2022 Chevrolet Suburban vs 2023 Kia Sportage

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban was a testament to Chevrolet's full-size truck design language, which was introduced with the 2021 model year redesign. It shared its exterior styling with the Tahoe SUV and Silverado 1500 pickup, featuring a tall hood, long proportions, and large wheels that contributed to its supersized appearance. The Suburban was available in six trims, each offering unique grille, fascia, and wheel designs, allowing for a degree of customization. The RST trim, in particular, stood out with its Cherry Red Tintcoat exterior, 22-inch bright-machined black-painted wheels, and monochromatic black grille with Black Ice accents, giving it a sporty look. Inside, the Suburban offered a spacious cabin with varying levels of comfort and luxury, from the economically comfortable base LS trim to the plush High Country. The RST trim featured 10-way power seats, Jet Black perforated leather with Victory Red stitching, and an optional Luxury package, though the predominantly black interior felt a bit dark despite the chrome and red accents.

The 2023 Kia Sportage arrived with a completely redesigned look that was both exciting and exotic, reminiscent of French automakers like Renault or Citroen. Its standout features included bright boomerang-shaped daytime running lights and textured metal trim on the D Pillar, adding a touch of class to the compact crossover. The Sportage was available in seven trims, including the new X-Line, X-Pro, and X-Pro Prestige. Inside, Kia opted for durable synthetic leather upholstery, with cloth seats on the base LX trim. The cabin featured a large front windshield and a low beltline for excellent visibility, while the dash was dominated by over two feet of display in trims above the base. However, the use of hard-wearing plastic and piano-black plastic detracted from the overall premium feel. The Sportage's dual-zone automatic climate control was standard above the LX trim, though the touch-sensitive buttons for HVAC controls were frustrating to use.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban offered a choice of three engines: a 5.3-liter V8, a 6.2-liter V8, and a new 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six, all paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The base 5.3-liter V8 produced 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, while the 6.2-liter V8 delivered 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. The 3.0-liter diesel engine, new for 2022, offered 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, providing excellent fuel economy and towing capability. The Suburban's maximum towing capacity was 8,300 pounds. Rear-wheel drive was standard, with four-wheel drive optional on most trims. The RST test vehicle featured the 6.2-liter V8, part of the Sport Performance package, which included Magnetic Ride Control and dual exhaust tips. The extra power was appreciated during an 80-mile tow test, where the Suburban effortlessly pulled a Chevrolet Impala sedan on a trailer.

The 2023 Kia Sportage introduced a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine, producing 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine was slightly larger and more powerful than the previous 2.4-liter engine, offering improved fuel efficiency at 25 mpg city, 32 highway with FWD, and 23/28/25 with AWD. However, the lack of a turbocharged engine option, previously available in the 2022 model, was a drawback for those seeking a more spirited driving experience. The Sportage's X-Line and X-Pro trims offered rugged visual cues and off-road features, such as BF Goodrich all-terrain tires and specific drive modes. The Sportage's AWD models provided 8.3 inches of ground clearance, making it capable off-road, though the X-Pro's higher ground clearance and all-terrain tires made it less comfortable on-road.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban excelled in interior space, accommodating up to nine occupants with the optional front-row bench seat. Most models offered seven- or eight-passenger seating, with a livable third row providing adequate headroom, knee room, and legroom. The Suburban boasted 41.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 144.7 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded flat. The second-row seats could slide forward or backward up to 5.5 inches, and both rows folded flat with ease. The optional power-sliding center console added storage space, while the large glove box and storage cubbies provided ample room for personal items. However, the Suburban's size made it challenging to maneuver and park in tight spaces, and the switch to electronic push-button transmission controls required some adjustment for those accustomed to a column-mounted shifter.

The 2023 Kia Sportage, as a compact crossover, offered impressive interior space, with rear-seat legroom stretching to 41.3 inches and 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat. Folding the back seat down expanded the cargo area to 74.1 cubic feet. The front seats featured a typical cubby ahead of the shifter, tandem cupholders, and a spacious center console bin. However, the Sportage's use of technology to control basic functions, such as the touch-sensitive HVAC controls, was frustrating. The dual-functionality of these controls, which switched between climate and navigation settings, added to the complexity. Despite these drawbacks, the Sportage's increased size and ground clearance made it a more competitive option in the compact crossover segment.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban offered a surprising level of technology, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster standard on LT trims and above. Google built-in, including Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Google Play Store access, was also standard on these trims. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System with an 8-inch touchscreen was standard on the LS, while a 10.2-inch Premium System was standard on LT and above. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a WiFi hotspot, were standard across the board. The Suburban's audio system ranged from a basic six-speaker setup on the LS to a nine-speaker Bose system on the LT and a 10-speaker Bose Surround system on the Premier and High Country.

The 2023 Kia Sportage featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen interface on EX trims and above, paired with a panoramic, curved 12.3-inch driver information display on SX trims and up. However, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were 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 were difficult to distinguish due to their similar appearance. Despite these quirks, the Sportage offered impressive technology, with wireless charging, rear USB-C charging ports, navigation, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and HD Radio standard on trims above the LX. A Harman Kardon stereo was included on the SX, SX-Prestige, X-Pro, and X-Pro Prestige trims.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban came equipped with the Chevy Safety Assist suite, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, front pedestrian braking, rear park assist, and more. For 2022, front park assist, lane-keeping assistance, and lane-departure warning were added as standard features. Optional safety features included adaptive cruise control, HD surround vision, rear pedestrian alert, and blind-spot monitoring. The Suburban received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with four stars for front crash protection, five stars for side crash protection, and three stars for rollover resistance.

The 2023 Kia Sportage offered a comprehensive suite of collision-avoidance tech and ADAS as standard, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and rear backup sensors. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The SX Prestige and X-Pro Prestige trims featured the blind-view monitor and Highway driving assist. However, neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS had crash-tested the 2023 Sportage at the time of writing.