• Expert editors selected the 2023 Sportage for its clean and modern interior design
• Available panoramic display earned high marks for its upscale presentation and intuitive features

The 2023 Kia Sportage was named a winner of a Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX award. Completely redesigned for the 2023 model year, the Sportage earned high marks for its comfortable and upscale interior, along with its easy-to-use controls and center display.

“We are honored the editors at Wards have recognized the attention to detail we put into elevating the experience inside the Sportage’s cabin,” said Steven Center, COO & EVP, Kia America. “Our designers worked hard to transform the interior into a pleasant space and we’re proud this concept is resonating with Wards’ experts.”

To determine the winners, the team at Wards evaluated new or heavily redesigned vehicle interiors and user-experience technology.  Scoring is based on a variety of metrics including design and aesthetics, comfort, materials, fit-and-finish, connectivity and infotainment, displays and controls, advanced driver assist systems and value.

“Wards judges are always on the lookout for great interiors and a great user experience in vehicles that are reasonably priced, and with the Sportage Hybrid we couldn’t ask for more,” says Wards Editor and Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX Judge Christie Schweinsberg. “Our test vehicle, roughly $38,000, had an incredible array of features we loved, including soft-touch surfaces galore, an eye-catching red-and-black color scheme, fast phone pairing, two curved, 12.3-in. display screens – across which plays a dazzling welcome animation – as well as multi-function climate and audio controls and generous cargo room.”

Exuding the brand’s new “Opposites United” design philosophy, the 2023 Sportage’s interior was inspired by high-end outdoor products, furniture and modern architecture, designed with upscale and thoughtful features including an available dual panoramic curved display that integrates the instrument cluster and center display^[1]. As part of the refresh, the 2023 Sportage also boasts a modernized exterior design, larger dimensions, a more powerful 2.5-liter I-4 engine paired with a new 8 speed automatic transmission, plus a newly added X-Line trim.