Sportage’s Complete Redesign Catapults it to the Top of a Crowded Segment
IRVINE, CA, February 10, 2023 – The 2023 Kia Sportage has been named the Utility Vehicle of the Year in the 2023 AutoGuide Awards, in which AutoGuide editors recognize the best vehicles on the market today.
“The Sportage is a Kia icon, but it’s been elevated to new heights after its significant overhaul for the 2023 model year,” said Steven Center, COO and EVP, Kia America. “We’re humbled the esteemed editors at AutoGuide have recognized how much thought we put into improving the Sportage and expanding the model line with HEV and PHEV powertrains.”
Since 2013, the AutoGuide Awards celebrate the best new or significantly updated vehicles of the year. Truck and SUV categories were added in 2014, and after taking 2020 off, the Awards returned in 2021 with more categories, including Family Vehicle and Green Vehicle of the year. This year’s 2023 awards refined the categories to four: Car, Truck, Utility Vehicle, and Electric Vehicle of the year.
“What more can we say about this small SUV than we already have?” said AutoGuide managing editor Mike Schlee. “It won our massive 11-vehicle comparison shootout this past summer and continues to impress us every time we drive it. With gas, hybrid, and plug-in versions available, there’s a little something for everyone as well.”
For model year 2023, the Sportage underwent a significant change. Developed as part of Kia’s new global brand transformation, “Movement that Inspires,” the 2023 Sportage subcompact SUV delivers more for today’s savvy and adventurous consumers with a more capable trim level (X-Pro) and Sportage Hybrid and Sportage Plug-In Hybrid variants.
