUV band — fine in town, but a genuine planning exercise when merging onto a fast highway or passing with the car loaded.

At a cruise the SG2 Niro is genuinely quiet — reviewers of the 2023 car single out the hushed cabin as a class strength — and engine start/stop mostly goes unnoticed in light driving. Two things hold it below the top band: with 139 hp the 1.6 has to be wrung out to make a pass and turns coarse and buzzy when it is, and because the Niro drives its DCT under both electric and gas power the handover from motor to engine is more noticeable than in the planetary-split hybrids it competes with.

The 6-speed dual-clutch is the Niro's deliberate differentiator — Kia chose it over a CVT for a more engaging drive, and it works: real gear steps, no rubber-band drone, and reviewers of the 2023 car call the shifts smooth and better sorted than Kia's 7-speed DCTs. It loses ground on low-speed manners, where the SG2 shows the usual dual-clutch creep hesitation and occasional jerky engagement in stop-and-go, and Kia issued a 2023-model-year service bulletin (TRA106) for poor shifting addressed by a ground-bolt torque fix and software update.

Kia publishes no US tow rating for the 2023 Niro Hybrid — the spec sheet states outright that there is no towing capability. A genuine zero rather than missing data, so the capability gap is scored rather than hidden.

Front-wheel drive is the only configuration on the 2023 Niro — no trim, and no powertrain of the three, can be had with all-wheel drive, and no production Niro of either generation ever has. Snow-country buyers who want driven rear wheels have to move up to a Seltos or Sportage.

A paved-road crossover in every respect: 6.3 inches of ground clearance, front-wheel drive, low-rolling-resistance tires on 16- or 18-inch wheels, no skid plates, no locking differential and no terrain-mode system or off-road trim anywhere in the 2023 range. Its Eco/EV/Sport/Green Zone drive modes are efficiency tools, not traction ones. The crossover body buys a higher seating position and nothing beyond it.

For 2023 the redesigned Niro launched with all three of its electrified powertrains in the US — hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery-electric under one nameplate — which is broader electrified choice than essentially anything else in the subcompact SUV class. Held just short of the top band because there is no conventional gas or turbo option, no performance variant, and no AWD version of any of the three.

EPA rates the volume 2023 Niro Hybrid — the 16-inch-wheel LX/EX/SX configuration — at 53 MPG combined, at least 3 MPG better than the first-generation car it replaced and the figure Kia led its launch marketing with. The two Touring trims give back 4 MPG for their 18-inch wheels and wider tires.

53 MPG in town, and notably the one number the wheel choice does not move: EPA rates all five 2023 hybrid trims at 53 city. Stop-and-go traffic is where the Niro's parallel hybrid system does its best work.

The volume 16-inch configuration is rated 54 MPG highway — higher than its city figure, an unusual result for a hybrid and a reflection of how slippery the new-for-2023 SG2 body is. The 18-inch Touring trims fall all the way to 45, the single largest efficiency penalty in the range.

A small 11.1-gallon tank still yields 588 EPA miles between fills at 53 MPG, near the top of the SUV range band and enough to cover a full road-trip day without stopping. The Touring trims' 49 MPG rating brings that closer to 545.

EPA puts it at $1,150 a year at standard assumptions — about half what a comparable gas-only subcompact SUV costs to run, and among the cheapest non-plug-in vehicles of any body style to fuel. EPA projects $5,250 saved over five years versus the average new vehicle.

Regular 87-octane unleaded, no premium requirement, no plug and no charging arrangement to make — the hybrid is about as low-friction to keep fueled as a vehicle gets, and buyers who do want to plug in have the Niro PHEV and Niro EV on the same showroom floor. The only mild demerit is the 11.1-gallon tank, which means more trips to the pump than the range figure implies, even though each one is cheap.

NHTSA tested the second-generation Niro in its launch year and awarded five stars overall: four stars frontal (driver and passenger alike) and four for rollover, carried by a clean sweep of fives in every side measure including the pole test. The same sub-ratings later produced a four-star overall for 2025, so the 2023 car genuinely holds the better published figure rather than inheriting it.

