It’s no secret that Hyundai and Kia continue to share components for their respective vehicles. In the compact SUV class, Hyundai has the Tucson and Kia has the Sportage. While they look radically different from the outside, both SUVs share a lot of the same parts to be incredibly similar to one another.
While Hyundai came out with a fully redesigned Tucson for the 2022 model year, Kia introduced a fully redesigned Sportage for 2023. Both SUVs are available with the same gas, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrains, have similar tech features and have similar fuel economy figures. If you’re cross-shopping these two South Korean compact SUVs against one another, which one should you choose? That’s what we’ll answer below.
What the Hyundai Tucson Gets Right
The Hyundai Tucson gets an immediate edge over the Kia Sportage with its lower starting price. Hyundai’s compact SUV costs $27,095 (prices include destination), while Kia’s SUV starts at $27,285. The $190 difference isn’t a massive one, but it’s still nice to save money on a new vehicle.
Both the Tucson and Sportage come with the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine as standard, but the Tucson has slightly better fuel economy figures than the Sportage. The Tucson is rated to get up to 29 mpg combined, while the Sportage can get up to 28 mpg combined. With AWD, the Tucson is rated to get 26 mpg combined and the Sportage is one mpg combined behind.
Unsurprisingly, the Tucson and Shortage share the same 108.5-inch wheelbase. This translates to a similar amount of interior space for passengers, but the SUVs differ on the cargo capacity front. The Tucson offers a total of 80.3 cubic feet of cargo space, which is 6.2 cubic feet more than the Sportage’s total figure.
What the Kia Sportage Gets Right
While the Tucson and Sportage have the same powertrains, the Sportage Hybrid is far more efficient than the Tucson Hybrid. Hyundai’s electrified SUV can get up to 38 mpg combined and the Sportage Hybrid is rated at up to 43 mpg combined. The Sportage Hybrid is also far more affordable than the Tucson Hybrid with a price tag that starts at $28,585 - $2,460 less than the Tucson Hybrid.
The two SUVs come with similar standard tech features, but the Sportage is available with larger screens than the Tucson. The Sportage is available with a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The largest screens available in the Tucson are two 10.25-inch displays.
Kia has introduced two X-Pro trims with the 2023 Sportage. These are aimed at consumers looking to do some light off-roading with 8.3 inches of ground clearance, a center locking differential, all-terrain tires, special multi-terrain drive modes, and skid plates. Hyundai offers the Tucson in an XRT trim, but it doesn’t have the same off-roading capability as the Sportage’s X-Pro trims.
Read Our Kia Sportage Overview
Our Verdict
The Tucson and Sportage are near-identical twins, which makes choosing a winner difficult. They have the same powertrains, similar features, and nearly the same amount of interior space. Choosing between the two almost comes down to which one you think looks better. Almost.
With larger available screens, a more efficient hybrid powertrain, and rugged X-Pro trims capable of light off-roading, the Kia Sportage barely wins this comparison. Kia may have been late to come out with a fully redesigned Sportage, but the 2023 model was certainly worth the wait, as it has what it takes to compete with the best in the segment.