- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.6T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
132kW, 265Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 7.2L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
7 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2022)
2023 Kia Sportage SX+ turbo review
Adding in a dose of turbocharged petrol power does improve the standing of Kia's medium-sized SUV, but it also comes with a compromise in the driving experience.
- Well-packaged interior also includes a full-sized spare
- Good combination of ride comfort, handling and steering feel
- SX+ is the pick of the range
- The car is let down by a sometimes clumsy transmission
- Turbocharged 1.6-litre engine can be a little thirsty
- Misses out on 360 camera and reverse AEB
2023 Kia Sportage SX+
Australia's medium SUV segment continues to heat up, with a constant stream of new models and updates in the pipeline that threaten to make mainstays look dated.
The Kia Sportage – which took out our 2022 Drive Car of the Year award – is one such example. Is the pressure from class competitors like the Nissan X-Trail, Mitsubishi Outlander and new Honda ZR-V, not to mention the updates of other medium SUVs, enough to sink our one-time champion or does the Sportage's relevance endure?
How much does the Kia Sportage cost in Australia?
Against a model range that runs from $32,795 to $52,720 before on-road costs, the SX+ variant we have here sits around mid-pack price-wise. While the SX+ grade is one down from the flagship GT-Line, the less expensive turbo petrol powertrain helps keep pricing more reasonable. There is a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine available for lower S and SX grades, while the SX+ comes with the choice of turbo petrol ($43,850) or turbo diesel ($47,250) engines.
One thing to note here is that the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine is the only engine matched to a dual-clutch transmission, while others use a more traditional torque converter automatic gearbox. More on that later.
This SX+ specification includes a larger 12.3-inch infotainment display, but it gets the more basic 4.2-inch multifunction display and LCD instruments in front of the driver instead of the GT-Line's fully-digital 12.3-inch instrument display.
There's also artificial leather seat trimming with electric adjustment, paddle shifters, eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, dual-zone climate control and heated front seats.
On the outside, you get LED headlights with incandescent indicators (but not the full LED treatment of GT-Line), 19-inch alloy wheels, and an exterior appearance that sets it apart from lower grades.
Key details | 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ turbo |
Price | $43,850 plus on-road costs |
Colour of test car | Vesta Blue |
Options | Premium paint – $520 |
Price as tested | $42,370 plus on-road costs |
Drive-away price | $48,823.25 (Sydney) |
Rivals | Mazda CX-5 | Nissan X-Trail | Toyota RAV4 |
How much space does the Kia Sportage have inside?
The interior of the SX+ grade Sportage feels plenty nice, and could be the most pragmatic pick of the range in terms of inclusions and value. The top-spec GT-Line model does add in an extra layer of tech and textures, but buyers will need to choose whether the approximate $6000 of extra cost constitutes good value.
What you can't take away, though, is an interior design that is both pleasing to sit in and practical. Like many new cars these days, one's impression of the interior is first dominated by the infotainment. In this case, 12.3 inches of curved display certainly catches the eye, along with the full-width housing that runs in front of the driver.
Beyond that, the interior is quite cleanly designed, with only a few squirts of chrome around the interestingly shaped air vents and doors.
Storage comes via a well-sized bin in front of the shifter, and a similar area aft that can convert into double cupholders. Combine that with a centre console and room for bottles in the doors, and you can fit plenty of stuff in for everyday usage.
The seating is comfortable with a decent amount of electric adjustment for the driver, and the patterns on the material help to elevate the looks somewhat.
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In the second row, the Sportage offers good levels of leg room and general space for adults and kids. The seating finish as well as materials on the doors continue from the front, and the important inclusions of air vents and power outlets are accounted for. Having power outlets mounted on the seats is a novel idea, but it also works quite well in application.
There are two sets of ISOFIX points and three top-tether points for the back seat of the Sportage, as well as good levels of visibility for kids in kid seats.
There are some extra details as well, like front headrests that can hold a tablet for kids in the back (or hang your handbag from), and extra hooks on the seat backs for take-away food.
The boot – with 543L of space on offer – is a good size as well, with a near flat load space and a full-size spare wheel hiding underneath. If you're really squeezed for space, you could fit a few things around the spare wheel too.
The second row folds down with a 60/40 split, but it doesn't go completely flat.
2023 Kia Sportage SX+ turbo | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 543L seats up 1829L seats folded |
Length | 4660mm |
Width | 1865mm |
Height | 1680mm |
Wheelbase | 2755mm |
Does the Kia Sportage have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
A 12.3-inch infotainment display is an impressive feature in this SX+ trim level, and is a part of the reason why I think this model grade is the one to go for. It looks great and performs well with the requisite features included. This includes wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as digital radio and native navigation (which also includes 10 years of traffic/map updates).
The operating system is relatively simple, but is easy to use and has all of the important bases ticked. There's Kia's inbuilt Sounds of Nature feature available, allowing you to listen to pre-recorded ambient sound scenes, which I didn't use. Nor could I envisage a situation where I would use it.
In front of the driver is a big flat-panel instrument cluster, which flows (almost) seamlessly from the infotainment display and into the driver's domain. This is a similar size but different experience to the GT-Line, which gets a full-sized digital cluster.
Here, you get effectively a smaller 4.2-inch display, which is surrounded by a liquid crystal display for speedometer and tachometer needs. It's nice and works well enough, and isn't actually that far of a step behind the upgraded version.
Is the Kia Sportage a safe car?
The Kia Sportage gets a 2022 five-star ANCAP safety rating coming off testing done by Euro NCAP in 2021.
The Sportage gets an 87 per cent protection rating for adult and child occupants, while vulnerable road users (pedestrians) get a 66 per cent protection rating.
