Both the Sportage PHEV and the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.
Compare the2023 Kia Sportage PHEVVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid
Safety
Reliability
J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 17th, below the industry average.
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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked third.
From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 4 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.
Engine
As tested in Car and Driver the Kia Sportage PHEV is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid:
|
Sportage PHEV |
Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid |
Zero to 60 MPH |
6.9 sec |
7.5 sec |
Zero to 100 MPH |
17.5 sec |
20.4 sec |
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start |
7.1 sec |
7.5 sec |
Passing 30 to 50 MPH |
3.3 sec |
3.8 sec |
Passing 50 to 70 MPH |
4.6 sec |
4.7 sec |
Quarter Mile |
15.2 sec |
15.7 sec |
Speed in 1/4 Mile |
93 MPH |
90 MPH |
Fuel Economy and Range
The Sportage PHEV can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 34 miles. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has to start its internal combustion engine after only 31 miles.
Brakes and Stopping
The Sportage PHEV stops shorter than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid:
|
Sportage PHEV |
Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid |
|
70 to 0 MPH |
167 feet |
176 feet |
Car and Driver |
Suspension and Handling
The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.
Chassis
The Sportage PHEV is 4.9 inches shorter than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid, making the Sportage PHEV easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.
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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer active grille shutters.
Ergonomics
The Sportage PHEV has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a remote starting 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.
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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.
Recommendations
The Kia Sportage outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by 5656 units during 2022.