Compare the2022 Jeep CherokeeVS 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV

The Jeep Cherokee has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Cherokee has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Cherokee and the Sportage PHEV 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and front parking sensors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, its “Good” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Cherokee the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 162 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sportage PHEV has not been tested, yet.

The Cherokee’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sportage PHEV runs out after 100,000 miles.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cherokee for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 3 oil changes). Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sportage PHEV.

There are over 3 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Cherokee’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cherokee third among compact suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Sportage PHEV isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Cherokee’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 9 more horsepower (270 vs. 261) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 258) than the Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Cherokee’s standard 3.2 DOHC V6 produces 10 more horsepower (271 vs. 261) than the Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

Both the Cherokee and Sportage PHEV have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. The Cherokee has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Cherokee has 4.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sportage PHEV (15.9 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Cherokee has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Jeep Cherokee, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Sportage PHEV.

For better stopping power the Cherokee’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Sportage PHEV:

For better traction, the Cherokee 4x4 X/Trailhawk’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sportage PHEV (245/65R17 vs. 235/55R19).

The Cherokee Limited’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sportage PHEV’s 55 series tires.

The Cherokee has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Cherokee X/Trailhawk has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Sportage PHEV; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Cherokee’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the Cherokee’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Sportage PHEV’s (37.6 feet vs. 38.6 feet). The Cherokee 4x4 Trailhawk’s turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the Sportage PHEV’s (38.1 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Cherokee Trailhawk has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sportage PHEV (8.7 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Jeep Cherokee may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 500 pounds less than the Kia Sportage PHEV.

The Cherokee has 1.6 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room and .5 inches more rear headroom than the Sportage PHEV.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Cherokee. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Maximum trailer towing in the Kia Sportage PHEV is limited to 2000 pounds. The Cherokee offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

The Cherokee 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Cherokee can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Sportage PHEV can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Cherokee uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sportage PHEV uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Cherokee’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Sportage PHEV’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Cherokee Limited offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Both the Cherokee and the Sportage PHEV have standard heated front seats. The Cherokee Overland also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Sportage PHEV.

The Cherokee Latitude Lux/Limited/Trailhawk has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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

The Jeep Cherokee outsold the Kia Sportage by 16% during the 2021 model year.