by CarBook
Kia has been working on its compact SUV for years now, and the results are finally here: a vehicle that finally lives up to the automaker’s reputation for value and quality. The 2023 Kia Sportage is spacious, powerful, and simply more interesting than before.
Finally, the Kia Sportage stands out for the right reasons. More spacious, more powerful, and simply more interesting than before. The new Sportage is longer and wider than its predecessor, but it’s slightly shorter in height. The front fascia is more aggressive than before—and that’s saying something for a brand known for being “affordable” rather than “sporty.” There are LED headlights and taillights that look like they belong on an Audi or BMW (or at least something from Lexus). The interior is spacious enough to fit five people comfortably in back seats that are plenty wide enough even for my 6’4″ frame. And then there’s the turbocharged engine under the hood.
The most obvious similarity between the Sportage and its predecessor is its overall design. The new model looks very similar to the old one – especially at first glance. But after spending some time with this car, I realized that these similarities are actually quite superficial. In fact, underneath the familiar exterior lies an entirely new Sportage.
For example, the 2023 Kia Sportage has received a significant bump in horsepower from 190 hp to 250 hp, which makes it faster and more responsive than ever before. Additionally, it has two engine options: a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder or 3-liter V6 engine that comes with AWD or RWD configurations depending on your preference for performance versus fuel economy (which are both pretty good).
Another major change for this year’s model is how spacious it feels inside compared to past versions of this vehicle! For example: there’s now more legroom in the back seat than you’ll find
