Kia Sorento vs Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid arrived with a bold new design, featuring sharp, angular cues across its fascia and sides. It was longer and wider than its predecessor, making it unmistakable from the 2021 model. The Tucson's grille, shared with the Santa Cruz, blended seamlessly with the LED headlights, creating a dramatic, futuristic look. The base Blue trim had 17-inch wheels, while the SEL Convenience trim boasted 19-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, and a hands-free smart tailgate. Inside, the Tucson offered heated front seats, cloth upholstery, and an eight-way power driver seat on the Blue trim. The SEL Convenience trim added a 10.25-inch digital driver information display, wireless device charging, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Limited trim upgraded to 64-color ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, and ventilated front seats.

The 2022 Kia Sorento, especially with the X-Line treatment, had a rugged and stylish presence. The X-Line package included all-wheel drive, lifted suspension, and robust roof rails. Our test vehicle, with the SX Prestige specification, featured Wolf Gray paint and Rust-colored leather. The Sorento's cabin exuded quality, with leather upholstery and simulated wood trim. The base LX trim started at $29,590, while the SX Prestige front-driver was priced at $42,405. The Sorento's interior reflected rock-solid construction, with attention to design detail even in the most affordable model. The second-row captain's chairs were heated in the SX Prestige X-Line, and the panoramic sunroof extended over the rear seats. However, the third-row seat was cramped and better suited for children.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid impressed with its 1.6-liter turbo-four engine, producing 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. Combined with the electric motor, the system delivered 226 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. The Tucson Hybrid's steering was responsive, and the six-speed automatic transmission managed everything admirably. The suspension soaked up road imperfections, keeping the vehicle balanced through corners. The EPA rated the Tucson Hybrid at 37 mpg city, 36 highway, and 37 combined, with the Blue trim achieving 38 mpg across the board. Our test saw 36.5 mpg. The upcoming plug-in hybrid Tucson promised even better efficiency with an 80 MPGe rating and 33 miles of all-electric range.

The 2022 Kia Sorento's base engine was a 191-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which took nearly 9.5 seconds to reach 60 mph. The recommended turbocharged 2.5-liter engine generated 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, making it more enjoyable than the V6 in the larger Kia Telluride. The turbo engine came with an eight-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission, powering the front wheels or the optional torque-vectoring all-wheel drive. With AWD, the Sorento accelerated to 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds. The Sorento's suspension provided an excellent blend of compliance and composure, soaking up road imperfections while maintaining body control. The EPA rated the Sorento SX Prestige X-Line at 24 mpg combined, but our tests averaged 20.7 mpg.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid offered impressive cargo space, with 38.8 cubic feet in the trunk and 74.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. The Tucson's cargo floor had a dual-level system, and the doors featured angled bottle holders. The front seats had two cupholders in the center console, and the rear seat had a fold-down center armrest with two cupholders. The Limited trim's ambient lighting added flair to the cabin.

The 2022 Kia Sorento's interior felt luxurious, with Rust-colored leather and a 14-way power driver's seat in the SX Prestige. The front seats were heated and ventilated, and the heated steering wheel was standard. The second-row captain's chairs were heated, and the panoramic sunroof extended over the rear seats. The third-row seat was cramped and better suited for children. With the third-row seat folded down, the Sorento offered 38.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 75.5 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded. The smart power tailgate opened when the key fob was nearby, making loading easier.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen in the Limited trim, but Android Auto and Apple CarPlay only utilized about 8 inches of the screen. The smaller 8-inch screen in the Blue and SEL Convenience trims offered wireless smartphone integration. The touch-capacitive buttons for the infotainment and HVAC controls were frustrating, but the steering-wheel controls helped. The Tucson provided plenty of USB ports, a beautiful touchscreen display, and a Bose premium stereo in the test vehicle.

The 2022 Kia Sorento's base LX trim had an 8-inch touchscreen, while other trims featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, satellite radio, and Kia Connect services. The base system offered wireless smartphone integration, but the 10.25-inch version required a cable. The infotainment system had an intuitive user interface, but the font style, graphics, and colors might not appeal to everyone. The SX Prestige X-Line had a 12-speaker Bose premium surround-sound system, and wireless smartphone charging was standard starting with the EX trim.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid came with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, cyclist detection, blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert, driver-attention monitor, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, safe-exit warning, and rear occupant alert. The Limited trim added a surround-view monitor, highway-driving assist with adaptive cruise control, navigation, blind-spot view monitor, and remote smart park assist. The IIHS awarded the Tucson a Top Safety Pick+.

The 2022 Kia Sorento's Kia Drive Wise package varied by trim level. The test vehicle had features like a rear-seat reminder system, Junction Assist, Blind View Monitor, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, and Highway Driving Assist. The IIHS named the Sorento a Top Safety Pick, with the highest rating for the SX and SX Prestige trims' LED headlights. The NHTSA gave the Sorento a four-star overall crash-test rating, with four-star ratings for frontal-impact collision and rollover resistance.