2023 Kia Sportage

The verdict: Comfortable, beautifully appointed and packed with useful tech, the redesigned 2023 Kia Sportage is an outstanding compact SUV — made slightly sillier with a questionable new “off-road” trim level.

Versus the competition: The Sportage is bigger and more comfortable inside than most competitors, and it blows them away in terms of fit, finish, usable tech, luxurious materials and sumptuous ride quality — but its base powertrain struggles to keep up with more powerful rivals.

South Korean brand Kia makes and sells a lot of crossover-style SUVs — seven, to be precise. They offer varying levels of space and capability; some are more SUV-like, some more carlike, but none are designed for off-road capability. Apparently, this is something buyers are looking for if the explosion of off-road trim levels of car-based SUVs is anything to go by.

Now, Kia has answered this call with the latest version of its compact crossover SUV, the 2023 Sportage. The automaker has added two new trim levels to the hierarchy — the X-Pro and a better-equipped one called X-Pro Prestige — meant to cater to buyers looking for a beefier, more butch look for their on-road SUV. Kia bills it as an off-road-capable package, and while we have our doubts about that claim, we did recently get some extensive on-road time behind the wheel of a 2023 Sportage X-Pro Prestige as part of a six-SUV comparison test. We’ve definitely figured out its … X-Pros and cons. (Sorry.)

Related: What’s the Best Compact SUV of 2023? 

Looks That Slay

There’s no denying the latest styling adventures from Kia (and sister brands Hyundai and Genesis) are decidedly polarizing. Personally, I think the latest Sportage looks fantastic; it’s not a derivative design by any means, and it’s different without looking dumb. From the dramatic boomerang-shaped daytime running lights up front, flanking Kia’s “tiger nose” grille, to the high horizontal taillights across the rear, the new Sportage looks sleek, modern and interesting.

The X-Pro trim levels keep the same wheel size as the base LX trim, at 17 inches, but add a bunch of black plastic cladding around the wheel arches and bumpers for a rugged off-road look. Its black wheels and chunky-tread all-terrain tires are perhaps the most off-road-functional parts of the X-Pro, as they legitimately do increase the SUV’s capabilities in the dirt. Tall-sidewall tires help absorb bumpy off-road terrain — which is a good thing, as the X-Pro’s shock absorbers aren’t any different from other Sportage variants. The Sportage X-Pro doesn’t even get any more ground clearance than other all-wheel-drive Sportages, nor does it have underbody skid plate protection. Or exposed tow hooks. Or any other equipment that would help it traverse rocky terrain with greater ease and less damage. I would be anxious to take an X-Pro any farther off-road than the dirt parking lot of my local farmer’s market. At least it can have a snazzy-looking two-tone paint job that’s exclusive to the X-Pro trims.

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Let’s Stick to Pavement

So you’re not likely to tackle the Rubicon Trail in a Sportage X-Pro. Frankly, that’s OK; for someone who wants a more rugged look from their Sportage, the X-Pro certainly fits the bill — and it’s only mildly hampered by its off-road tires when it comes to the on-road driving experience.

A bigger hindrance to your on-road Zen might be the X-Pro’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine. The Sportage’s more powerful gas-electric hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains are not available on the X-Pro, so you’re stuck with the base 187-horsepower mill that has to work hard to get the new, larger Sportage moving smartly.

The powertrain generates more sound than fury. Acceleration is best described as adequate; the Sportage isn’t too slow, and for most people it’ll do for urban runabout duties and cross-country highway cruising. If you don’t compare it to competitors with available turbocharged engines, the Sportage feels acceptably peppy, though its transmission does feel rather slow to kick down when you ask for more power. Put it up against turbocharged offerings from Nissan, Honda, Mazda and Ford, however, and it feels underpowered and overburdened.

Sadly, the Sportage doesn’t justify its lack of power with superior fuel economy: It’s EPA-rated at 23/28/25 mpg city/highway/combined. Our roughly 330-mile road-trip fuel economy test saw it return 26.3 mpg on a windy day. The fuel-economy-conscious among you will want to forgo the X-Pro models and opt for one of the Sportage’s two available hybrid variants instead. The front-wheel-drive Sportage Hybrid, for example, is rated at 43 mpg combined.