2023 is the first model year of the second-generation (SG2) Niro and the IIHS never evaluated it — no small-overlap, moderate-overlap or updated side results exist, and no Top Safety Pick of any level. The 2023 award criteria already demanded a Good updated side test plus nighttime pedestrian AEB, and Kia placed only the Sportage and Telluride on that list. The outgoing first-generation car rated Good across the crashworthiness tests, which suggests no structural concern, but an untested new platform cannot be credited for award-level performance.

Kia's own 2023 feature matrix makes an unusually deep suite standard on the base LX: Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian detection, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Following Assist (true centering), Blind-Spot Collision Warning with Parallel Exit, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Warning, Driver Attention Warning, High Beam Assist, Rear Occupant Alert and Intelligent Speed Limit Assist. Blind-spot and cross-traffic coverage standard on a base subcompact SUV beats most rivals. Two gaps keep it out of the top band: adaptive cruise starts at EX, and the LX gets neither the upgraded junction-turning AEB nor any parking sensors.

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian detection is standard on every 2023 trim, and EX and above upgrade to the fusion-type FCA with Junction Turning that adds cyclist detection and covers the hard left-across-traffic case. Hardware breadth is good, but the IIHS published no front crash prevention rating for this generation, so daytime and especially nighttime pedestrian performance is unverified — this is scored on equipment and Kia's generally competent (occasionally over-eager) FCA calibration rather than on test results.

Blind-Spot Collision Warning with Parallel Exit, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist — braking intervention, not merely an alert — and Safe Exit Warning are all standard on every one of the five 2023 trims including the $26,590 LX. That is genuinely better than the subcompact SUV norm, where blind-spot monitoring is still a trim upgrade, and it matters more here than usual given the Aero Blade's rear-quarter blind zone. Camera-based Blind-Spot View Monitor and active blind-spot steering intervention are offered on no Niro HEV trim, which caps the score short of the top.

Lane Following Assist — real lane centering rather than bounce-off keeping — is standard on all five 2023 trims alongside LKA and LDW, which is more than most subcompact SUVs give a base buyer. Reviewers find it smooth through gentle bends and restful on long highway stints, but it needs clear markings on both sides and turns vague in worn paint, which keeps it below the confident-centering top band.

From EX upward — the volume trim — the 2023 Niro gets Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, a full-speed-range system Edmunds calls well calibrated, braking with plenty of time. Two things hold the score down: the LX is left with conventional cruise only, and the navigation-based curve-adaptive cruise plus Highway Driving Assist that would make this a genuinely integrated highway system are optional extras even on EX and above rather than standard.

No 2023 Niro could be ordered with hands-free highway driving at any trim or price, and Kia sold no such system anywhere in its 2023 US lineup. Highway Driving Assist, the most capable system on the order sheet and optional at that, is explicitly hands-on: it manages lane centering and following distance while requiring hands on the wheel.

Full LED projector headlights are reserved for the top of the range; the LX, EX, EX Touring and SX — everything most buyers actually take — run halogen projector units with LED daytime running lights, and front fog lights do not appear until EX Touring. High Beam Assist and auto light control are standard across the line, but with no IIHS headlight evaluation of this generation to offset it, halogen low beams on the volume trims of a brand-new 2023 design are a real night-driving deficit.

Forward sightlines are airy and the seating position high enough for a good view down the road, but the second generation's signature Aero Blade replaces the third side window and creates a large blind zone over the driver's shoulder — the single biggest visibility compromise of the 2023 redesign. A standard rearview camera with dynamic guidelines and standard blind-spot monitoring compensate electronically; no surround-view or blind-spot view camera is offered on any 2023 Niro HEV trim to cover it optically.

LATCH is standard across the range in the class-normal arrangement — two complete sets at the rear outboard seats plus a top-tether anchor for the center position — and the tall roofline with near-square door openings makes lifting a seat in easier than in a low hatchback. Subcompact rear legroom still squeezes a rear-facing seat behind a tall front occupant, three-across is not realistic, and the outgoing first-generation car rated only Acceptable for IIHS LATCH ease of use, so the anchors are unlikely to be a strength.

