Yahoo Autos 2023 Kia Sportage | 2022 Chicago Auto Show
The third version of the 2023 Kia Sportage has been revealed at the Chicago Auto Show, and it's a plug-in hybrid. The Sportage PHEV features a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, as well as a battery pack that Kia estimates can provide 32 miles of electric range. Final output for the powertrain hasn't been revealed, but the engine and motor are basically the same as that in the larger Sorento PHEV, which makes 261 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. That would make this the most powerful Sportage model. It also comes standard with all-wheel-drive, and it's only available in the more rugged-looking X-Line trims. It goes on sale later this year, and it will likely be the most expensive variant of the Sportage.
Video Transcript
- At the Chicago Auto Show, the Kia Sportage lineup has been expanded to include a new plug-in hybrid. This will feature a battery pack that will offer an estimated 32 miles of full electric range. And after that, it has a gasoline engine that can take over.
Total output has not been announced yet. However, the engine, which is a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder, it's basically the same, and so is the electric motor as what you get in the Sorento plug-in hybrid. So we are expecting it to make around 261 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, just like the Sorento. So not only will this be one of the more efficient Kia Sportages, it will also be the most powerful Kia Sportage available.
It is available in only X-Line trims. And the X-Line trim is the more off-road oriented one. Mainly styling, it gets a different front bumper. It gets 19-inch wheels. It gets black and satin chrome accents. It gets different side styling along the doors. And a different rear bumper, all to give it a slightly more off-road design.
Pricing hasn't been announced, but it will go on sale around the third quarter of this year. We are expecting it to be the most expensive version of the Kia. But if that's not quite what you're looking for, there's also a conventional hybrid that's not plug-in and an entry-level gasoline-only model.
