Kia has a lot of great SUV options on the market. One of the best options Kia offers is the Niro. However, with gas prices so high, many car shoppers are looking for ways to save at the pump. So when hybrids are concerned, it can be worthwhile to go for a smaller SUV like the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. But Kia will be offering the 2023 Kia Niro Hybrid later this summer, and there are three reasons why it’s a better option than the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. 

1. The 2023 Kia Niro Hybrid is much cheaper than the Sportage Hybrid

Just like with the 2022 model year, the 2023 Niro Hybrid should be much cheaper than the Sportage Hybrid. According to Kia, the 2022 Niro Hybrid starts at about $24,700, while the Sportage Hybrid starts at about $27,300. That’s a price difference of about $2,600. The 2023 Sportage Hybrid is available right now, but that isn’t the case for the 2023 Niro Hybrid just yet. 

Kia hasn’t released pricing details for the 2023 Niro Hybrid yet, but Car and Driver estimate it will start at about $26,000. If that’s an accurate estimate, this will make the 2023 Niro Hybrid about $1,300 cheaper than the Sportage Hybrid. 

2. The 2023 Kia Niro Hybrid has a much better gas mileage as well

In addition to being a cheaper car, the Niro Hybrid will also be a more affordable car to own than the Sportage Hybrid because the Niro Hybrid is more fuel-efficient. The Niro Hybrid has a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that works with an electric motor to get 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. Kia only offers front-wheel drive for the Niro Hybrid. In total, this setup allows the Kia SUV to get about 53 mpg combined, according to Car and Driver.

Meanwhile, the Sportage Hybrid trades its standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine for a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired with an electric motor. This hybrid engine gets 226 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the Niro, Kia offers front-wheel and all-wheel drive on the Sportage Hybrid. Despite being a compact crossover like the Niro Hybrid, the Sportage Hybrid is significantly less fuel-efficient. It only gets about 43 mpg combined.

This means that the Niro Hybrid can get 10 mpg more than the Sportage Hybrid. Over a few months or years, that can add up to some serious savings at the pump. That said, the EPA hasn’t released the official fuel economy estimates for the 2023 Niro Hybrid. The 53 mpg number comes from Kia, so the Niro Hybrid’s official fuel economy may differ. 

3. The 2023 Kia Niro Hybrid gets a bigger standard infotainment screen

On top of being cheaper to buy and more affordable to own, the Niro Hybrid also comes with a bigger touch screen. Every Niro trim option comes with a 10.3-inch touch screen display as standard, while the Sportage Hybrid only comes with an 8.0-inch touch screen display as standard. That’s a 2.3-inch size difference between the two screens. 

That said, Kia is currently offering an optional 12.3-inch touch screen display for the Sportage Hybrid. Car shoppers will have to pay more for it, but it’ll give the Sportage Hybrid a 2-inch size advantage in touch screens. It’s currently unclear whether Kia will offer a similar screen on the Niro Hybrid.