The 2023 Niro is a two-row, five-passenger crossover on every trim. That is normal for a subcompact SUV but sits low in a band that tops out at 8.

The second-generation (SG2) body is taller and longer than the car it replaced, and 40.5 in of front headroom is generous for the class.

Front legroom of 41.5 in is adequate but below the SUV band's midpoint, and tall drivers will find it merely average.

The flat roofline gives rear passengers 39.5 in of headroom, which is excellent for a subcompact.

The 2023 redesign's 107.1-in wheelbase gives 39.8 in of rear legroom. That is compact-SUV territory and the Niro's standout packaging strength.

The Niro has no third row on any trim.

22.8 cu ft behind the second row is fine for a subcompact but falls below the SUV band's 25 cu ft floor, which spans everything up to full-size SUVs.

63.7 cu ft with the seats folded is competitive for the class and sits in the lower part of the SUV band.

The shift-by-wire dial frees up a usable center console, and there is an underfloor cargo tray where a spare tire would go (the Niro carries a mobility kit instead). Storage is competitive but has nothing standout.

The front seats are supportive for daily use, and the SX adds power, ventilation and memory. Lower trims have manual adjustment and fairly flat cushions, and the roomy rear bench is comfortable for adults.

Reviewers describe the SG2 ride as composed and comfortable on the 16-in wheels. The Touring trims' 18-in wheels bring more impact harshness over broken pavement.

The cabin is quiet at a cruise for a subcompact, though the hybrid lets in more road noise than the EV, and the 1.6 turns buzzy under hard acceleration.

Heated front seats come from the EX up. The SX adds ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel, and the SX Touring adds heated rear seats. The volume EX gets heat but no ventilation or heated wheel, and the base LX has neither.

The entry point to the all-new second-generation Niro is the Hybrid LX at $26,490 plus a $1,295 destination charge — the cheapest way into a hybrid crossover in the US for 2023 and far below the subcompact-SUV band's $25,000–$65,000 range. The electrified variants cost much more (PHEV from $33,740, EV from $39,450, both before destination).

The Hybrid EX at $29,090 plus $1,295 destination is the volume configuration — the step up from LX that adds the larger navigation touchscreen, heated front seats, power driver's seat, wireless charging and Highway Driving Assist without reaching Touring or SX money. Buyers wanting the same body as a PHEV (~$35,035) or EV (~$40,745 delivered) pay several thousand more.

The Niro Hybrid is cheap to keep: a small Atkinson-cycle four with a dual-clutch transmission, regenerative braking that spares the friction brakes, and no belt-driven accessories to speak of, all backed by Kia's long powertrain coverage absorbing the expensive years. Roughly $4,100 over five years is near the bottom of the $3,000–$9,500 subcompact-SUV band.

Unlike later model years this one has real market data rather than a projection: KBB shows the 2023 Niro down 33% after three years, so about 67% retained, and carrying the normal fourth- and fifth-year losses forward lands near 55%. That beats the ~50% generic Niro projection because 2023 hybrids landed into unusually strong used-hybrid demand — the EV variant, exposed to collapsing used-EV pricing, retains far less.

Kia's 5-year/60,000-mile basic limited warranty is the top of the 3–5 year band and two years longer than the mainstream 3/36 standard that most subcompact-SUV rivals offer.

Ten years/100,000 miles is the ceiling of the 5–10 year band and the industry benchmark, and it matters more than usual here because it covers the hybrid system's expensive components — the high-voltage battery carries matching 10-year/100,000-mile coverage.

Kia offered no factory complimentary scheduled maintenance in the US for 2023 — any free first services are dealer-level programs that vary store to store — so the Niro trails Toyota's ToyotaCare and the rivals that bundle real service into the transaction. What it does include is genuinely long: 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance covering warranty towing, flat tire, jump start, lockout and out-of-fuel. Kia Connect is a one-year complimentary trial rather than an open-ended inclusion, and the volume-below LX trim does not carry it at all, so 2023 sits a shade below the later years.

