2023 Kia Sportage
The Sportage Has Grown Up
The Sportage is Kia’s longest-running American nameplate, arriving in the mid-1990s before compact SUVs were really even a thing. Well, as we all know, the Kia brand has grown a lot since then, and so has the Sportage. So, let’s check out this 5th-gen Sportage, and see how much more it offers to reel in today’s savvy crossover buyers.
The Sportage has grown up. That’s the best way to sum up this 2023 Kia Sportage. It not only looks much larger than before, but every exterior dimension of this compact utility has indeed increased. It’s more than 7-inches longer than before, with a wheelbase stretch of 3.4-inches; height and width grow less dramatically, both by about half an inch. All helping it transform from one of the smallest vehicles in the compact utility segment to one of the largest.
It looks more mature too, with Kia’s tiger nose grille taking on a “floating” design, bookended by unique daytime running lights. Hybrids come with 17-inch wheels, but these 18s are an option. That larger size allows for 39.5 cubic-ft. of rear cargo space, which compares favorably with many midsize utilities; max capacity with seatbacks folded is 73.7 cubic-ft.
It also feels more stable too, with a ride quality that’s very smooth for a small SUV; quite comfortable as well; some staffers declaring it was even more comfy and spacious feeling inside than Kia’s midsize Sorento. Adding to the airy feel is an enormous panoramic sunroof.
There’s plenty of glass on the dash as well; side-by-side 12-inch screens for instrumentation and infotainment. Just below the central screen is a panel with a mix of traditional and touch controls for climate and the radio, which in top SX-Prestige trim is a Harmon/Kardon 8-speaker premium system. Thoughtful placement of the multiple storage nooks with USB ports for charging adds greatly to overall usability. Rear seat passengers get some of the best legroom in the compact class, along with reclining seatbacks.
Standard engine for the new Sportage is a 187-horsepower naturally aspirated 2.5-liter I4. But we highly recommend stepping up to this Hybrid; its combined 1.6-liter turbo I4 and 44-kW electric motor are truly a best of both worlds scenario, delivering 40 additional horsepower, 80 more lb-ft. torque, and better fuel economy. Kia even gives you a tried and true 6-speed automatic transmission. On top of all that, the hybrid powertrain just feels much more responsive, and allows more than 500-miles of driving on a tank of gas.
You can still get all-wheel-drive too, which comes with tweaked suspension to add an additional inch of ride height; though it does impact fuel economy quite a bit. Government Fuel Economy Ratings with all-wheel-drive are 38 across the board for City, Highway, and Combined. We got close with a 36.5 miles-per-gallon average on Regular. The front drive version’s Combined rating is 43.
For numbers of a different kind, it was off to Mason Dixon Dragway.
After launching strictly on battery power, the gas engine quickly kicks in. The tach sweeps past 3,000 RPM, and you can really feel some power coming on. We hit 60 in 7.7-seconds, a quite acceptable result for a mainstream compact SUV.
That 6-speed transmission that we very much appreciated in daily use felt a little clunky here at the track; and this little turbo tends to sound more whiney than pleasing. But ultimately, the ¼-mile run is fairly smooth and uneventful; completed in a quite good 15.8-seconds at 90 miles-per-hour. Being based on Hyundai-Kia’s midsize N3 platform pays major dividends when it comes to handling.
The Hybrid adds $1,300 to a base Sportage LX, putting it at $28,585; all-wheel-drive adds $1,800 more. The Hybrid is only available in LX, EX, and SX-Prestige trims; topping out at $37,485. A plug-in hybrid with up to 32-miles of EV range will soon join the party.
