Compare the2026 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In HybridVS 2026 Kia Sportage PHEV

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

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Kia Sportage PHEV has not been tested.

Both the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid and the Sportage PHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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.

The Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 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 PHEV has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Sportage PHEV’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 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 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked 8th.

The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 7 more horsepower (268 vs. 261) than the Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

The Tucson Plug-In 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 PHEV.

The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Sportage PHEV with its rear seat folded (66.3 vs. 65.5 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Limited has a standard heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Tucson Plug-In 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 PHEV’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Plug-In Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Sportage PHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Kia Sportage by 28% during 2024.