2023 Kia Sportage vs 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer

The 2023 Kia Sportage arrived with a completely redesigned look that was both exciting and exotic, reminiscent of French automotive styling. Its distinctive features, such as the bright boomerang-shaped daytime running lights and textured metal trim on the D Pillar, added a touch of class to this compact crossover. The Sportage was available in five trim levels in Canada, starting with the LX trim, which offered front-wheel drive as standard and all-wheel drive as an option. Inside, Kia opted for synthetic leather upholstery, which, while durable, didn't quite match the feel of real leather. The interior boasted a large front windshield and a relatively low beltline, providing excellent visibility. However, the cabin featured a mix of hard-wearing plastic and piano-black plastic, which tended to pick up fingerprints.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer, on the other hand, presented a mini version of the Chevrolet Blazer midsize crossover, exuding SUV toughness without being over-the-top. The Activ and RS models offered unique styling elements, with the Activ model featuring a rugged look and the RS model sporting a more aggressive appearance. The Trailblazer's cabin, while not screaming "outdoor adventure," had distinctive design touches like grab handles around the centre console and a creased dashboard. The interior featured a mix of leatherette upholstery and copper-toned and sparkly black plastic trim, adding personality to the otherwise black interior. The Trailblazer's contrasting roofs and distinctive colour options gave it a unique and retro look.

The 2023 Kia Sportage offered a 2.5-litre inline four-cylinder engine producing 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and was available with front-wheel drive on the LX trim, with all-wheel drive optional on the LX and standard on other trims. While the new engine was slightly larger and more powerful than the previous 2.4-litre engine, it lacked the punch of the previous turbocharged engine, which was no longer available. The Sportage's fuel economy was slightly improved, with figures of 9.3 L/100 km in the city, 7.4 on the highway, and 8.4 combined with FWD, and 10.4 L/100 km city, 8.5 highway, and 9.5 combined with AWD. The Sportage's off-road capabilities were adequate for typical crossover buyers, with 21 centimetres of ground clearance on AWD models.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer shared its platform and powertrains with the Buick Encore GX. It came with a standard 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, while an optional 1.3-litre turbo-three increased output to 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. The 1.2-litre engine was available only with front-wheel drive, while the 1.3-litre engine could be paired with either FWD or AWD. The Trailblazer's AWD models featured a nine-speed automatic transmission, while FWD models had a continuously variable transmission. The Trailblazer's Activ models had dampers tuned for better performance on gravel roads, and the vehicle exhibited good ride quality, although some bouncing was noticed over certain road imperfections. The Trailblazer's selectable AWD system required manual engagement, unlike most competitors' automatic systems.

The 2023 Kia Sportage, as a compact crossover, offered increased interior space compared to its predecessor. It was 180 mm longer with an 86 mm longer wheelbase, providing more rear-seat legroom at 1,050 mm and 966 mm of rear headroom. The trunk offered 1,121 litres of cargo space behind the rear seat, expanding to 2,098 litres with the back seat folded down. The Sportage's front seats featured typical storage options, including a cubby ahead of the shifter, two tandem cupholders, and a spacious centre console bin. However, the Sportage's technology, such as the touch-sensitive HVAC controls, could be frustrating to use while driving.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer, despite being one of the smallest SUVs, offered decent utility. It matched the Kia Seltos on front and rear headroom, with mid-pack legroom. The Trailblazer's rear seats were comfortable for normal use, but the flat cushions made long road trips less appealing. The Trailblazer's cargo space measured 716 litres with the second-row seats in place and 1,540 litres with the seats folded, which was respectable for the segment. However, the Trailblazer's towing capacity was limited to 454 kilograms. Up front, the Trailblazer offered a covered storage bin, a deep tray, cupholders, and a phone storage tray, although a small carve-out above the dashboard had an unclear function.

The 2023 Kia Sportage featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system on EX-and up trims, paired with a panoramic, curved, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster on the X-Line Limited. However, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were still wired on the top-of-the-line interface, while the base LX trim offered wireless connectivity with an 8-inch screen. The Sportage's icons on the screen were difficult to distinguish due to their similar appearance. Standard features included Bluetooth, keyless entry, and wireless charging on trims above the LX, with a Harman Kardon audio system on the X-Line Limited.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. An 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, a Bose audio system, rear-seat USB ports, and wireless phone charging were optional. The Trailblazer's 8-inch touchscreen was well-sized for the dashboard, with large, easy-to-read graphics and logical menus. The combination of a smaller instrument cluster screen and analog gauges effectively conveyed information.

The 2023 Kia Sportage offered a range of standard collision-avoidance tech and advanced driver assistance systems, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, and a backup camera. Higher trims added features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The X-Line Limited trim included a blind-view monitor, highway driving assist, and a surround-view camera. However, the 2023 Sportage had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer came with standard safety features such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and a Teen Driver system. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The Trailblazer received a 2022 Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.