Compare the2023 Hyundai Tucson HybridVS 2023 Kia Niro

The Tucson Hybrid has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Niro doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited has a standard Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Niro only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Tucson Hybrid and the Niro 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 and driver alert monitors.

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, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Tucson Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Niro has not been tested, yet.

The Tucson Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Niro’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tucson Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Niro.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 9 places higher in reliability than Kia.

The Tucson Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 87 more horsepower (226 vs. 139) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 195) than the Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is faster than the Kia Niro:

The Tucson Hybrid has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Niro (13.7 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Tucson Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Niro:

For better traction, the Tucson Hybrid has larger tires than the Niro (235/65R17 vs. 205/60R16). The Tucson Hybrid Blue’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Niro (235/65R17 vs. 225/45R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tucson Hybrid Blue has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Niro. The Tucson Hybrid SEL/Limited’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Niro Touring.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson Hybrid’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Niro (108.5 inches vs. 107.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Tucson Hybrid is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Niro.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Niro SX (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tucson Hybrid has a 2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Niro (8.3 vs. 6.3 inches), allowing the Tucson Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Tucson Hybrid has 9.1 inches more front hip room, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear legroom, .9 inches more rear hip room and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Niro.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Tucson Hybrid’s rear seats recline. The Niro’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Niro with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 22.8 cubic feet). The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Niro with its rear seat folded (74.5 vs. 63.7 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Tucson Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Niro doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Tucson Hybrid has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Niro has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Tucson Hybrid uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Niro doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Tucson Hybrid’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Niro’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Niro SX’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

The Tucson Hybrid’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Niro’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Tucson Hybrid has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Niro EX/SX/Touring. The Tucson Hybrid Limited also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Niro.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Tucson Hybrid Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Niro doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Consumer Reports® chose the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Kia Niro by over six to one during the 2022 model year.