$30,385 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (55% retained, or about $16,712) leaves about $13,673 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,100 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $17,773 in total.

2023 is the launch year of the second-generation (SG2) Niro, and the data reads like a first year. Consumer Reports rates the 2023 Niro hybrid 'about average' against other 2023 models, with in-car electronics (USB/CarPlay unit failures, navigation glitches), the climate system (AC compressor, warm air at idle) and recall-related exhaust work as its trouble spots. J.D. Power's Quality & Reliability scores for the Niro have sat in its 74–80 'Average' band every rated year. NHTSA owner complaints are the red flag: 44 for MY2023 versus 9 for the carry-over 2024, including several 'Check Hybrid System' warnings with loss of propulsion. Average from both predictors plus a first-year complaint cluster puts it at the segment median, below the 2024 car.

In the studies contemporary with the 2023 model year Kia was at its strongest: highest-ranked mass-market brand in the 2023 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study for a third consecutive year at 152 PP100, a top-10 brand in the 2023 Initial Quality Study with four segment awards (tied for most), and a top-10 finisher in Consumer Reports' brand rankings. The legacy of Hyundai/Kia's Theta II and Nu engine campaigns keeps it short of the consistent top-5-across-all-studies band — none of those engines are in the Niro, but this item grades the brand.

Two campaigns reach the 2023 Niro Hybrid — one more than the 2024. 23V-298 (Kia SC270) is a software fix for a 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster that can boot blank, hiding warning lights and TPMS (FMVSS 101/138 non-compliance); 25V-024 (SC332) covers chafed floor wiring under the front passenger seat that can stop the front airbags and belts deploying properly or fire a side curtain unintentionally. Neither touches the engine or transmission, and the two EV-only driveline recalls (24V-057 drive shaft, 24V-271 differential bolts) do not apply to the hybrid. But an airbag defect plus a first-year complaint file three to four times the 2024's — with SC332 parts-availability delays and repeat hybrid-system warnings among them — puts it below the segment median.

The 2023 Niro Hybrid debuted the SG2 generation's version of Hyundai/Kia's TMED hybrid: 1.6L Smartstream GDI plus a 32 kW motor inside a 6-speed dual-clutch, 139 hp / 195 lb-ft, 1.32 kWh Li-ion polymer pack. The family is high-volume and long-running (Niro since 2016, Sportage/Tucson and Sonata/K5 Hybrid) and untouched by the Theta II/Nu engine campaigns. Against it: the DCT's known low-speed judder and jerky cold shifts, the GDI's carbon/EGR buildup pattern, and a first-year cluster of NHTSA reports of 'Check Hybrid System' warnings and sudden loss of propulsion on the 2023 specifically. Established family, but this launch year carries more powertrain complaints than the carry-over years — a few points under the 2024.

The redesigned 2023 cabin is clean and modern but trades richness for sustainability: woven cloth on LX, SynTex synthetic leather with eucalyptus-derived fiber on EX and up, a headliner made from recycled wallpaper, and broad expanses of hard and gloss-black plastic that reviewers flag for fingerprints. Competitive for a ~$30k hybrid crossover, not class-leading against the Prius or Corolla Cross Hybrid. An NHTSA owner complaint also notes the textured dash top reflecting on the windshield in sunlight.

Reviewers found the redesigned Niro solidly assembled and Kia's brand-level initial quality was top-10 in the 2023 IQS, but the first-year car has more scattered quality reports than later years: blank-cluster recall, intermittent USB/CarPlay faults, phantom presses on the touch-sensitive climate/media bar, clicking and clunking front-end noises and a spontaneously shattered sunroof among NHTSA owner complaints. Generally solid with scattered complaints — mid-band, a few points under the 2024.

Roughly 800 Kia dealers across all 50 states put hybrid-capable service within reach of almost any US buyer; the TMED hybrid is shared across Sportage, Sorento, Carnival and K5 so every store handles it. Service satisfaction is the weak half — Kia sits below the mass-market average in J.D. Power's Customer Service Index — and 2023 owners' NHTSA complaints mention long SC332 parts waits and repeat visits for unresolved hybrid warnings. Dense network, ordinary experience.

