Compare the2023 Kia Sportage PHEVVS 2023 Fiat 500X

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

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sportage PHEV are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 500X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Autonomous Emergency Braking in the Sportage PHEV as “Superior.” The 500X scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

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 500X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Sportage PHEV’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The 500X doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Sportage PHEV’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 500X and is only available on 500X Sport.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 500X 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.

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 500X’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. Fiat charges extra for Rear Cross Path Detection on the 500X, and only on the Sport and the 500X’s Rear Cross Path Detection does not include automatic braking.

Both the Sportage PHEV and the 500X 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The Kia Sportage PHEV weighs 906 pounds more than the Fiat 500X. 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 500X last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

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 500X’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage PHEV 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Fiat covers the 500X. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 500X ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are Fiat dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sportage PHEV’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sportage PHEV’s reliability 25 points higher than the 500X.

Engine

The Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 84 more horsepower (261 vs. 177) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 210) than the 500X’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Sportage PHEV can travel with zero emissions for 34 miles. The 500X 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 500X doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sportage PHEV uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 500X requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

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 500X. 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 500X:

	Sportage PHEV	500X
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	10.95 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sportage PHEV has larger tires than the 500X (235/55R19 vs. 215/60R17). The Sportage PHEV’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 500X (235/55R19 vs. 225/55R18).

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 500X AWD’s standard 60 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 500X AWD.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage PHEV’s wheelbase is 7.3 inches longer than on the 500X (108.5 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage PHEV is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 3.2 inches wider in the rear than on the 500X.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the 500X pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The front grille of the Sportage PHEV uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The 500X doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Sportage PHEV has 1.5 inches more front hip room, 3.2 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 6.5 inches more rear legroom, 1.2 inches more rear hip room and 2.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the 500X.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sportage PHEV’s rear seats recline. The 500X’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the 500X with its rear seat up (34.5 vs. 14.1 cubic feet). The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the 500X with its rear seat folded (65.4 vs. 39.8 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sportage PHEV’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Sportage PHEV’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The 500X doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sportage PHEV 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 500X doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The 500X doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 500X doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

On a hot day the Sportage PHEV’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the 500X can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 500X doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Sportage PHEV’s available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the 500X’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

The Sportage PHEV has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The 500X only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

When the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The 500X’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 500X doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The 500X doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Sportage PHEV has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 500X doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

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 is only available on the 500X Sport.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Sportage PHEV has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500X doesn’t offer rear vents.

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. The 500X doesn’t offer wireless personal 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 500X doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

The Sportage PHEV will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Sportage PHEV will retain 45.04% to 45.21% of its original price after five years, while the 500X only retains 36.13% to 38.37%.

Recommendations

The Kia Sportage outsold the Fiat 500X by over 143 to one during 2022.