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Kia Sportage Named Among Autotrader’s Best New Cars of 2023

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Autotrader recognized the 2023 Kia Sportage as one of the Best New Cars of the Year. The latest iteration of the beloved SUV, now in its fifth generation, offers options for internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrains. The Sportage was among the esteemed list of 11 outstanding vehicles that received this prestigious recognition.

“We are proud to receive Autotrader’s Best New Car of 2023 recognition for the Kia Sportage,” said Steven Center, COO & EVP, Kia America. 

“The redesigned Sportage continues to impress adventure seekers and tech-savvy drivers, alike, with its versatility and multi-faceted appeal.”

Autotrader’s esteemed Best New Cars of 2023 lineup is carefully curated by a team of experienced editors who conduct comprehensive testing and scoring of new models using a diverse set of criteria. Each chosen vehicle boasts unique features tailored to different lifestyle needs, such as interior comfort, build quality, tech features, and driving experience. The editors place special emphasis on groundbreaking innovations and significant value offerings within their respective categories. 

To be eligible, the base model of a vehicle must have a starting price below $110,000, with the majority of winners priced significantly below this threshold. Considering the abundance of new and redesigned vehicles for 2023, the editors only considered models that will be available for purchase within the next nine months.

What Autotrader Loved about the 2023 Kia Sportage

Don’t just take our word that the 2023 Sportage is the best mpact SUV you can buy, here’s what the editors at AutoTrader had to say about it:

“It’s hard to express what a dramatic improvement the Sportage is,” says senior editor Allyson Harwood. 

“More refined, more powerful, and much bigger inside. This generation of the Sportage is very easy to recommend.” 

Senior editor Frankie Rogers gives the Sportage her highest endorsement. 

“If it’s possible to be in love with a car, then I’m in love with the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. Why? Because Kia does everything right with the Sportage Hybrid. From the punchy 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that puts out 227 hp to the luxury look and feel of the interior to its advanced safety tech and driver-assist features. Not to mention, the Sportage’s styling, which exudes confidence.”

“The latest Sportage feels like a quantum leap over the past model and another Cinderella story for Kia,” says senior editor Matt Degen. 

“What was once a competent but rather dowdy compact SUV has been recast as a stylish, tech-laden, and highly alluring competitor in the red-hot compact SUV segment.”

Learn everything you need to know about the Kia Sportage here.