The active safety systems on the Sportage – things like lane-keep assistance and autonomous emergency braking – get a 74 per cent rating.
2023 Kia Sportage SX+ turbo | |
ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2022) |
Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Kia Sportage have?
Sitting one step down from the flagship grade, the SX+ doesn't get low-speed reverse autonomous braking, the 360-degree camera and commensurate blind-spot camera system of the GT-Line, which is a bit of a shame.
Other than that, the Sportage SX+ does come well stacked with equipment. Autonomous emergency braking covers pedestrians, cyclists and junction detection, while lane-keep assistance also includes road edge detection (helpful for poorly marked rural Australian roads). Lane-follow assist helps to actively keep your vehicle centred in the lane, and blind-spot monitoring includes collision warning and rear cross-traffic alert.
There is also driver attention alert, safe exit warning, auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers, intelligent speed limit assistance, and parking sensors front and rear.
How much does the Kia Sportage cost to maintain?
Kia's vehicle warranty covers seven years from date of first registration, with no kilometre cap for privately used vehicles. Cars used commercially (as delivery vehicles, ride share, or taxis, for instance) are capped with an upper distance limit of 150,000km. Some vehicle systems (like air-conditioning refrigerant) are only covered for 12 months, while the infotainment and navigation system comes with a three-year warranty.
Three years of capped-price Kia servicing costs $1335, which works out to be $445 per year. Going out to five years makes it an average of $583.60 per year, which seems reasonable but isn't the best in the segment.
Insurance costs $1346.08 for a Sportage SX+ per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
At a glance | 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ turbo |
Warranty | Seven years, unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000km |
Servicing costs | $1335 (3 years) $2494 (5 years) |
Is the Kia Sportage fuel-efficient?
Compared to the 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engine options, the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine is the least efficient choice. Against Kia's middling claim of 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres, you might see a number that is in the double digits.
We averaged around 9.8L/100km in our time with the vehicle, but did have a few longer highway runs among town drives and rural blurts to balance things out.
At least this 1.6-litre engine is happy to run on 91-octane regular unleaded to help keep a lid on running costs.
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Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 8.1L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 9.8L/100km |
Fuel type | 91-octane unleaded |
Fuel tank size | 54L |
What is the Kia Sportage like to drive?
Time spent with the Kia Sportage over the past couple of years has mostly been impressive, and enough to garner an outright victory as 2022 Drive Car of the Year.
That's no mean feat, but this particular powertrain is the let-down of the lot. Having some turbocharged power and flexibility of torque does help, especially when the base naturally aspirated offering feels a little underdone.
The performance overall is good too. It's not hot-hatch fast by any stretch, but a slight warmth to the power delivery does help when getting off the mark and dicing through traffic. All-wheel drive is nice to have as well, giving you a little more surety in getting that power down to the ground.
However, there is a problem with the gearbox. Sporting dual-clutch internal functioning – instead of a torque converter – leaves this powertrain feeling unbalanced and lacking composure. It often gets caught between low-rev operations to save fuel and responding to throttle inputs, and a sudden onset of torque can leave you surging forward with an unexpected briskness. Low-speed operation can be a bit jerky as well.
And it's a shame, because once you're under some steam, the gearbox shifts with typical crispness and speed. But for the kind of driving this Sportage is mostly going to be doing, this feels like it misses the mark.
When you get a more smooth response and better overall driving experience – along with better economy to boot – from the diesel engine, it makes more sense.
Otherwise, the Sportage is a pleasing vehicle to drive. The balance of ride comfort – even on these larger 19-inch wheels – feels good, and steering feel and body control are all well dialled. Paging Kia's local suspension tuning team, which have done a great job in putting this Sportage through finishing school.
Key details | 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ turbo |
Engine | 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol |
Power | 115kW @ 6200rpm |
Torque | 192Nm @ 1500–4500rpm |
Drive type | All-wheel drive |
Transmission | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic |
Power-to-weight ratio | 70kW/t |
Weight (tare) | 1643kg |
Spare tyre type | Full-size |
Tow rating | 1650kg braked 750kg unbraked |
Turning circle | 11.4m |
Should I buy a Kia Sportage?
The Sportage is as good as ever and still a worthy consideration in the medium-sized SUV segment. However, we reckon buyers should look at the diesel-powered variants of the vehicle to get the best of the breed. While this turbocharged 1.6-litre engine does help eliminate the underpowered nature of the base 2.0-litre engine, it's ultimately let down by a sometimes badly behaved dual-clutch transmission.
Otherwise, there is plenty to like: a seven-year warranty, spacious and comfortable interior, good ride quality and ample levels of handling.
How do I buy a Kia Sportage – next steps?
Like we have opined so far, the pick of the Sportage range would be a diesel-powered SX+. While it does cost a bit more, we reckon the better driving experience and more frugal nature make it worthwhile.
It would be worth logging some time behind the wheel of this variant Sportage and the diesel to see if your own tastes and experience line up with ours. However, one should also consider the wide range of other medium-sized SUVs available at this price point. The Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson and Nissan X-Trail are all worth consideration with their own range of relative strengths and weaknesses.
In terms of supply, Kia has recently lifted the pause of orders on the top-spec GT-Line for those who want one with all of the fruit, but waiting times are still on the longer side of normal for this spec.
For the rest of the range, Kia is currently reporting (at the time of writing) wait times for the broader Sportage range to be around four months.
The next steps on the purchase journey are to check the Kia website for stock of your preferred Sportage variant. You can also find Kias for sale at Drive.com.au/cars-for-sale.
If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.