The Kia Sorento and Hyundai Tucson are two popular crossover SUVs. While the Sorento competes in the midsize market, the Tucson is more compact. Both offer a full lineup of trim levels and come with the latest technology and safety features. Here's a comparison of the 2023 Kia Sorento's and 2023 Hyundai Tucson's features and equipment.
What's New for 2023?
Whether you choose the 2023 Sorento or Tucson, there will be some minor changes for the 2023 model year. The Sorento now comes standard with a blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alert at every trim level, and the S trim includes a wireless charging pad. The upscale SX trim now has a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and power-folding exterior side mirrors.
The Tucson also has a few updates. The SEL trim now comes with synthetic leather upholstery, but it no longer offers the Premium Package as an option. The XRT, N Line, and Limited trims now come with a 10.3-inch touch screen.
What's Inside the Cabin?
Kia Sorento EX Special Pack 2019 by RL GNZLZ is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0
If you have a large family or many friends and need lots of space in your vehicle for your passengers to sit, the Kia Sorento has three rows of seats and fits up to seven passengers. The models offer everything, from the basics to a near-luxury experience. One step up from the entry-level trim gets you a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, and heated front seats. The mid-level EX trim switches out the second-row bench seat for captain's chairs, reducing seating to six. Choosing the top-level SX-Prestige adds leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, and ventilated front seats.
The Tucson is the smaller of the two SUVs and offers two rows of seats and room for five passengers. Like the Sorento, it comes in several trim levels. The entry-level SE has cloth upholstery, and upgrading to the SLE adds heated front seats and a power-adjustable driver's seat. The top-level Tuscon Limited has driver's seat memory settings, a heated steering wheel, and ventilated front seats.
With the Sorento, your passengers will benefit from the huge cargo area. If you use all three rows, you will have 12.6 cubic feet of storage space in the back. This expands to over 40 cubic feet with the third row folded down and 75.7 cubic feet with both back rows folded down.
You don't get as much storage space in the Tucson. Behind the second row, it provides 38.7 cubic feet of storage space, and with the back row folded down, it offers 74.8 cubic feet of storage space.
Power
The base powertrain for the Sorento is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine that puts out 191 horsepower and delivers 181 lb-ft of torque. It works with an eight-speed automatic transmission and comes with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional for any of the trim levels. The Sorento EX trim and above get a more powerful 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that puts out 281 horsepower. This engine works with a dual-clutch eight-speed automatic transmission, and it can also work with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
The Tucson has just one gas engine option. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder generates 187 horsepower, which is less than the base engine for the Sorento. It works with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and you can choose between front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive with any trim level.
Technology Features
Entertainment features are a big deal in a family vehicle, and the 2023 Kia Sorento comes with everything you need. It starts with an 8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice-activated Bluetooth, and a six-speaker stereo. The LX trim also comes with USB charging ports in all three rows, along with a 12-volt power outlet in the front console and another in the rear cargo area. If you upgrade from the base trim, you'll get satellite radio, and the EX trim and above also come with a wireless charging pad.
Upgrading from the base Sorento to the S gets you a 10.25-inch touch screen for the infotainment system and an integrated navigation system. The SX Prestige trim also includes an upgraded 12-speaker Bose stereo.
The Tucson starts its lineup with an 8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a six-speaker stereo system. You'll have to upgrade from the base trim to get USB charging outlets for your rear seat passengers, and the SEL trim and above also include wireless charging. The Tucson provides a larger 10.25-inch touch screen in the XRT trim and above.
Safety Systems
The Sorento comes standard with an impressive list of safety features. This list includes forward collision warning, automatic braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. It also includes Kia's lane-following assist system, which can steer the Sorento to make sure it stays centered in its lane, and speed limit assist, which will warn you if you exceed the speed limit.
It also comes with a driver attention monitor and leading vehicle departure alert, which notifies you when the vehicle in front of you starts moving. Kia also offers a 360-degree surround-view camera and a blind-spot camera in the top-level trim. The blind-spot camera displays a live video of the vehicles in your blind spot when you change lanes.
The Tuscon offers a comprehensive list of driver safety aids. Like the Sorento, it includes forward collision warning, automatic braking, and pedestrian detection. It also has a lane-following assist system, lane-keep assist, and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert.
When you compare the 2023 Kia Sorento and the 2023 Hyundai Tucson, the Sorento is the better choice if you need the extra space and seating that the third row offers. It also has more power and cargo space. Stop by Team Kia of El Cajon in California to get a closer look at the 2023 Kia Sorento, and you can take it out for a test drive to see for yourself why it makes the ideal family hauler.
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