Maintenance is cheap — RepairPal puts the Niro around $377/yr, under the $474 Kia average, and rates it 4.5/5 — and the 1.6 GDI, DCT and hybrid hardware are shared parts-bin components with higher-volume Kia/Hyundai hybrids. Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and hybrid-system warranty covers the expensive failure modes for original owners. The high-voltage system and DCT are dealer territory out of warranty, aftermarket depth is thinner than for a conventional compact SUV, and early SC332 parts shortages show launch-year parts supply was not frictionless.

The volume EX trim and everything above it get a 10.25-in navigation touchscreen. The LX makes do with an 8-in display.

Kia's 10.25-in system is quick and logically laid out. However, the dual-mode touch bar that swaps between climate and audio functions draws criticism for mis-presses while driving.

In an odd inversion, only the base LX's 8-in screen offers wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. The volume EX and the other 10.25-in trims require a cable.

Native navigation, with Kia Connect live services, is standard from the EX up, and voice recognition is functional. Most owners still use phone projection.

The base 6-speaker system is adequate. An 8-speaker Harman Kardon system with Clari-Fi is available on the SX and SX Touring.

A 4.2-in cluster display sits between analog-style gauges on lower trims. The SX Touring pairs a 10.25-in digital cluster with its screen in one panoramic pane.

The 2023 navigation system receives over-the-air map and infotainment updates. Kia does not push whole-vehicle updates that add features.

The Kia Connect app offers remote start and climate, lock/unlock and vehicle locate on connected trims, with complimentary service for an initial term. Digital key is not offered on the 2023 hybrid.

Every trim has two USB-A ports up front, two in the rear and one front USB-C. A wireless charger comes from the EX up. There are no household outlets.

A smart key with push-button start, remote start and liftgate unlock comes from the EX up, and a power tailgate is on the SX trims. Phone-as-key is not available.

A rearview camera is standard and parking distance warning is on higher trims. The SX Touring adds more parking tech, but surround view is not widely available.

A head-up display is offered only on the top Niro Hybrid SX Touring (the PHEV SX Touring lacks it).

A long 107.1-in wheelbase, 39.8 in of rear legroom and wide rear doors make car seats easy to fit. Cargo is only 22.8 cu ft, so a stroller and groceries together is a squeeze.

The Niro earns a 5-star NHTSA overall rating, and Kia Drive Wise AEB, lane keeping and blind-spot warning are standard. The IIHS results are middling, and Highway Driving Assist is optional.

Rear-seat room is excellent for four adults, but rear amenities are thin below the SX Touring, and luggage space with every seat filled is limited.

The hybrid is quiet and light-steering in town and runs electric at low speed. Dual-clutch creep hesitation in stop-and-go is the main annoyance.

At 53 MPG combined and about $1,150 a year in regular fuel, the Niro is one of the cheapest SUVs to commute in.

It measures 174 in long with a 34.8-ft turning circle, and a rear camera is standard, so it is easy to place in the city.

The 2023 hybrid is not rated for towing in the US, and 139 hp leaves little headroom for loads. It is not a work vehicle.

The Hyundai-Kia 1.6 hybrid hardware is proven, but the light-duty interior and a DCT with a 2023 shift-quality TSB are not built for hard use.

There is no onboard AC power and few work provisions, only basic cargo tie-downs and optional roof rails.

A roughly 588-mile EPA range, a quiet cruise and available Highway Driving Assist make it a capable tourer. It is hampered by modest passing power.

The Niro is front-wheel drive only, with no AWD available and no tow rating, and it carries a mobility kit instead of a spare. It is essentially pavement-bound.

The 60/40 folding rear seat opens up 63.7 cu ft, and there is underfloor storage, but bulky gear is a squeeze and no hitch is rated.

The Niro is composed and predictable, with modest body roll on low-rolling-resistance tires. Its handling is secure but unremarkable.

The steering is light and accurate, which suits town driving, but it gives little feedback.

