2023 Kia Sportage vs 2024 Kia Sorento

The 2023 Kia Sportage emerged with a completely redesigned look that was both exciting and exotic, drawing comparisons to French automakers like Renault 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 interior saw a shift from leather to more durable synthetic leather, with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob available on higher trims. The driver’s seat offered excellent visibility, and the dashboard was dominated by over two feet of display, although the cabin had some hard-wearing plastic elements.

In contrast, the 2024 Kia Sorento received its first major visual update since 2021, aligning more closely with its siblings like the Telluride. It featured a bold new front end with vertically-stacked LED headlights and wing-like amber LED daytime running lights, giving it a more intimidating presence. The interior was updated with a new dashboard and combined gauge cluster and infotainment displays under a single pane of glass. The materials used in the cabin were upgraded, with faux open-pore wood grain and quality stitching on the optional leather-wrapped steering wheel and seats, providing a more upscale feel.

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. It was available in both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations. While the engine was slightly more powerful and fuel-efficient than its predecessor, it lacked the punch of the previous turbocharged option. The Sportage’s X-Line and X-Pro trims added rugged visual cues and off-road capabilities, with the X-Pro featuring all-terrain tires and specific drive modes.

The 2024 Kia Sorento retained its base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, which struggled with the vehicle’s weight. Higher trims featured a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine delivering 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission. The Sorento offered FWD as standard, with AWD available as an option. The X-Line and X-Pro trims provided enhanced off-road capabilities, with the X-Pro featuring all-terrain tires and improved engine cooling for a higher towing capacity.

The 2023 Kia Sportage, as a compact crossover, offered increased interior space compared to its predecessor, with 41.3 inches of rear-seat legroom and 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat. The front seats provided decent storage space, but the technology controls were overly complicated, with touch-sensitive buttons for HVAC controls that could be frustrating to use.

The 2024 Kia Sorento, a small three-row SUV, provided 41.4 inches of front-seat legroom and 41.7 inches in the second row, offering more room than many two-row SUVs. The third row was tight with 29.6 inches of legroom, but it was comparable to larger vehicles like the Toyota Highlander. The Sorento’s cabin was comfortable, with optional heated and ventilated front seats and noise-insulating acoustic glass. Cargo space was limited with the third row in use, but folding it down provided up to 72.1 cubic feet of space.

The 2023 Kia Sportage featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen interface on higher trims, paired with a panoramic driver information display. However, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were wired on the top interface, while the base trim offered wireless connectivity. The Sportage included wireless charging, rear USB-C ports, and a Harman Kardon stereo on higher trims.

The 2024 Kia Sorento adopted a single-pane, twin-screen setup with a 12.3-inch screen on all models. The new infotainment system, “Connected Car Navigation Cockpit” (CCnC), prioritized popular features and offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Sorento included USB-C outlets in all three rows and a Bose 12-speaker surround sound system on higher trims. Digital Key 2.0 was available on SX and SX-Prestige models, allowing phone-based vehicle access.

The 2023 Kia Sportage offered a range of standard collision-avoidance tech and advanced driver assistance systems, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and rear backup sensors. Higher trims added features like blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. However, the Sportage had not yet been crash-tested by NHTSA or IIHS.

The 2024 Kia Sorento featured Kia’s Drivewise suite of active safety features, with more standard and optional systems than before. Standard features included adaptive cruise control, forward automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. Optional features included surround-view cameras and a rear-view camera mirror. The Sorento had not yet been fully evaluated by IIHS or NHTSA, but previous models received four-star overall ratings.