Hybrids are giving both EVs and gasoline-powered vehicles a run for their money. They offer the best of both worlds, and automakers like Kia are reaping the benefits. The South Korean automaker has seen a major uptick in sales with the Sportage Hybrid, and it looks like things are only going to get better.

The Kia Sportage Hybrid is the best SUV

Edmunds has released it’s Top Rated Rewards, and the results are interesting. Edmunds changed things up this year by focusing on the vehicles that are electric. While the winners aren’t all fully electric, they need to at least be a hybrid. To figure out which was truly the best, the Edmund’s team spent a lot of time behind the wheel, driving hundreds of miles to discover which vehicles stood out the most.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid has taken home the top-rated SUV prize. What Edmunds really liked was that it still feels like a gasoline-powered vehicle when you drive it, but it still gets 38-43 MPG. 

This is thanks to the 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that’s paired with a 44-kWh electric motor and a 1.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The fuel savings alone will be an attractive feature for many potential buyers, but Kia didn’t stop there.

The interior is quiet, comfortable, and perfect for daily driving. For anyone who spends a lot of time in their vehicle, this is crucial. The price is also hard to beat for competitors. The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid has a price range of $27,490 to $36,390. When you add in the money you’ll save at the pump, it’s clear why Edmunds felt that the Kia Sportage Hybrid is the top-rated SUV for 2023.

To further add to its list of glowing features, the 2023 Sportage has also earned a Top Safety Award from IIHS. It didn’t quite manage to earn the Top Safety Pick+ award, but this is still a huge distinction for the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid.

Kia once again proved that it’s no longer a tiny automaker with so-so vehicles, however, since it also took home another prize. The 2023 Ioniq 5 is the top-rated electric SUV from Edmunds.

The sales numbers are further proof that consumers agree with Edmunds

Up to this point last year, the Kia Sportage had sold 63,341 vehicles, according to GoodCarBadCar. That’s a very impressive number, as some vehicles like the Lincoln Navigator sold only around 7,000. Other automakers blew the Sportage out the water with numbers like 360,000 for the Ford F-Series. 

Things are looking up for the Kia Sportage, however. For 2023, it’s sold 83,742 vehicles. This is an increase of 30.15% compared to the same time last year.

There was a slight dip in sales for July 2023, but it was nothing major. In July 2022, Kia sold 11,985 Sportage vehicles. In July 2023, this dropped to 11,853, for a decrease of 1.10%. While a loss is nothing to brag about, it’s still not detrimental by any means. This is especially true when you consider how great the Sportage has been performing in 2023 when compared to 2022.

Are all the sales for the Kia Sportage Hybrid?

It’s not clear how many hybrids contributed to these sales numbers. GoodCarBadCar didn’t break the data down enough to figure out which trim performed the best. It just offers a broad overview of how the vehicle is performing in general.

Still, the numbers are extremely impressive. The 2023 Kia Sportage is showing major growth in terms of sales this year. If this keeps up, then Kia is going to have a great 2023.