Kia has already priced in the 2023 Sportage Hybrid compact crossover, which will hit dealerships this spring. And both that and recent fuel economy figures give plenty of reason to take note.
The Sportage Hybrid starts at $28,545 in front-wheel drive form — a price lower than the base versions of the Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Honda CR-V Hybridand Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. That’s for the base LX, offered with all-wheel drive for $30,345. The high-end EX and SX-Prestige trims are only offered in all-wheel drive form and are priced at $32,245 and $37,445 respectively. All prices include the required $1,255 destination fee.
On the performance front, the Sportage Hybrid was recently rated at up to 43 mpg – a figure that beats the most efficient versions of all those models in the combined mpg EPA – with the all-wheel-drive Escape Hybrid. front reached the closest with 41 mpg.
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid
The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid was revealed last November at the LA auto show, and it carries the same unorthodox styling as the non-hybrid versions currently on sale.
Its powertrain consists of a 1.6-liter turbo-4 petrol engine and a six-speed automatic transmission, working with a single electric motor and a 1.49 kWh battery pack. All-wheel drive versions use a rear axle lifter — a strategy shared with the Honda CR-V Hybrid — instead of an engine complementing them, as used in the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid
Total system output is 226 horsepower, more than other hybrid crossovers, and it allows for 2,000 pounds of towing capacity, according to Kia. The 2023 Sportage Hybrid received an EPA rating of 43 mpg combined (42 mpg city, 44 highway) in front-wheel drive and 38 mpg combined (38 mpg city, 38 highway) in all-wheel drive.
The closely related Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is offered only with AWD. It hits 37 mpg combined for most lines or 38 mpg combined for its efficiency-focused Blue version.
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid
Kia integrates driver assistance technology, including lane keeping assist and a driver attention monitor. Blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control, which together with the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen form a panoramic display, will be available — though Kia has not yet provided a breakdown of each version’s features.
2023 Sportage Hybrid followed by bigger Sorento Hybrid crossover, but Kia did not replace the Optima Hybrid sedan when that model was renamed the K5.
The Sorento is available as a plug-in hybrid. One Sportage Plug-In Hybrid is also being rolled out later this year, with an expected all-electric range of 32 miles.
Kia is also focusing on all-electric vehicles as part of its Plan S initiative, which includes a $25 billion investment by the end of 2025. That has accelerated with the recent arrival of the brand. EV6the continued availability of the Niro EV and, perhaps, the arrival of a Electric SUV EV9 in 2024.
