Car Buyer Labs

Car Buying Advice, Tips, and Reviews

A popular Kia Sportage Hybrid for sale, a blue 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid, is shown driving near a city.

What Makes the Kia Sportage Hybrid a Family-Friendly Vehicle

Finding the right vehicle to accommodate your growing family is a task that is easier said than done. Many automakers tout their creations as being manufactured for families, but not all of them really get the job done.

You might also be looking for a way to save some money on fuel costs. Even when fuel costs are low, they can still be difficult for growing families to afford. That might have you thinking about investing in a hybrid vehicle. They offer more efficiency than gas-powered vehicles and leave a smaller carbon footprint on this earth we call home. If these are priorities for you, consider getting a Kia Sportage Hybrid for sale.

What does the Sportage Hybrid have to offer you and your family? In addition to its abundance of creature comforts, the Sportage Hybrid is a capable people-hauler with many safety features packed into it. These features are known to work well and are reliable when it comes to keeping the Sportage Hybrid and all of its occupants safe.

That being said, it is time to take a more in-depth look at what makes the Kia Sportage Hybrid such a great choice for a young family.

The black and white interior of a 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid is shown.

Comfort Features and Design Elements

There is no shortage of creature comforts to be found inside of the Kia Sportage Hybrid. There are many helpful tech features that can make life a lot easier when you are on the go. When you upgrade to the second trim level, the EX, you get a 12.3-inch touchscreen display that is integrated into a single dashboard panel along with the 12.2-inch digital driver information display. This gives you a high-tech overview of your vehicle’s performance along with all the entertainment gadgets you want to use. The upgraded infotainment system also comes with built-in navigation and Kia Connect. Smartphone app integration comes standard via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the EX and above have SiriusXM Satellite Radio connectivity.

While a six-speaker sound system is standard issue and works just fine, the available eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system is even better at delivering a great audio experience. The 400-watt system is adept at sending crystal clear sound through all eight speakers placed intelligently throughout the cabin.

Multiple seating options are available to help keep you and your family comfortable. The base LX model comes with standard woven cloth seat trim, and it feels quite cozy. However, upgrading to the EX nabs you SynTex seating for an even more refined feel. What’s more, the line-topping SX Prestige delivers comfort in spades with its premium SynTex upholstery. The driver’s seat is power-adjustable starting on the EX, and you can adjust it ten different ways. It also comes with two-way power lumbar support to help keep your back feeling comfy throughout the day. On the SX Prestige, the front passenger’s seat is eight-way power-adjustable, and the driver’s seat gains memory functions. Heated front seats come with the EX and SX Prestige for an added layer of comfort, and gain ventilation on the SX Prestige.

Are you worried about being crunched for space? Don’t fret. The Sportage Hybrid is plenty spacious. Its wheelbase measures at 108.5 inches in length, meaning you get ample room in all rows and in the cargo area. There is a lot of space for heads and legs in the first and second rows. Equipping the panoramic sunroof only shaves headroom down a little bit.

The black and white interior and dash of a 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid is shown.

Safety Features

Kia loads the Sportage with all the safety features you need to keep yourself and your loved ones safe as you go about your commute. The long list of advanced driver aids that come on the Sportage Hybrid include:

  • Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Car, Pedestrian, and Cyclist Detection (and, on the SX Prestige, Junction Detection)
  • Lane Keeping Assist (which helps you stay within the boundaries of a lane)
  • Lane Following Assist
  • Lane Departure Warning (a system that lets you know your vehicle is straying over the line)
  • Driver Attention Warning with Leading Vehicle Departure Alert
  • Rear Park Distance Warning

Available on higher trim levels are features like:

  • Highway Driving Assist
  • Navigation-Based Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go
  • Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist-Parallel Exit
  • Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
  • Blind-Spot View Monitor
  • Remote Smart Parking Assist
  • Front Park Distance Warning
  • Safe Exit Warning (which will alert you if someone is about to open a door into oncoming traffic)
  • Surround View Monitor with 3D View (a high-tech feature that gives you a top-down digital view of everything immediately surrounding your vehicle)

You can also use the built-in LATCH system to secure child safety seats in the back. This system is easy to use with dedicated tethers, rather than struggling with adapting the seat belts for this purpose. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet tested the 2023 Kia Sportage, but gave the 2022 model a five-star safety rating. Furthermore, the International Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the 2023 Sportage SX Prestige and X-Pro Prestige trims the title of Top Safety Pick, thanks to their LED headlights. The IIHS notes that the LATCH system is easy enough to use, with no other hardware that could be confused for the LATCH components. You won’t need to use much force to attach the seat, and there is plenty of space in the second row for you to maneuver the car seat in and out.

A white 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid is shown parked on cement.

Reliability Ratings

Shopping for a family-friendly vehicle means taking a vehicle’s reliability into account. You want to know that your investment will last for years as your children grow up. According to Repair Pal, the Kia Sportage has an above average reliability rating. They estimate that the average annual repair cost is just $462, making it one of the most affordable newer vehicles to own.

It is less likely that you will have to bring the Sportage Hybrid in for repairs than you would another vehicle. Unscheduled repairs are less common for the Sportage models, and the severity of issues that do crop up is usually not in need of immediate repair. As long as you keep up on scheduled maintenance, there is no reason why the Kia Sportage should not last less than a decade. These vehicles are known for lasting years, so you know you are getting a lot of value from this compact hybrid SUV. It’s also worth noting that all Kias come with a five-year/60,000 mile basic warranty, and a 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, among the best in the industry. So in the unlikely event that your Sportage Hybrid does need repairs, they’ll be covered under warranty for quite some time.

Drive Your Family in Style and Safety

When you are responsible for the health and well-being of children, safety is a primary concern. The road can be an unsafe place at times, which makes having a durable and dependable vehicle so important. You do not want to be driving your kids around in something that could potentially be a road hazard. You want something that will give you peace of mind knowing that everyone in the vehicle is secure. Sure, accidents happen, but many are now avoidable thanks to the type of safety technology Kia includes in their vehicles.

The Kia Sportage Hybrid checks all the boxes: safe, reliable, comfortable, entertaining, efficient, and affordable. Consider taking one for a test drive to see for yourself just what the Sportage Hybrid has to offer you and your family. Once you slide behind the wheel of one, you might find that you are, in fact, in the SUV of your dreams.