Among the most interesting conversations in the automotive world right now is that EV demand appears to be down, yet buyers still seek strong fuel economy.

For those buyers, there’s no better option than a hybrid vehicle. Buying a hybrid allows them to achieve their goal of saving on fuel expenses, while also not relying on the electric grid to power their vehicle. Get a hybrid now, and you can wait until EV prices go down and become more realistic for the average buyer to afford.

And since you’ll visit the gas station much less than with a traditional ICE vehicle, hybrids are still a green offering.

Kia expanded its hybrid offerings for the 2023 model year with the introduction of the Kia Sportage hybrid in the popular compact crossover segment. The Sportage was completely redesigned for 2023, and the 2023 hybrid carries over to 2024 without any major changes.

The Sportage is now offering a diverse lineup, with everything from an ICE version, to the hybrid powertrain, to a plug-in hybrid offering.

The latest version of the Sportage has grown in size from the previous generation model, and has upgraded its technology features. In terms of Kia’s hybrid lineup, it fits in size between the Kia Niro and the Kia Sorento, and it’s a close relative of the Hyundai Tucson hybrid. 

Read on for a full breakdown of how it measures up against other leading compact crossover hybrid offerings.

The importance of hybrid vehicles as we make the transition to wide public adoption of EVs can’t be denied. While some people would prefer to skip over any technology that involves gas in any way, the reality is we’re not ready for an all-EV world yet.

So to have strong eco-friendly options like hybrid vehicles with great fuel mileage that can help bridge the gap until we are ready is essential, and thankfully some automakers still realize that.

One such automaker is Hyundai, which offers a hybrid version of its compact SUV — the Tucson (as well as several other vehicles in its lineup).

I recently spent some time testing the 2023 Hyundai Tucson hybrid, which sits just below the Santa Fe in terms of size in Hyundai’s lineup, and battles hybrid offerings from competitors including Toyota, Honda, Ford and corporate cousin Kia.

Read on for a full report on how it measures up vs. other hybrid SUVs.