The Sportage X-Pro’s handling is quite affected by its tires — it’s soft, it rolls, and it lacks the crispness of some of its competitors. On the other hand, it’s nicely balanced and doesn’t embarrass itself on twisty roads, and what you lose in handling precision, you more than make up for in ride quality: The Sportage X-Pro soaks up bumps like a champ thanks to those balloony tires. Few road imperfections make it into the cabin, and the tires nicely mute those that do. The Sportage X-Pro practically wafts down the road, and driving it around town is a lovely experience.

Out on a high-speed highway, however, the downside of that smooth ride becomes apparent in the form of serious tire noise from the soft, chunky all-terrain rubber. Brake-pedal feel isn’t all that great, either, with a mushy initial bite. Suffice it to say that if you’re looking for something sporty, sharp-handling and engaging, you’ll want to try a different Sportage trim — possibly a hybrid variant. If you’re looking for maximum ride comfort, though, with just a splash of off-road capability and style, the X-Pro is your choice.

The Interior Sells It

Regardless of trim level, what hands down sells you on the Sportage is its extraordinary interior. The top X-Pro Prestige trim is chock-full of eye-popping displays, beautifully assembled shapes, top-quality materials, and comfortable seating front and rear.

Let’s start with the tech. Two digital screens, one of them a touchscreen, combine to form a sweeping panoramic digital dash that wouldn’t look out of place in a much more expensive vehicle. I’ve seen similar applications in Cadillacs and Mercedes-Benzes, but Kia might actually do the touchscreen a bit better. Its icons are better organized than Mercedes’, and touch sensitivity is excellent — meaning nothing requires multiple touches to activate.

The reconfigurability of the gauge cluster is also something to behold. There are several different schemes to choose from, and they make digital clusters from other automakers feel like wasted space by comparison. If you have a digital screen, you can do anything with the space, so why do so many brands (Volvo and Lincoln in particular come to mind) choose to do almost nothing? Kia has certainly made the most of it by turning it into an opportunity for artistic expression. It really adds to the feeling that you’ve purchased something special.

Driver and passenger comfort is also excellent in the Sportage, with large, supportive seats front and rear that offer great legroom, plenty of headroom (even with a panoramic moonroof) and amazing outward visibility. The dash and beltline are very low in the Sportage, meaning everything is below chest level; you’ll reach forward and down to use the controls. This gives you a commanding view outward in all directions.

The cargo area is ample, as well, especially with the rear seats folded down for additional storage. The space is both tall and wide, so putting big, bulky objects back there shouldn’t be a challenge. The liftover height is also low, further easing that task.

The Sportage’s high-quality, spacious, well-laid-out interior really is what sells it. You’ll spend a lot more time inside your car than you will looking at the outside, so it sort of has to sell it, and Kia has done a fantastic job making the Sportage’s interior the benchmark of the class.

More From Cars.com:

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• 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid’s $28,545 Starting Price Undercuts Rivals
• Kia Expands 2023 Sportage Lineup With New Plug-In Hybrid

Still a Good Value

The variety of flavors of Sportage offered, and the various levels of equipment that come in those trims, mean there’s a version for just about everyone. The lineup starts with a well-equipped LX FWD model for $27,615 (all prices include destination), moving up to the EX, X-Line AWD, SX, SX Prestige, X-Pro, and X-Pro Prestige. My loaded X-Pro Prestige test vehicle rang in at $38,815.

The hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains are more expensive. The Sportage Hybrid starts with an LX FWD for $28,815, moving up to a mid-level EX and a top SX Prestige, the latter with a starting price of $37,715. The plug-in hybrid has 34 miles of rated electric-only range and comes in two trim levels: X-Line ($40,015) and the X-Line Prestige ($44,515).

Even the base Sportage LX is well equipped, representing an excellent value for the space, equipment and high-quality elements you get. Our loaded X-Pro Prestige felt like a screaming value for its price, with luxurious digs and top-notch tech, space and capabilities; if only it had a bit more oomph from its four-cylinder engine, it’d be a total knockout in the class. As it stands, with a just-adequate powerplant, the Sportage is still one heck of an effort. It’s worth adding to your shopping list.

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