2023 Kia Sportage vs. 2022 Hyundai Tucson

2022 Hyundai Tuscon Plug-In Hybrid ・ Photo by Hyundai

The 2023 Kia Sportage is all-new this year with a new look and new features. Its larger dimensions make it roomier for cargo and people, while upgraded infotainment keeps the whole family connected. There’s also a new gas engine and the addition of both a hybrid and plug-in hybrid to the mix.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson is also all-new. It’s available with gas, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrains, lots of room for people and cargo, and an attractive interior. These are two well-matched vehicles, but there are differences between the two. Let’s take a closer look to see which one is the best.

Plenty of Trim Choices

The Kia Sportage has seven available trim levels. The base LX starts at a price of $25,990 with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is available at a cost of $1,800. Toward the middle of the trim lineup is the SX Prestige with pricing at $33,490. Three are also three new off-road trims with standard all-wheel drive priced from $30,790 to $36,790.

The Hyundai Tucson comes in five trims, all with a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The base SE is $25,800 with the SEL priced at $27,100. The N Line sits in the middle at $31,200 and the Limited sits at the top of the lineup priced at $35,300. Though pricing is comparable, Kia wins for its wider range of trims.

: Kia Sportage

Photo by Kia

Hybrids Trims Available

The trim range gets bigger when you add in the hybrids, although neither offers the same extensive range of trims. The Kia Sportage has three hybrid trims with pricing from $27,290 to $36,190. There are also two plug-in hybrids available, but that pricing has not yet been announced.

The Hyundai Tucson also has three hybrid trims. It has pricing starting at $29,750 and topping out at $38,050. It also has two plug-in hybrid trims that are $35,400 and $43,200. While the number of trims offered by each is the same, pricing is slightly lower for the Sportage making it our choice of the two.

: Kia Sportage

Photo by Kia

Powertrains That Are Nearly Identical

Kia and Hyundai are part of the same company, powertrains are nearly the same. The gas engine on the Sportage is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with 187 horsepower paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid has a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with 227 net system horsepower and a 6-speed automatic. The plug-in has the same engine with 261 net system horsepower.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson has a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It delivers 187 horsepower, so it’s an even match to the Sportage. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, which are both 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinders, come in with 226 and 261 horsepower respectively. Although the numbers are nearly identical, the Hyundai, which weights slightly less, is more responsive.

: Hyundai Tucson

Photo by Hyundai

Room for Everyone to Get Comfortable

The Kia Sportage is one of the roomier compact crossovers you can buy. It has seating for three adults in the rear seats but is more comfortable if you keep it to two. As for room, there’s 41.3 inches of legroom for rear passengers, making it easy for even taller adults to get comfortable.

The Hyundai Tucson is also a roomy choice with an attractive interior and room for five people. It also skews larger than average when it comes to compact crossovers with the same 41.3 inches of rear legroom. While both are roomy, the Tucson has a plusher interior with seating that’s more comfortable for longer trips.

: Hyundai Tucson

Photo by Hyundai

Smooth Rides That Make Road Trips Easy

The Kia Sportage has a more refined ride this year and stays more controlled during quick maneuvers. Rough or broken pavement won’t jar passengers and there’s little road and wind noise to intrude into the cabin. Steering is controlled but not sporty so it’s less taxing on longer drives.

The Hyundai Tucson also delivers a smooth and quiet ride. There’s a minimum of road and wind noise and even heavy rain doesn’t make the cabin too loud for easy conversation. It does a great job of hiding road imperfections with similar controlled handling. We give the edge to the Tucson here as it’s slightly more refined than its Kia counterpart.

: Hyundai Tucson

Photo by Hyundai

If You Want to Head Off Road…

Crossovers aren’t known for being off-road champions, but the Kia Sportage does let you manage more rugged terrain than what you might expect. It has two X-Pro trims with drive modes tailored for all-terrain tires, standard all-wheel drive, and 8.3 inches of ground clearance. You won’t be climbing over rocks, but you can handle more than is typical in a crossover.

The Hyundai Tucson also offers up to 8.3 inches of ground clearance to help manage off-road terrain. Its XRT trim is designed to appeal to off-roaders with available all-wheel drive, but it's more style than function with a more rugged look, but no additional off-road features.

: Kia Sportage

Photo by Kia

Room for Cargo

The Kia Sportage is larger this year, which gives it great room for cargo. There’s 39.6 cubic feet behind the second row with 74.1 cubic feet behind the first row. That’s a huge amount of cargo room for the class, and it’s easy to access with a low load floor that causes less of a strain when lifting heavy items.

The Hyundai Tucson has 38.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats with 74.8 cubic feet behind the front seats. That’s slightly more overall, but we give this one to the Kia. Cargo room behind the rear seats is what’s used more often, and it’s key when you have a full load of passengers.

: Kia Sportage

Photo by Kia

Great Hybrid Fuel Economy

The Kia Sportage gets up to 25 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 29 mpg combined with the gas engine. The hybrid improves those numbers with up to 42 mpg in the city, 44 mpg on the highway, and 43 mpg combined. Plug-in hybrid figures are not yet available.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson gets up to 26 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 29 mpg combined with front-wheel drive. Those numbers are close, but with the hybrid, there’s a big difference with 38 mpg across the board. We give this to the Sportage for its fantastic hybrid fuel economy.

: Kia Sportage

Photo by Kia

Which Has a Larger Infotainment Screen?

Standard infotainment on the Kia Sportage includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 6-speaker audio system. The bulk of the lineup gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen that is easier to use and gives the Sportage a more premium feel.

The Hyundai Tucson also has an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for its base trim. The Limited gets an upgraded 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, but that’s as large as the screen gets. Although features are comparable, the larger screen on the Sportage puts it on top.

: Kia Sportage

Photo by Kia

And the Winner Is…

The Hyundai Tucson is a solid crossover with a comfortable interior and a smooth quiet ride. It has lots of room for people and cargo, and it has strong acceleration that makes it easy to get up to speed and merge into highway traffic.

The Kia Sportage, however, comes out a bit ahead. It has a larger infotainment screen, gets better fuel economy with its hybrid engine, and has more room for cargo behind the second row. There’s also a wider range of trims that includes several designed to handle more challenging off-road adventures. This makes the Sportage our pick.

: Kia Sportage

Photo by Kia