Over the past few months, Kia has revealed the all-new Sportage twice. In July we got our first look at the new Sportage, and then in October, Kia revealed the Euro-spec Sportage - a first for the model. The biggest highlights include a bold and sporty exterior design, a stylish cabin, and a brand-new (optional) 2.5-liter engine. Today, at the L.A. Auto Show, Kia revealed the all-new Kia Sportage Hybrid, and it offers up to 500 miles (805 km) of range on a single tank of gas.

Kia Sportage Hybrid – A Fast Breakdown

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid is endowed with a 1.6-liter, turbocharged, inline-four that’s paired to a 44-kW electric motor. That motor is powered by a 1.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Combined, this entire system delivers a total system output of 226 horsepower. That figure represents a massive increase of 39 horsepower over the base gas-only model’s 187 horsepower. Kia hasn’t provided any information about torque, but this car is closely related to the Hyundai Tucson, so it should offer the same 258 pound-feet of torque.

Kia says It’s targeting 39 mpg, which would be a 1-mpg improvement over the Tucson and a drastic improvement over the gas-only model. It would also make it competitive as the Honda CR-V, for example, is rated at 38 mpg while the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is rated at 40 mpg.

All in all, the new Kia Sportage Hybrid is capable of some light towing – up to 2,000 pounds – and sends power to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. FWD is standard on the base LX, but you can opt for Kia’s Active All-Wheel-Drive system, which includes a center-locking differential to distribute power. Higher trim levels, namely the EX and SX-Prestige models come standard with AWD.

As for the interior, there’s a lot of familiarities here as almost everything carries over from the gas-only Sportage. The 12.3-inch touchscreen display sits handsomely on the center stack and is angled ever so slightly toward the driver. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come as standard features, as does the corresponding 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. You can also enjoy wireless phone charging and the optional Harman-Kardon premium audio system. There are eight standard active safety features, but a whole host of optional safety features that you should consider, including:

- Blind-spot monitoring

- Navigation-based smart cruise control

- Highway Driving assist

- 360-Degree camera

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid will launch for the 2023 model year sometime in the first half of 2022. Specific pricing details aren’t available for the gas or hybrid models yet, but we should get those details before the turn of the year.