Compare the2025 Hyundai Tucson HybridVS 2025 Kia Sportage Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Sportage Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Kia Sportage Hybrid, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

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

The Tucson Hybrid 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. Only the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Tucson Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.

Both the Tucson Hybrid and the Sportage Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Sportage Hybrid is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024, though it hasn’t yet been rated in the updated moderate overlap frontal test, a requirement for the “Top Safety Pick Plus” award.

The Tucson Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Sportage Hybrid’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, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sportage Hybrid.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked fourth.

The Tucson Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 4 more horsepower (231 vs. 227) and 13 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 258) than the Sportage Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

The Tucson Hybrid stops shorter than the Sportage Hybrid:

For better traction, the Tucson Hybrid SEL Convenience’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sportage Hybrid (245/60R18 vs. 235/65R17).

The Tucson Hybrid N Line/Limited’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tucson Hybrid N Line/Limited has standard 19-inch wheels. The Sportage Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited handles at .84 G’s, while the Sportage SX Prestige HEV AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Tucson Hybrid has .5 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, .5 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Sportage Hybrid.

The Tucson Hybrid has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Sportage Hybrid with its rear seat folded (74.5 vs. 73.7 cubic feet).

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 Sportage Hybrid’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. The Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard Proximity Key allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Push Button Start standard on the Sportage Hybrid only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle. Push Button Start is not available on the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Sportage Hybrid’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports rated the Tucson Hybrid’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Sportage Hybrid’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 Tucson Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Sportage Hybrid’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Tucson Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia charges extra for heated mirrors on the Sportage Hybrid.

The Tucson Hybrid has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Sportage Hybrid. 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 Sportage Hybrid.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige offers wireless charging.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and the Kia Sportage Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Kia Sportage by 49% during 2023.