Compare the2024 Kia Sportage HybridVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

Both the Sportage Hybrid and the Santa Fe Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sportage Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 58 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Santa Fe Hybrid has not been fully tested, yet.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked third.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 4 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Kia Sportage Hybrid is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Sportage Hybrid gets better mileage than the Santa Fe Hybrid:

The Sportage Hybrid offers an optional space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Santa Fe Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For greater off-road capability the Sportage Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Santa Fe Hybrid (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Sportage Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Kia Sportage Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 550 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid.

The Sportage Hybrid is 4.9 inches shorter than the Santa Fe Hybrid, making the Sportage Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Sportage Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Sportage Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Santa Fe Hybrid with its rear seat up (39.5 vs. 36.4 cubic feet). The Sportage Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Santa Fe Hybrid with its rear seat folded (73.7 vs. 72.1 cubic feet).

On a hot day the Sportage Hybrid’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Santa Fe Hybrid can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Sportage Hybrid SX-Prestige to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Sportage Hybrid SX-Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

The Sportage Hybrid is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Kia Sportage outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by 5656 units during 2022.