The Sportage’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Outlander doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Compared to metal, the Sportage’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Mitsubishi Outlander has a metal gas tank.
Both the Sportage and the Outlander have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Mitsubishi Outlander:
|
Sportage |
Outlander |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
207 |
288 |
Neck Injury Risk |
22% |
49% |
Neck Stress |
203 lbs. |
471 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
11/231 lbs. |
351/429 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
222 |
245 |
Neck Stress |
151 lbs. |
168 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
70 lbs. |
122 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
33/16 lbs. |
334/298 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Mitsubishi Outlander:
|
Sportage |
Outlander |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
87 |
174 |
Chest Movement |
.7 inches |
.7 inches |
Abdominal Force |
104 G’s |
167 G’s |
Hip Force |
327 lbs. |
408 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
239 |
347 |
Hip Force |
465 lbs. |
698 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
13 inches |
17 inches |
HIC |
301 |
407 |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Sportage is .9% to 3.8% less likely to roll over than the Outlander.
For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sportage the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 119 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Outlander last would have qualified as a “Top Pick” in 2019.