2023 Kia Sportage

2023 is the launch year of the fifth-generation Sportage in the US (the facelift arrived for MY2026). Gas trims use a naturally aspirated 2.5L making 187 hp, which is low for the segment.

178 lb-ft from a non-turbo four trails the turbocharged compact rivals.

The 2.5L AWD is among the slowest compact SUVs. Reviewers measure or estimate about 9.5 seconds to 60 mph.

The 2.5L is smooth enough around town but strains and gets noisy when merging or passing.

A conventional 8-speed automatic, not a CVT, shifts smoothly without drone. It can be slow to kick down.

2,500 lbs is typical for a compact SUV: enough for a small trailer.

AWD is available across the gas trim walk and is standard on X-Line/X-Pro, with a center-coupling lock and terrain modes. There is no low range or torque vectoring.

The X-Pro, new for 2023, adds all-terrain tires, an AWD lock and terrain modes, enough for light trails. There are no lockers or low range, and most trims are pavement-oriented.

The 2023 range covers a gas 2.5L (FWD/AWD), a 1.6T hybrid (FWD/AWD) and a 1.6T plug-in hybrid, which is broader than most compact rivals.

The AWD gas Sportage is about average for a non-hybrid compact SUV.

23 MPG city is typical of a non-hybrid AWD compact SUV.

28 MPG highway for the AWD model is middling for the class.

A 14.3-gallon tank at 25 MPG combined gives modest range for the segment.

The EPA cost estimate for the AWD gas model is mid-pack among gas SUVs.

Every gas Sportage runs on regular unleaded.

NHTSA rates the 2023 Sportage AWD 5 stars overall, with 5-star frontal and side results and a 4-star rollover rating. The FWD version carries 5-star frontal and side results but has no overall or rollover rating.

The 2023 Sportage is an IIHS Top Safety Pick, but only on the Prestige trims with LED projector headlights, so the volume trims do not qualify. Every listed crashworthiness test is rated Good. The side-impact reinforcement and rear thorax airbag arrived only with the 2024 model.

Every trim gets Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian detection, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, driver attention warning and high-beam assist. On the base LX, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance and Smart Cruise Control are optional; they come standard from the EX volume trim up.

The standard system earns Superior in IIHS's original vehicle-to-vehicle test and in the daytime pedestrian test. In the tougher vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 test it drops to Marginal, failing to stop the car target at 43 mph and the motorcycle target from 37 mph off-center upward. IIHS published no nighttime pedestrian rating for 2023.

Blind-Spot and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist actively brake rather than just warn, and they are standard from the EX volume trim, though optional on the LX. Safe Exit Assist and the Blind-Spot View Monitor camera feed are limited to the top Prestige trims.

Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist centering are standard on every trim. Reviewers find the system competent on marked highways, with mild wander on curves and faded lines.

Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Highway Driving Assist are standard from the EX volume trim; the LX lacks adaptive cruise. The system follows smoothly across the full speed range, and HDA2 lane-change assist is limited to the top Prestige trims.

No trim of the 2023 Sportage offers hands-free highway driving. HDA and HDA2 are hands-on lane-centering aids.

The LX, EX, X-Line, SX and X-Pro all use LED reflector headlights, which IIHS rates Poor, with inadequate low-beam visibility on the straightaway and on all four curves. Only the Prestige trims get the Acceptable-rated LED projectors. Standard high-beam assist earns some credit.

The upright, boxy NQ5 body gives a large glass area, a tall side window line and a near-vertical rear window, so sightlines beat the sloped-roof norm. Moderately thick rear pillars are the compromise, and the surround-view and blind-spot cameras are only on the top trims.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use only Acceptable, but rear legroom leads the class and the rear doors open wide, which makes loading and buckling child seats easy.

Two-row, five-seat compact SUV on every 2023 trim.

Front headroom is mid-pack for compact SUVs.

Front legroom is slightly below the class norm.

Rear headroom is generous for the class.

The fifth-generation redesign (7.1 in longer, 3.4 in more wheelbase) gives class-leading rear legroom.

No third row is offered; the Sportage is a strict two-row five-seater.

Best-in-class cargo behind the rear seat for compact SUVs, though the SUV-wide band puts it low.

Max cargo is strong for a compact SUV.

Dual-level cargo floor and seatback USB-C ports are useful touches; everyday bins are competitive but not standout, and there is no household outlet.

Well-bolstered front seats and a genuinely comfortable, roomy rear bench; power driver seat from EX.

