Kia Sportage SX+ diesel 2023 Review

Pricing for the 2023 Kia Sportage varies considerably, even across a single model grade, depending on the engine you choose.

The SX+ tested here starts at $41,850 plus on-road costs for a front-wheel drive fitted with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, while adding the more powerful 1.6-litre turbo and all-wheel drive requires another $2000.

The 2.0-litre diesel AWD on test here carries a hefty premium at $47,250 and the unique olive-green paint scheme dubbed ‘Jungle Wood Green’ – in fact, any colour other than plain white – incurs an extra $520.

In such a crowded and popular segment as that of the mid-size SUV, competitors are plentiful. There’s the new Honda CR-V VTi-L AWD ($51,300 drive-away), Hyundai Tucson AWD Elite Diesel ($46,150 plus ORCs), Mazda CX-5 Touring Active AWD diesel (from $47,600), Mitsubishi Outlander Aspire (from $47,340), Nissan X-TRAIL ST-L (from $46,790), Subaru Forester 2.5i-S AWD (from $46,340) and, of course, the Toyota RAV4 GXL Hybrid AWD (from $48,810).

The 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ is a happy medium between the S, SX and flagship GT-Line that offers an array of creature comfort features that are hard to turn away from.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make all the difference.

The SX+ has 19-inch alloy wheels, a flash Harman Kardon sound system, faux leather seats, heated front seats, power lumbar support for the driver’s seat, keyless entry/start, 12.3-inch infotainment touch-screen, satellite navigation and front parking sensors.

There is a good colour palette for customers to choose from: White, Steel Grey (lighter grey), Gravity Grey (dark grey), Vesta Blue, Dawning Red, Fusion Black, Stone Pearl White and Jungle Wood Green. The latter two colours are only available on the SX+ and GT models.

The Sportage comes with Kia’s excellent seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and servicing will cost you $1299 over three years/45,000km, $2478 over five years/75,000km and $3566 over seven years/105,000km, which is far from the cheapest in the segment.

The 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ diesel has a great array of safety features including lane keep and lane follow assist, blind spot assist, front parking sensors and a rear-view camera, intelligent speed limit assist, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning and front, centre and side airbags.

Most, bar the front parking sensors, are also present in the base S model as standard, hence earning Kia’s Sportage range a maximum five-star ANCAP rating.

In the GT-Line model, some safety extras such as blind spot and surround-view monitors are available.

Still, the array of safety features on SX+ certainly provides peace of mind when on the road, and made a massive difference to this driver who’s usually behind the wheel of a bare-bones hatchback with virtually no safety assist technology.

The lane keep/lane follow assist functions were particularly useful, especially when driving along winding roads, as the haptic steering alerts you when you veer off course and steers you back in your lane.

While the safety measures were greatly appreciated, I did find the endless beeps, dings and pings coming from the warning and alert systems to be slightly distracting.

It might take the driver a while to understand what each warning means and eventually get used to them, but for those unfamiliar with the vehicle, it could be an anxious driving experience.

The 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ diesel has all the features and functions you will need and more.

The SX+ model grade features a beautiful 12.3-inch touch-screen infotainment system that’s fairly easy to use and navigate.

A digital driver cluster with 4.2-inch display is a nice feature for drivers like me who prefer digital over analogue. Yes, I am one of those people who only ever owns digital watches.

While some may argue a whole 12-inch infotainment display could be distracting and dangerous, I find larger screens, bigger texts and crisp displays work better for me so I’m not squinting at the map or the number on the screen.

The SX+ comes with Kia’s own sat-nav system but for those who are inclined to use their mobile GPS, the Sportage is ready for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I did find Kia’s navigation system a bit tricky to use; perhaps it’s just a matter of getting used to it.

A minor annoyance for me is that drivers can only connect their phones to the screen via cable. Wireless phone charging is also not available in this trim, but offered in the GT-Line.

It would be useful to not have to fiddle with cables when charging the phone in the car or using Apple CarPlay. Surprisingly, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available in the lower S model.

An eight-speaker Harman Kardon stereo only available in the SX+ and GT-Line delivers crisp sound right around the car, making long road trips much more enjoyable.

The smart tailgate function is incredibly useful for when your hands are full, which is me 90 per cent of the time. All I needed to do was stand at the rear of the car for three seconds with key in hand or pocket and the tailgate automatically opened.

The 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ is available with three four-cylinder powertrain options: 2.0-litre petrol engine with six-speed automatic transmission, 1.6-litre turbo-petrol with seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) and all-wheel drive (AWD), and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with eight-speed auto and AWD, as tested here.

The diesel gave more than enough power for a family drive along Victoria’s scenic Great Ocean Road, as well as up and down some hilly terrain. It produces 137kW at 4000rpm and an ample 416Nm between 2000rpm and 2750rpm.

