the 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid offer one of the broadest lineups in the jam-packed compact SUV crossover segment. From cheap to fancy, and including both hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, these family haulers have something for just about everyone.
Both the hindi tucson and kia sportage feature some of the broadest lineups in the jam-packed compacts crossover segment from frugal to fancy and including both regular hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants these family haulers have something for darn near everyone the latest tucson debuted for 2022 introducing a sharp new look and the clean premium feel interior not to
Be outdone the 2023 kia sportage rocked onto the scene with white styling and a techie cabin that wouldn’t look out of place in a german luxury car which of these suvs is right for you let’s find out i could accuse the kia sportage of being a cold calculated approach to the segment it’s one of the longest it has the most space its price is low etc etc more than a
Mere numbers game the sportage pairs smart practical features with an efficient hybrid powertrain to make it one of the top choices the 2023 edition of the sportage certainly cannot be accused of blending in the styling is striking a squinty front end advancing kia’s tiger nose styling for a new era the led daytime running lights dominate the front end separating
The main headlight from the larger grille the rear end treatment has hints of the brand’s ev6 electric crossover a strong rear shoulder and the tapering glass section visually stretched the sportsage’s profile but make no mistake at 183.5 inches long it’s one of the largest offerings in the class i must admit it isn’t a look for everyone but i’m happy to see kia
Taking a chance in a segment that’s long been plagued by same same styling and the same can certainly be said for the tucson call it striking call it over the top whatever the scriptures you want to hang off of it we can agree it’s unlike anything else in the segment this model you see here comes in what hyundai calls calypso red which only adds to its eccentric
Design a shield like front grille hides the led running lights within its elements only showing the tucson’s face when lit in a world where pop-up headlights can’t exist this is the next best thing overall you have to give the designers of the tucson credit they really went for it in a segment again known for blend anonymity the tucson is an explosion of sharp
Creases odd bulges and a smiling grill that lights up on its edges like a vegas marquee the wheel arches are angular rather than actual arches there are diamond shapes embossed in the rear bumper and the aforementioned led tail lights that dongle from a full width light bar like dracula fangs there is a lot going on maybe too much but hey better than doll jumping
Inside as forward thinking as the sportsage’s exterior is the cabin design matches it the dashboard is an angular space with big air vents serving as sculptural focus points material quality is mostly great and beats that of its twin brother to high and die tucson the worst spots are the rear door panels which feel a little cheap and the expensive piano black in
The center console is guaranteed to stay clean for about half a second too if you are going hybrid the standard seating is black cloth with three synthetic leather options in the u.s including the great navy and white combo you see here front passengers enjoy plenty of room and the large panoramic moon roof lets in lots of light the second row is one of the more
Spacious in the class matching the front’s available headroom and giving up just a tenth of an inch for legroom the curved twin screen setup in the sportstage wow the central 12.3 inch screen covers main infotainment duties while the configurable panel in front of the driver handles the instrument panel the latter is easy to read and offers a good amount of person
And info at a glance we don’t have many qualms with the kernakia infotainment system though the main menu logos can be hard to read without pulling your eyes off the road the color scheme looks cool but it’s not the most practical while the swappable climate and audio control panel is confusing at first at least it has physical rotary knobs the sportsage earns bonus
Points for the smart usbc ports located on the front seat backs for easy access as for the tucson it has a cool calm aura as the upper portion wraps around from the doors before flowing into the main infotainment section like a waterfall i love that the seat memory buttons are held within the chrome strips which tie the whole look together sure they are slightly
More of a reach than they had been flying from the armrest but that’s boring the optional two-tone color scheme on the top trim levels also gives the whole dashboard some visual depth the 10.25 inch touchscreen and the climate control below are both angled ever so slightly towards the driver load trims use an 8-inch screen both get standard apple carplay and android
Auto though the big one here still needs the cores to do it regardless the native ui is quick and intuitive with most everything a swipe or a poke away as far as passenger space goes the tucson pretty much matches that of the sportsage one area where the sportage interior is superior is in the physical controls of climate and audio instead of the haptic controls
Found in the tucson when it comes to cargo space in gas form the tucson offers up a massive 38.7 cubic feet of storage space and that’s with the seats up drop the 60 40 second row and you’ve got 80.3 cubes opting for the hybrid drops that figure to 74.5 cubic feet which is still huge the sports challenge has an equally cavernous hatch swallowing a segment best 39.6
Cubic feet drop the seats and that goes to 74.1 cubic feet a little shy of its sibling switching over to the hybrids sees a very slight decrease to 39.5 and 73 cubic feet respectively both colors towing capacity is capped at 2 000 pounds kia and hyundai haven’t forgotten about safety either in addition to the usual passive safety features both include automated