Composed and grown-up at highway speed, though the gas model lets sharp impacts through.

Hushed at steady cruise, but the 2.5L gets buzzy under load and downshifts frequently.

Heated seats and dual-zone auto climate from EX, heated wheel on EX AWD; ventilated front and heated rear seats on SX Prestige. 2023 still offered EX AWD heated wheel and SX Prestige heated windshield, both dropped for 2024.

2023 is the first US model year of the all-new fifth-generation (NQ5) Sportage. The LX FWD entry price rose $1,900 over 2022 but added LED headlights, a digital cluster and wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, and it stays among the cheapest in the compact-SUV class.

The EX is the volume gas trim and most compact-SUV buyers take AWD, which puts a typically equipped 2023 Sportage at about $31K delivered. Kia does not publish its trim mix, so the volume-trim call is an industry-typical assumption.

Sources disagree widely: CarEdge's nameplate-level estimate is low, while KBB's cost-to-own for the same generation (2024) runs near $6K. A figure toward the KBB end is used because Kia includes no free scheduled maintenance; the long warranty keeps repairs low.

The 2023 model's real used-market data is better than the new-car projections for later years: it has lost roughly a quarter of its value in three years. Extending that curve, and CarEdge's nameplate figure of 50% at five years, puts five-year retention in the low-to-mid 50s, still behind the CR-V and RAV4.

Kia's basic warranty ties the Hyundai Tucson for longest in the mainstream compact-SUV class; Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and Nissan stop at 3 years/36,000 miles.

Best powertrain coverage in the segment, twice what the Japanese rivals offer, though it applies in full to the original owner only.

Kia includes no complimentary scheduled maintenance in the US for 2023. The package is 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance plus a Kia Connect trial, better than roadside alone but short of ToyotaCare or Hyundai's 3-year/36,000-mile complimentary maintenance.

$31,045 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (54% retained, or about $16,764) leaves about $14,281 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $19,781 in total.

2023 is the launch year of the fifth-generation (NQ5) Sportage in the US, and the reliability sources disagree sharply. Consumer Reports owner data scores the gas 2023 at only 50, the weakest year of this generation. J.D. Power's Quality & Reliability rating is a 'Great' 88/100. The score sits in the lower half of the average band, below the 2024 (67).

Kia is consistently strong on initial quality among mainstream brands and around or slightly better than industry average on three-year dependability. Consumer Reports ranks it mid-pack, and the Theta II engine campaigns still weigh on the Hyundai-Kia reputation, so it stays out of the top band.

The launch-year 2023 gas Sportage is covered by six NHTSA campaigns, several of them safety-critical: loss of power-brake assist, curtain airbags twisted during installation, and an alternator terminal nut that can cause a stall or electrical surge. That is repeated launch-year recall activity well above the typical level, and far worse than the 2024 (three campaigns) or the 2025 (one).

The volume gas powertrain is the 2.5L Smartstream GDI four-cylinder with a conventional 8-speed automatic, which avoids CVT and DCT risk. That engine family replaced the troubled Theta II and shows no systemic failure pattern. In its first Sportage year it was still unproven, and it is tied to the launch-year Idle Stop & Go oil-pump controller recall, so it sits slightly below the 2024.

This is the all-new NQ5 cabin, with panoramic dual screens, a touch toggle bar for climate and media, and design ambition above the class median. The lower zones and the volume LX/EX trims use the hard plastics expected at this price.

Kia's initial quality is strong and J.D. Power rates the 2023 highly. But the launch year carries two assembly-quality recalls, curtain airbags twisted at installation and a roof molding that can detach, plus a misaligned brake-booster diaphragm. That is scattered build-consistency trouble, so it scores below the 2024.

Kia's roughly 780 US dealers cover metro and suburban markets adequately but are thinner than Toyota's, Honda's or the Detroit brands', which matters in rural areas. Service satisfaction is around the mainstream average.

The Sportage is a high-volume US compact SUV and shares its platform, 2.5L engine and 8-speed with the Hyundai Tucson and other group models, so parts are widely stocked and repair costs are around the segment average. The aftermarket is narrower than the RAV4's or CR-V's.

The volume EX trim gets the 12.3-in touchscreen within Kia's dual-panel curved display.

Crisp, quick 12.3-in system, but the dual-function climate/audio touch strip and mode-switching knobs are distracting.

Wireless projection is standard on the LX 8-in unit, but the 12.3-in navigation system most buyers get is wired-only in 2023.