The 2.0-litre petrol option producing 115kW at 6200rpm and 192Nm at 4500rpm is okay for everyday driving, but the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol gives that bit more grunt, offering 132kW at 5500rpm and 265Nm between 1500-4500rpm.

If you’ll be doing some towing with the Sportage SX+, the turbo-diesel is your best bet. As well as the strong pulling power, it has a 1900kg braked towing capacity, which is up from the petrol models’ 1650kg.

The manufacturer claims 7.7L/100km for 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ diesel in urban conditions, while on the official combined (city/highway) cycle it’s rated at 6.3L/100km.

We drove our test model along winding coastal roads, on freeways as well as in urban conditions over about 500km and achieved a commendable 6.5L/100km reading.

The 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ diesel is certainly punchy enough to handle bends on the road and hills with ease, while offering a smooth drive no matter the conditions.

While it is a diesel engine under the bonnet, there is not much noise or rattle to be heard or felt in the driver and passenger seats.

Handling bumps on the road is no issue at all for the Sportage, thanks to its Australian-tuned suspension, and made for greatly enjoyable drives on our tour, especially on open roads.

The grip it offers and AWD function came in handy in wet conditions, which we encountered a fair bit of when out and about in Victoria’s coastal areas.

During most of our drives we had four adults in the car and a decent amount of luggage, which didn’t weigh down the Sportage SX+ too much. In contrast, my poor everyday hatchback would struggle to lug around all that weight.

We did note though that the brakes on our test vehicle were a bit soft, as we had to depress the brake pedal quite far to bring the vehicle to a stop. This may increase operator fatigue, especially on longer drives.

While perfect for urban and freeway driving, the 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ is not designed to go too far off-road, although it is capable of handling light-duty conditions away from the bitumen.

We did not take it through sand and mud or drive it over rocks as its ground clearance of 181mm is obviously a limiting factor, but we did take it across unpaved roads which it handled with ease.

All the seats in the 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ are adorned with artificial leather and quilted panelling, giving off a semi-luxurious feel without users having to fork out an arm and a leg.

It is a pretty stock standard colour scheme inside, with matte and gloss black finishes on the steering wheel and interior trim panels all round.

It is very spacious both in the front and back rows with plenty of legroom for four people to stretch out comfortably. One more person in the back may make things a bit squeezy but still manageable.

The power lumbar support for the driver is a great feature, but not extended to anyone else in the vehicle. However, both driver and front passenger seats are heated, something that people are increasingly looking for to ward off the cold in Melbourne’s bone-chilling winter (and Spring!) months.

A climate-control air-conditioning system allows users to simply set a temperature and the system then heats or cools accordingly to the desired temperature, keeping everyone in the vehicle comfortable.

No one will ever have to worry about their mobile phones running out of juice with two USB charging ports at the front and two mounted to the back of the front seats for passengers in the back row.

While car nuts may obsess over the mechanicals when dissecting a car, I am more about the creature comforts and the little thoughtful things manufacturers build in and around the vehicle that make my drive and life that much more enjoyable.

For example, I was impressed at the amount of storage the SX+ affords. It has plenty of cup and bottle holders around the vehicle – in the centre consoles both in the front and back rows as well as on all doors.

The retractable cup holders in the centre console hold cups and bottles big or small, and secure them tightly in place so they don’t topple over and make a mess.

Little hooks behind the front head restraints let you hang a variety of stuff – bags, hats and even takeaway.

Boot space means a lot to me when looking to buy a car and the Kia Sportage SX+ offers plenty and more. Even with the back seats up, the boot has a capacity of 543 litres. With the rear seats folded down, this increases to an impressive 1829 litres.

We drove my parents from the airport with two medium-sized suitcases, two small cabin bags and a golf bag in tow and had no issues fitting all the cargo in the boot, although a game of Tetris was required to fit everything nicely.

The 2023 Kia Sportage SX+ should certainly be on the consideration list of anyone looking to buy a mid-size SUV, although whether you need the pricier though more fuel-efficient diesel variant is your call.

I know I’m already trying to scrunch enough funds for a Sportage SX+ even though my husband and bank account are telling me no.

In the span of three-and-a-bit weeks, I test-drove three SUVs of different makes and sizes and the Kia reigned supreme and excelled on most fronts.

The amount of standard equipment you get for the price you pay is quite astounding, offering fantastic value for money.

I have always been quite brand loyal in life and like to think I don’t sway easily, but Kia has certainly caught my attention with its fantastic rendition of a family- and user-friendly medium SUV.

2023 Kia Sportage SX+ diesel at a glance:
Price: $47,250 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 137kW/416Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 163g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)