Emergency braking lane keep assist lane follow and assist and automatic high beams the next trim up adds blind spot monitoring rear cross traffic alerts safe exit assist and adaptive cruise control moving up to the top trims unlocks 360 degree camera blind spot view monitor highway drive and assist rain sensing wipers and front parking sensors as far as pricing is
Concerned a base model tucson sc front wheel drive will run you 27 thousand dollars including destination from there buyers can move through the sel at twenty eight thousand dollars four hundred sporty end line at thirty two thousand dollars five hundred off-road styled xrt at thirty three thousand dollars two hundred and limited at thirty six thousand dollars six
Hundred at an all-wheel drive is a fifteen hundred dollar of charge once a hybrid there are three levels to choose from blue at thirty one thousand dollars sel convenience thirty three thousand dollars six hundred and limited at thirty nine thousand dollars meanwhile the plug-in hybrid comes in just two flavors sel at thirty six thousand dollar seven hundred and
Limited at forty four thousand five hundred it should be eligible for rebates however a bone stock sportsage lx front wheel drive rings in ever so slightly above the comparable tucson at twenty seven thousand dollars three hundred including destination the gas only line up progresses through the ex at twenty nine thousand dollars three hundred x line at thirty two
Thousand dollars sx at thirty two thousand dollars eight hundred essex prestige 34 000 800 x pro 36 thousand dollars 300 and x-pro prestige at 38 000 the x-line and x-pro models include all wheel drives as standard for the others it’s 1800 to upgrade and on the lx that also adds heated seats and side mirrors the sportage hybrid lineup like the tucson hybrid consists
Of three models the hybrid alex front wheel drive is the most affordable hybrid of them all at twenty eight thousand dollars six hundred enough of a gap to even add all-wheel drive and still undercut the tucson hybrid blue the hybrid ex at thirty two thousand dollars three hundred includes all-wheel drive as standard as does the hybrid sx prestige at thirty seven
Thousand dollars five hundred for those keeping track that makes it just nine hundred dollars more than a sportage sx prestige all-wheel drive at the time of this video kia had not released sportsage plug-in hybrid pricing as you can see there is not much separating these two when it comes to pricing but its desirable hybrid models and higher end trims are both
More expensive than their equivalent from kia finally we come to the driving experience on the road there is a grown-up feel to how the sportage moves swallowing up bumps while maintaining a flat stance while comfortable and it has enough handling chops to feel positive and composed down a twisty road it’s not a sports car of course but it sits much closer to the
Likes of the mazda cx-5 than the class average steering feel is light of course as expected the positive feelings continue with the hybrid powertrain the 1.6 liter turbo 4 and electric motor combined for an above average 227 horsepower plus a thick slug of instant access torque right down low the result is a car that feels genuinely quick when you ask it to be and
A quiet efficient ride in the city we are talking an even 38 mpg across all measures with the all-wheel drive model american buyers can even have the option of sticking to front wheel drives which ekes out a few more precious mpgs the tucson also feels just as mature and comfortable to drive it’s not a bad thing but there is a bit of a disconnect between how the
Tucson looks and how it drives the angular looks suggests it’s sporty but from behind the wheel it’s all about comfort the tucson is a peach on highway roads and cities alike there is enough give to the side walls on those 19-inch tires to take the sting out of bigger bumps while the suspension’s dampening is finally judged smoothing out any unwanted nastiness
It’s also impressively quiet with very little road or red noise making its way to the cabin and since both the tucson and the sportsage share the exact same hybrid powertrain you can expect similar drive-in refinement one thing to mention is the six-speed automatic transmission that allows the hybrid to drive just like a regular ice model there is no drone none
Of that cvt style elasticity of red lights and when you call for full power the transmission will happily drop a gear or two the brake pedal is also pleasantly progressive despite featuring hybrid regeneration unsurprisingly in the battle of the hindi tucson and kia sportage these two suvs run each other as close as some of the best offerings in a very very busy
Class on paper they are essentially the same in terms of passenger space cargo performance and price the kia offers a slightly more off-road oriented option in its x-pro trims and its front drive hybrid is the efficiency champ but beyond that what it really comes down to is a matter of taste whether you prefer the looks of one over the other or the hyundai’s more
Common interior to the kia’s techie angular 1. either way you will be making off with a capable value packed family hauler and if you are torn between the hybrid or gasoline version then make no mistake the hybrid is the one to buy it delivers more power and more mpg for only slightly more money and nice trade-off the powertrain feels punchy and both hybrid suvs
Drive comfortably over the road although their handling is notably amazing it’s at least on par with what you find across the compact suv segment and given these are their first ever hybrid their excellence is even more impressive
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2023 Kia Sportage vs 2022 Hyundai Tucson Comparison – Hybrid Compact SUV Perfection ? By CarsFX
