Competition is certainly tight in the compact SUV class. Two close contenders, newly refreshed for the model year, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and the Kia Sportage vie to put their best looks, performance, and capabilities forward.
To help compact SUV seekers in Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem counties narrow their search for the just-right crossover, Action Hyundai of Millville has put together the following vehicle comparison. It's time for a sport-off: Sport vs. Sportage. Â
Santa Fe Sport vs. Sportage: Contrasting Exteriors
Park the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and the Kia Sportage side by side and see which style you gravitate to most.
Hyundai and Kia definitely took different approaches to their respective redesigns. The Santa Fe Sport stays true to crossover form while maintaining its own distinctive flair characterized by darting body lines, striking LED accent lighting, and the trademark Hyundai hexagonal grille.
On the flip side, the Kia Sportage's tweaks took it to a vastly different style dimension. Headlights sit high up on the Sportage's front corners in a globular, bug-ish sort of way and your gaze goes straight to Kia's matte black grille. We're not quite sure what shape to call it, but with a quick glance, its outline almost evokes the shape of the Batmobile symbol. These elements combined could potentially be a bit too aggressive for some buyers' tastes.
[View Our Entire Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Inventory Online]
Parallel Performance
Under the hoods of the Santa Fe Sport and the Sportage, similar 2.4-liter engines that make roughly 180 horsepower call the shots (185 horsepower with the Santa Fe Sport vs. 181 horsepower with the Sportage).
Both models are also on par with one another in terms of power-boosted versions, as each offers an identical, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine version that makes 240 horses.
Standard six-speed automatic transmissions and available all-wheel drive (front-wheel drive standard) rounds out the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and the Kia Sportage's twinning equipment.
Sporting Space: Which Crossover Fits More?
One of the biggest reasons buyers opt for a crossover is for the serious cargo advantage. But the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and the Kia Sportage take different approaches to space delegation.
Though measurements are fairly consistent throughout their cabins (the Santa Fe Sport scores roughly an inch more rear seat legroom), the Hyundai Santa Fe's category-straddling size advantage can really be seen when you compare their cargo space.
Even with its wheelbase bump of 1.2 inches, the Kia Sportage still can't contend with the Santa Fe Sport's massive cargo hold of 71.5 cubic feet. The Sportage's 60.1 cubic foot capacity leaves 11.4 fewer cubes to fill.
An inch or two is one thing, but over 10 cubic feet is a lot of haul space to miss out on and could be the difference between having to cut into the comfort of passengers on board when more space is required.
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport vs Kia Sportage
Though the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and the Kia Sportage share similar performance qualities, that's about it. Opposing outer styles and contrasting cargo holds will likely sway your decision one way over the other.
For us and local SUV seekers in Cape May County, Cumberland County, and Salem County, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's updates and capabilities fall more in line with driver's everyday needs. Â
Want to get a closer look at the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport? With a visit to the Action Hyundai of Millville showroom, you can!
The best way to see if this ride is the one is to get behind the wheel for your own test drive. Check out our inventory of models and schedule your test drive of the impressive Santa Fe Sport today.
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