The Sportage has played a major role in the Kia story from the very beginning; and it seems we’re really getting to the good part of the book where the main characters go through major transformations that impact where the story goes from here. The Chronicles of Kia are far from their conclusion, but the 2023 Kia Sportage is the plot twist we’ve all been waiting for, and will certainly have us anticipating what’s to come next.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.5L I4 | 1.6L Turbo-4
- Horsepower: 187 | 227
- Torque: 178 lb-ft | 258 lb-ft
- 0-60 mph: 7.7 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 15.8 seconds at 90 mph
- EPA: 38 combined (AWD) | 43 combined (FWD)
- 60-0 Braking: 116 feet (avg)
2025 Subaru WRX tS
Subaru’s “World Rally eXperimental” Gets Tecnica-Tuned Tech
Building on its global rally heritage, WRX has been a standalone Subaru nameplate, marketed separately from garden variety Impreza, for two generations now. And while the current WRX still lacks the full STI treatment, this WRX tS serves up some of that high-performance spice we’ve been longing for.
Before we go flat out into our Track Test of this 2025 Subaru WRX tS, lets open the Subaru dictionary so we’re all on the same page. “tS” stands for “tuned by STI;” and “STI” is an acronym for “Subaru Tecnica International,” the brand’s high-performance sub-group best known for upgrading the WRX— oh, that stands for “World Rally eXperimental,” in case you didn’t know.
All that said, STI has been largely dormant for this WRX generation, but this tS sprinkles more of their engineering magic into the mix. No, that doesn’t mean extra power, but does mean significant chassis-related improvements.
First, electronically controlled dampers, adjustable through the 11.6-inch tablet-style infotainment screen. That meant a softer “comfort” mode on the 10+ hour commute to and from Savannah’s Roebling Road Raceway. But once we were there, it was the firmer “Sport+” setting all the way, heightening response from the WRX’s throttle and already quick dual-pinion power steering system. There’s still some body roll for rally-esque weight transfer, but it’s well sorted and provides the “toss-ability” you want in a WRX.
Though if you do autocross your tS, which we implore you to do, you might feel the six-piston front, two-piston rear Brembo brakes first. The bite is strong, giving good rotation in the corners and plenty of “halt” for this 3,400 lb. compact with minimal fade, keeping us on track all week…until some unfortunate winter weather passed overhead. No worries here, as Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system got us to the track for some powdered deserts: Frosted donuts served up Michelin style, a set of winter tires different from the grippy Bridgestone Potenza S007 rubber the tS typically rides on. Some prior hot laps of California’s Sonoma Raceway gave credence to those Bridgestones, and showed us what this hot-compact can do in ideal conditions.
It’s well sorted and provides the “toss-ability” you want in a WRX.
Other tS enhancements are cabin-based, namely these beautiful blue Recaros. Most of our staff appreciated their moderately-aggressive bolstering on both street and track. And they’re even heated, too. Another tS-only appointment is this 12.3-inch digital gauge display. It mimics the standard analog gauges with some additional info, but can switch to a navigation mode for more convenient route guidance.
We do wish our tS came in the new Galaxy Purple or the trademark World Rally Blue, but this Crystal White paint wasn’t too shabby, contrasting its Cherry Blossom Red badging and blacked-out lip spoiler. Otherwise, the tS is like any other WRX, down to the hood scoop funneling air to the top-mounted intercooler.
Underneath is the same turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four in all other trims, boxing at 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. The freak winter weather stopped straight-line testing, but a 0-60 time estimate of 5.5 seconds is about as spry as you realistically need, pulling strong through most of the tach; though the 6,000 RPM redline required attentive shifting of the six-speed box, which the tS comes exclusively with. The throws are precise, if a little long, and the clutch is wonderfully weighted.
With discontinuation of the Base trim, pricing for the WRX now starts with Premium at $36,920. The tS is at the top of the lineup with the automatic-only GT, both starting at $46,875. All WRXs continue to be made in Gunma, Japan.
If you’re an enthusiast itching to do the tuning yourself, perhaps the 2025 Subaru WRX tS is not for you. But if you want a plug-and-play experience, this is it. While it won’t exactly bestow the loose-cannon, top-level driving skills exhibited by famous WRC drivers upon you, the tS moves this WRX’s game in a direction we’ve so desperately wanted Subaru to take.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 2.4-liter flat-four
- Tranmission: 6-speed manual
- Horsepower: 271
- Torque: 258 lb-ft