Native navigation and Kia's voice recognition on the 12.3-in unit are functional; most owners on the LX rely on phone projection.

Six-speaker base audio is adequate; the 8-speaker Harman Kardon upgrade is a clear but modest improvement.

Every trim gets a digital gauge display; the 12.3-in configurable cluster arrives with the panoramic display on upper trims.

Map/infotainment updates via Kia Connect on the navigation unit; no whole-vehicle OTA on the 2023 Sportage.

Kia Connect app offers remote start/climate, lock and locate on connected trims; Digital Key 2 on top trims.

USB-C front and on the front seatbacks for rear riders, wireless charging from EX; no household outlet.

Push-button start standard, smart key/remote start from EX, smart power liftgate on upper trims and Digital Key on Prestige trims.

Rear camera and rear parking sensors standard; Surround View, Blind-Spot View Monitor and Remote Smart Parking Assist reserved for top trims.

No head-up display is offered on the US 2023 Sportage.

Class-leading rear legroom, wide-opening rear doors and best-in-class cargo make daily family logistics easy.

Five-star NHTSA and IIHS Top Safety Pick, but the award needed specific headlights (volume trims rated Poor) and blind-spot monitoring starts at EX.

Excellent rear space and luggage room with seatback USB-C; no rear climate zone or entertainment.

Easy, light controls and good visibility, but the 187-hp 2.5L is slow and the 8-speed hunts in traffic.

Average compact-SUV running costs on regular fuel.

Compact footprint with good sightlines, but a 38.6-ft turning circle and surround camera only on top trims.

A modest 2,500-lb tow rating with trailer brakes and a weak engine limit it to light duty.

Long powertrain warranty, but first-year-of-generation reliability was middling and there's no fleet-toughness reputation.

Dual-level cargo floor and roof rails on X-Line/X-Pro, but no onboard AC power or work-oriented features.

Quiet, comfortable highway cruiser with lane-centering available, held back by modest ~360-mile AWD range and HDA2 only on the top trim.

AWD with center lock is widely available, AWD clearance is 8.3 in, and the X-Pro adds all-terrain tires and terrain modes.

Class-leading cargo behind the rear seat, 74 cu ft folded, and a dual-level floor; roof rails on rugged trims.

Secure, predictable handling with decent grip, but nothing engaging.

Easy, natural steering (13.6:1, 2.41 turns lock-to-lock) that is precise enough but numb.

Adequate stopping distances and a progressive pedal.

The 2.5L and 8-speed are smooth enough but slow to respond and prone to downshift hunting.

The 2.5L drones when pushed, though it settles at steady cruise.

Turning circle is slightly large for a compact SUV.

Easy entry, good sightlines and adjustability, marred by the mode-switching climate/audio touch panel.

The tepid 2.5L makes the gas Sportage an appliance; reviewers point to the hybrid for more verve.

The redesigned base LX gained LED headlights, a digital instrument panel, rear parking sensors and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, on top of eight standard driver-assist features. That beats several rivals' base trims, and the EX adds more for about $2K.

Class-leading rear seat and cargo space, available dual panoramic displays and the best warranty in the segment come for less than the CR-V or RAV4. The slow 187-hp 2.5L and middling fuel economy keep it from a standout score.

Seven gas trims (LX, EX, X-Line, SX, SX-Prestige, X-Pro, X-Pro Prestige) span about $27K to $38K, most with FWD or AWD, plus the hybrid range launched for 2023 and the PHEV that followed. Budget, luxury and off-road-styled buyers are all covered.

In its first redesigned year the Sportage set an all-time nameplate record of 140,780 US sales, up 12%, and was Kia's best seller. The trajectory is strong, though volume is well below the RAV4 and CR-V.

Kia's image was rising on design (EV6, Telluride) and record 2023 sales. It is still a mainstream value brand, and resale plus default-choice status trail Toyota and Honda.

The redesigned 2023 launched into the tail of the pandemic inventory shortage, with thin discounts and dealer markups common in 2022 and early 2023. Financing and lease offers returned as supply recovered later in the model year.

2023 is the launch year of the all-new fifth-generation (NQ5) Sportage on a new platform, with its facelift not arriving until the 2026 model year. A 2023 buyer got the newest design with years before any refresh.

The redesign was widely praised for space, design and tech, and earned a Car and Driver Editors' Choice and an IIHS Top Safety Pick. The gas model's slow 2.5L kept it from being a consistent comparison-test winner over the CR-V and RAV4.