Kia Sportage Hybrid vs Kia EV9

The Kia Sportage is the automaker’s longest-running nameplate in North America. It started out as a no-frills off-roader, but today the Sportage competes in the red-hot small crossover SUV segment against big names like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4, as well as the Hyundai Tucson from Kia’s parent brand. All of those nameplates have added hybrid variants recently, so Kia followed suit as part of a 2023-model-year redesign. This segment slots in size-wise below mid-size SUVs such as the Kia Sorento (also offered as the Sorento Hybrid and PHEV) and Kia Telluride.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid will be offered alongside non-hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the new Sportage, which represents the nameplate’s fifth generation. The hybrid model is part of an effort to create more space between the Sportage and the smaller Kia Seltos, which also brought increased interior space, more tech, and radical exterior styling.

The Sportage Hybrid is offered in Canada in EX and SX trim levels. We drove the U.S. equivalent of the SX trim for this review. Note that this isn’t the same lineup as the non-hybrid Sportage, which is offered in Canada in five different trims (LX, X-Line, EX, EX Premium, and X-Line Limited).

With the Kia EV9, the Korean automaker innovates in more ways than one. It’s not only a new vehicle, or even only a new electric vehicle (EV). It also introduces a new business model that allows owners to continue to customize their vehicle long after they’ve left the dealership. And yet, while it breaks new ground, the EV9 manages to provide a refreshingly familiar driving experience.

It looks like Kia’s got a winner on its hands. Well-appointed, comfortably sized, and offered at a price point fit to embarrass its luxury-brand rivals, the EV9 is a compelling package. Add to that its intuitive driving feel and its potential for later-term customization, and this just may be the ambassador vehicle it takes to bring the EV-wary over to the green side.