Compare the2023 Kia Sportage PHEVVS 2023 Chevrolet Equinox

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Sportage PHEV are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige has standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Equinox doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Sportage PHEV. But it costs extra on the Equinox.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Sportage PHEV’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Equinox doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Sportage PHEV has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Equinox’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sportage PHEV has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Chevrolet charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Equinox and the Equinox’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

The Sportage PHEV’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 Equinox doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sportage PHEV and the Equinox have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

The Kia Sportage PHEV weighs 699 to 937 pounds more than the Chevrolet Equinox. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sportage PHEV the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 177 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Equinox has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Sportage PHEV comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Equinox’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage PHEV 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Equinox. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Equinox ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

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 Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 11 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 86 more horsepower (261 vs. 175) and 55 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 203) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Kia Sportage PHEV is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	Sportage PHEV	Equinox
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	8.9 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	17.5 sec	26.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.1 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Sportage PHEV can travel with zero emissions for 34 miles. The Equinox can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Sportage PHEV’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Equinox doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Sportage PHEV has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Equinox. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Sportage PHEV	Equinox
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	11.3 inches

The Sportage PHEV stops much shorter than the Equinox:

	Sportage PHEV	Equinox
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sportage PHEV has larger tires than the Equinox (235/55R19 vs. 225/65R17).

The Sportage PHEV’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Equinox LS/LT’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sportage PHEV has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Equinox LS/LT.

Suspension and Handling

The Sportage PHEV has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Sportage PHEV flat and controlled during cornering. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Sportage PHEV has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Equinox doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage PHEV’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Equinox (108.5 inches vs. 107.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage PHEV is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than on the Equinox.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the Equinox LT AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Sportage PHEV has .5 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 1.7 inches more rear hip room and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Equinox.

Cargo Capacity

The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Equinox with its rear seat up (34.5 vs. 29.9 cubic feet). The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Equinox with its rear seat folded (65.4 vs. 63.9 cubic feet).

Towing

The Sportage PHEV’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Equinox’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Sportage PHEV’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Equinox’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Equinox doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Sportage PHEV has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Equinox and isn’t available on the Equinox LS.

The Sportage PHEV’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Equinox LS doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sportage PHEV has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Equinox Premier offers wireless charging.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line 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 Equinox Premier’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.