Preview: 2023 Kia Sportage takes on dramatic look
Kia late on Monday provided a preview look at the next generation of its Sportage crossover.
The full reveal will take place in July, with sales in the United States likely to follow in early 2022. The small crossover will arrive in our market as a 2023 model.
2023 Kia Sportage (European spec)
The redesigned Sportage has taken on a dramatic new look, with elements like a clamshell hood up front and the pinched leading edge of the tailgate looking similar to what we see on Kia’s new EV6 electric crossover introduced for 2022. And like most new Kias, there’s a grille spanning the width of the vehicle’s face. Another interesting element are the headlights, whose main clusters are set low in the face and bounded by boomerang-shaped daytime lights.
Kia, which refers to its new design language as Opposites United, says the inspiration comes from elements of “nature and modernity.”
2023 Kia Sportage (European spec)
Inside is a premium design that wouldn’t look out of place in an Audi. Present is a driver-orientated dash layout dominated by a curved display integrating the instrument cluster and infotainment screen. There is also multiple controls on the steering wheel together with a rotary dial for the gear selector, below which is a second dial for the drive mode selector.
That’s all the information Kia has released for now, but we have some clues as to what to expect for the mechanicals. The vehicle is the corporate twin to the new Hyundai Tucson introduced for 2022. This means we can expect a similar powertrain offering, at least here in the U.S. The Hyundai offers a 2.5-liter inline-4 with 187 hp as standard. It’s mated to an 8-speed automatic.
2022 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid
Above this is a pair of hybrids, one a plug-in hybrid. In both cases there’s a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 mated to a single electric motor integrated with a 6-speed automatic. The regular hybrid setup is good for 226 hp while the plug-in hybrid setup is good for 261 hp. The plug-in hybrid also has a 13.8-kilowatt-hour battery that will deliver an estimated 32 miles of electric range.
Stay tuned for more details following the July reveal event.