The Kia Sportage is getting a makeover this year as the fifth-generation model gets ready to hit the market. Normally, it would have been presented for Canada at the Toronto Auto Show, but as you know a certain variant of a certain virus that led to a certain pandemic caused the cancellation of that and other automotive events early in the year.
Change of plans for Kia, which now has a pre-production version of the 2023 Sportage on tour before the model starts to arrive at dealerships. We took advantage of its visit to Montreal to get a closer look.
Here are our first impressions.
Aesthetically
The Sportage has evolved for its new generation, starting with its slightly increased dimensions. That’s barely noticeable from the outside, but inside is where the benefit comes, since there’s clearly more space for occupants and their legs and heads, especially in the second row.
The styling has also changed, quite drastically in fact, and Kia clearly wanted to give it the brand's new product signature, seen already on the new Sorento, among others. On board, some elements of the new EV6 are also found here. Overall, it's a happy mix that produces a happy result.
Do we like the looks of the thing? No point arguing about taste, so we won’t go there. But in our view, we’d wager that the back end is likely to age better than the front. Just out opinion.
One more word on the interior. Our visit gave us a much better idea than images could of the environment, and we can attest to a marked increase in the level of quality. Of course, the model on display was fully loaded with all possible goodies, but still. The main thing we noticed was the snazzy dashboard presentation, starting with a huge curved screen that groups the instrumentation and the multimedia system elements. It's elegantly done, as is the touchpad that incorporates the climate controls in the centre of the dashboard. Same deal with the centre console, which is uncluttered but has the essential controls that we like to be able to access quickly (drive modes, heated seats and steering wheel and parking camera, etc.).
Arrival at dealerships
Three main versions of the 2023 Sportage are on the way: a gasoline-only version (featuring a 187-hp 2.5L 4-cylinder engine), a straight hybrid variant (delivering 226 hp from a 1.6L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine) and a plug-in hybrid model. That PHEV gets the same engine as the hybrid, but its output is greater thanks to a 13.8-kWh battery and a 66-kW motor helping out. Official output data for it is pending, but with the Hyundai Tucson PHEV (cousin to the Sportage PHEV), output is 261 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Gives us an idea…
The first of those Sportage versions will arrive at the end of March, the second in mid-May and the third sometime this summer, with a range of just over 50 km.
An 8-speed automatic transmission is in service with the 2.5L engine, while the hybrid variants get a 6-speed unit. All-wheel drive will be standard with the latter. In fact, only the gasoline model can be had with either front-wheel drive configuration or all-wheel drive.
In the next few days, Kia will announce details regarding equipment featuring on the first two versions, including the trim levels and their prices. We will update you with all details of course. Know that details about the plug-in hybrid model will only come later, however.
See also: Kia Presents Next-Gen 2023 Sportage
