The midsize crossover segment is packed with great options to choose from. As cities become crowded and parking spaces shrink, midsize crossovers offer a compelling value proposition for those who need space and practicality. They are ideal for the full-size crossover buyer to downsize to, as well as an upgrade for compact crossover users. The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe and the 2023 Kia Sorento are popular examples.
The 2023 Santa Fe is based on 2018’s fourth generation, which received a facelift in 2020. The 2023 Sorento is based on its fourth generation, released in 2020. The same parent company in South Korea owns Hyundai and Kia. These two midsize crossovers have a lot of commonalities, including their platform.
It’s going to be an interesting competition to see which one is ahead in the best midsize crossover race. Since the 2023 Santa Fe and the 2023 Sorento are essentially siblings, we’ll carefully consider their respective interior, performance, and safety merits in this Hyundai vs. Kia shootout. If you’d like to know more about the 2023 Santa Fe, call the sales team of Wilson County Hyundai in Lebanon, TN.
The 2023 Santa Fe is smaller than the 2023 Sorento in terms of wheelbase and overall length. It also offers five adults and a 112-cubic-foot cabin. The 2023 Sorento may offer a 142-cubic-foot cabin, but it’s a seven-seater with a third row that’s barely usable for adults. The 2023 Santa Fe offers a spacious 36-cubic-foot trunk, while the 2023 Sorento can only provide 13 cubic feet with the third row deployed. We feel it’s better to have a spacious five-seater with an ample trunk than a seven-seater with a small trunk, especially if the third row rarely sees use.
The 2023 Santa Fe and the 2023 Sorento come with dual-zone climate control, rear air vents, powered and heated front seats, Apple CarPlay®, Android Auto™, and an 8-inch touch screen as standard. Upgrades on the options lists of both midsize crossovers include a larger 10.3-inch touch screen, plus a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. Furthermore, the 2023 Santa Fe’s sound system can be upgraded to a 12-speaker 630-watt system.
The 2023 Santa Fe comes with four powertrains on offer. The base engine is a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 191 horsepower. It’s paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. There’s also a nice 277-horsepower turbocharged variant of the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with the same eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel-drive layout. You can spec an all-wheel-drive system on either powertrain.
Now, let’s look at the hybrids. The standard hybrid sees a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder paired with two electric motors for a system total of 226 horsepower. The plug-in hybrid receives a single but beefier electric motor and develops a system total of 261 horsepower. Both hybrids see a six-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system as standard fitment.
Let’s check out the 2023 Sorento. We aren’t going to re-type everything we’ve just written because, surprise, the 2023 Sorento comes with the same powertrain choices as the 2023 Santa Fe. We did say that they are siblings that share a platform. They share powertrains as well.
However, the 2023 Santa Fe’s lighter curb weight makes it sprightlier than the 2023 Sorento and a better handler. Both midsize crossovers are rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds each in gasoline-only guise. If you select their hybrid variants, towing capacity drops to 2,000 pounds apiece.
The standard safety features on the 2023 Santa Fe and the 2023 Sorento are plenty. Both feature automated emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, eight airbags, lane-keeping assist, stability control, child safety locks, and brake assist across the range. Furthermore, the 2023 Santa Fe also gives you adaptive cruise control with stop-go as standard fitment.
The 2023 Sorento might offer seven seats, but you should consider whether you really need them. You’re better off with the 2023 Santa Fe’s better cargo space, sprightlier performance, and better standard safety features. That’s why the 2023 Santa Fe is our pick in this Hyundai vs. Kia comparison. Now it’s time to visit Wilson County Hyundai in Lebanon, TN, and test drive the new Santa Fe.