The brake-by-wire Integrated Electric Booster blends regen well for a hybrid. Pedal feel is slightly artificial, and the eco tires limit ultimate stopping.

It is smooth and electric at low speed, but handovers through the DCT are more noticeable than in planetary hybrids, and 139 hp means hesitation when you ask for power.

The engine is quiet at a cruise but turns coarse and buzzy when worked hard.

Kia quotes a 5.3 m turning radius (about 34.8 ft in diameter), which is tight for an SUV.

It has a good upright view and easy entry, but manual seats on the volume trims and the swap-function touch bar cost points.

The Niro is a pleasant, efficient appliance with little character to reward a detour.

The $26,490 LX ships the core Kia Drive Wise suite as standard — forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, blind-spot collision warning with parallel exit, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, lane keeping and lane following assist, driver attention warning — plus an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That is a strong safety-content floor for the money, but the base car goes without heated seats, a power driver's seat, Highway Driving Assist, wireless charging and Kia Connect, all of which are EX-and-up items, so the entry trim is well-protected rather than well-equipped.

At $26,490 before destination the 2023 Niro Hybrid was the least expensive hybrid crossover sold in the US, and it returned up to 53 MPG combined — no rival paired that efficiency with that price, and the Corolla Cross Hybrid and Kona Hybrid either cost more or gave up cargo room and equipment to match. Kia's 5/60 and 10/100 warranties are thrown in on top, making the content-and-capability-per-dollar case about as strong as the segment gets. The one real gap is that no AWD is offered at any price.

2023 is the Niro's widest year: five well-spaced hybrid trims from $27,785 (LX) to roughly $36,085 (SX Touring), plus a plug-in hybrid from about $35,035 and a Niro EV in Wind and Wave trims — three distinct powertrains under one body, which almost nothing else in the segment offers. The ceiling on breadth is drivetrain rather than trim: the second-generation Niro is front-wheel drive only in every configuration, an absence rivals like the Kona, Crosstrek and Corolla Cross all exploit.

2023 was the Niro's best year on record and the payoff for the new generation: 36,300 US sales, up 24% on 2022's 29,176 and comfortably above anything the first generation managed. That is a strong upward trajectory rather than a segment-leading absolute number — the Niro remains a niche electrified nameplate outsold many times over by mainstream subcompact SUVs, and volume fell 17% the following year.

Kia's image had climbed substantially by 2023 on the back of design-led products (EV6, Telluride, the new corporate logo) and the industry's longest mainstream warranty, moving the brand well past its value-badge past without reaching aspirational status. It helps rather than hurts the Niro, and it was reinforced during this model year by Kia taking the top spot in Cars.com's 2023 Best Of awards.

This is the weakest year of the generation for a buyer looking for a deal, and for the unhelpful reason: a freshly launched, well-reviewed, class-cheapest hybrid arriving into the tail of the 2022–23 inventory shortage with peak hybrid demand meant thin national incentives and little dealer flexibility, with transactions commonly at or near MSRP. Kia did not need to discount the 2023 Niro Hybrid the way it discounted the 2025 car (0% APR for 60 months plus up to $2,000 cash back), so the buyer benefit here is limited.

2023 is the first US model year of the all-new second-generation Niro (SG2) — new platform-level architecture, new body with the aero-blade C-pillar, new interior with available dual panoramic displays, larger cabin, and transferable digital key. There is no redesign risk for a 2023 buyer and the technology on board is current-generation, which is as fresh as the freshness item gets.

This is the Niro's high-water mark with the press by a wide margin. The 2023 car took Cars.com's overall Best Car of 2023 — not a class prize but the outright award — was voted World's Best Car in the 2023 Women's World Car of the Year awards, won a Golden Steering Wheel in the compact SUV category, placed first in its mass-market J.D. Power category, and made Car and Driver's 2023 Editors' Choice list. Day-to-day review scores are good rather than spectacular (Edmunds rated the PHEV 8.1/10, U.S. News scores the nameplate 7.7/10), with slow acceleration the standing complaint, so it stops short of a clean sweep.