2023 Kia Sportage vs 2024 Genesis GV70

The 2023 Kia Sportage emerged with a completely redesigned look that was both exciting and exotic, drawing comparisons to French automakers like Renault, Peugeot, and Citroen. Its standout features included bright boomerang-shaped daytime running lights framing a distinctive grille and textured metal trim on the D Pillar, adding a touch of class. The Sportage offered seven trim levels, including the new X-Line, X-Pro, and X-Pro Prestige. Inside, Kia opted for durable synthetic leather over traditional leather, with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob available on higher trims. The driver’s seat provided excellent visibility, and the dash featured over two feet of display, though the cabin had some hard-wearing plastic and piano-black surfaces that attracted fingerprints.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 distinguished itself with sleek styling, maintaining brand-recognition features like split headlights and a large grille. It was sleeker than its larger sibling, the GV80, and avoided the quirkiness of the smaller GV60. The GV70 struck a balance between SUV size and luxury-car style, with standout details like a hatchback-like rear window profile and distinctive wheel designs. The Electrified GV70 retained the same styling as the gasoline model, with a shiny grille housing the charge port. Inside, the GV70 boasted a distinctive interior with quilted Nappa leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, and unique design elements like an elliptical pod for climate controls and a rotary infotainment controller.

The 2023 Kia Sportage offered a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine producing 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, the Sportage was more powerful than its predecessor but lacked the turbocharged engine option of previous models. The X-Line and X-Pro trims added rugged visual cues and off-roading features, with the X-Pro offering all-terrain tires and specific drive modes. The Sportage provided 8.3 inches of ground clearance on AWD models, making it capable off-road, though the naturally aspirated engine struggled to compete with turbocharged rivals.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 retained its powertrain options, with a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, and an available 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 375 hp and 391 lb-ft. Both engines came with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard AWD. The Electrified GV70 featured front and rear electric motors generating 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, with a Boost Mode providing 483 hp. While the GV70 offered strong straight-line acceleration, its chassis tuning didn’t match its sporty rivals, and the ride quality was average for its class. The Electrified model included adjustable regenerative braking and a 236-mile range.

The 2023 Kia Sportage, as a compact crossover, offered increased size compared to its predecessor, with a 7.1-inch longer body and 3.4-inch longer wheelbase. This translated to impressive interior space, with 41.3 inches of rear-seat legroom and 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 74.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The front seats provided decent storage, but the touch-sensitive HVAC controls were frustrating to use, complicating basic functions.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 provided comparable interior space to its rivals, with slightly less headroom but more front-seat legroom than some competitors. It offered 28.9 cubic feet of cargo space with rear seats in place, expanding to 56.9 cubic feet with seats folded. The Electrified GV70 had minimal impact on interior space despite housing a battery pack. The stylish interior design limited small-item storage, but features like automatic side bolsters in Sport mode added to the luxury experience.

The 2023 Kia Sportage featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen interface on EX and higher trims, paired with a panoramic 12.3-inch driver information display on SX trims and above. While the technology was impressive, the wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on higher trims puzzled many, as the base LX offered wireless connectivity. The Sportage included wireless charging, rear USB-C ports, navigation, and a Harman Kardon stereo on higher trims.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 came standard with a 14.5-inch touchscreen and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 3D effect and a 12-inch head-up display. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with a rotary controller offering a high-quality feel. Genesis included a fingerprint scanner for driver profiles and digital key functionality, enhancing convenience.

The 2023 Kia Sportage offered a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, 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 included advanced features like Blind-view monitor and Highway driving assist, though crash-test ratings were not yet available.

The 2024 Genesis GV70 received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award for both gasoline and Electrified models. While NHTSA ratings were incomplete, the gasoline GV70 received a five-star overall safety rating for 2023. Standard safety features included lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, and Highway Driving Assist, with an available Highway Driving Assist 2 system offering automated lane-change capability. Genesis also offered high-tech safety features like safe exit assist and a radar-based rear occupant alert system.