The Sportage Prestige has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Outback only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.
Both the Sportage and Outback offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Outback’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.
Both the Sportage and the Outback 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and blind spot warning systems.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Subaru Outback:
|
Sportage |
Outback |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Neck Injury Risk |
24.5% |
26% |
Neck Stress |
263 lbs. |
281 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
14 lbs. |
57 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
48/154 lbs. |
230/249 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
Chest Compression |
.4 inches |
.6 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
30.9% |
43% |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Subaru Outback:
|
Sportage |
Outback |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
247 lbs. |
247 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
82 |
116 |
Spine Acceleration |
47 G’s |
51 G’s |
Hip Force |
581 lbs. |
635 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
13 inches |
14 inches |
Spine Acceleration |
35 G’s |
43 G’s |
Hip Force |
480 lbs. |
674 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Outback:
|
Sportage |
Outback |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Structure |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Neck Compression |
-45 lbs. |
45 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.34 in |
1.54 in |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Pelvis Force |
759 lbs. |
1026 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
116 |
387 |
Neck Tension |
45 lbs. |
67 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
-134 lbs. |
201 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Deflection |
1.1 in |
1.81 in |
Shoulder Force |
245 lbs. |
469 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.38 in |
1.42 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
5 MPH |
9 MPH |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Pelvis Force |
669 lbs. |
848 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Sportage is 1.6% less likely to roll over than the Outback.