2023 Kia Sportage vs 2024 Hyundai Palisade

The 2023 Kia Sportage emerged with a completely redesigned look that was both exciting and exotic, reminiscent of French automotive styling. Its distinctive features, such as the bright boomerang-shaped daytime running lights and textured metal trim on the D Pillar, added a touch of class to this compact crossover. The Sportage was available in seven trim levels, including the new X-Line, X-Pro, and X-Pro Prestige trims. Inside, Kia opted for durable synthetic leather over traditional leather, although the base LX trim featured cloth seats. The interior boasted a large display dominating the dash, but some elements, like the hard plastic plate near the door handle, detracted from the overall experience.

In contrast, the 2024 Hyundai Palisade stood out with its distinctive styling, offering a range of trims from SE to the new Calligraphy Night Edition. The Calligraphy Night Edition featured a blacked-out appearance with dark chrome and gloss black exterior trim, available in Abyss Black or Hyper White paint. Inside, the Palisade exuded luxury with its artificial suede headliner, quality upholstery, and sophisticated interior design. The Calligraphy Night Edition, in particular, offered a premium feel with its leather and artificial suede inserts, making it a standout in the midsize family SUV segment.

The 2023 Kia Sportage offered a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine producing 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Available in both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD), the Sportage delivered a fuel efficiency of 25 mpg city, 32 highway, and 28 combined with FWD, and 23/28/25 with AWD. While the Sportage was more powerful than its predecessor, it lacked the turbocharged engine option that provided a more spirited driving experience. The X-Line and X-Pro trims added rugged visual cues and off-road capabilities, with the X-Pro featuring BF Goodrich all-terrain tires and specific drive modes for various conditions.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade, on the other hand, was equipped with a 3.8-liter V6 engine generating 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Palisade offered a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds and eight inches of ground clearance. With driving modes like Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart, and Snow, the Palisade provided a versatile driving experience. The AWD system expertly distributed power on dirt and gravel roads, while the V6 engine delivered satisfying acceleration. The Palisade's fuel economy was rated at 21 mpg combined, although real-world testing showed an average of 18.8 mpg in Comfort mode.

The 2023 Kia Sportage, as a compact crossover, offered increased interior space compared to its predecessor. With a 7.1-inch longer body and a 3.4-inch longer wheelbase, the Sportage provided 41.3 inches of rear-seat legroom and 39.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat, expanding to 74.1 cubic feet with the back seat folded down. The front seats featured typical storage options, but the touch-sensitive HVAC controls proved frustrating to use while driving.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade, with its range of trims, offered a variety of seating options, from cloth seats in the base SE trim to premium Nappa leather with microfiber inserts in the Calligraphy Night Edition. The Palisade's interior was designed for comfort, with features like heated and ventilated seats, memory settings, and an Ergo Motion massage function for the driver. The second-row captain's chairs provided excellent comfort, and the third row was more spacious than most rivals. The Palisade offered 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 86.4 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded down.

The 2023 Kia Sportage featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen interface on EX-and up trims, paired with a panoramic, curved, 12.3-inch driver information display on the SX trim and above. While the technology was impressive, the wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on higher trims puzzled many. The Sportage included wireless charging, rear USB-C charging ports, navigation, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and a Harman Kardon stereo on select trims.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade came standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, supporting Bluetooth connectivity for two devices, Bluelink+ connected services, Wi-Fi access, and SiriusXM satellite radio. The Palisade's technology included a digital key function, a digital rearview mirror, and a semi-autonomous remote parking system. The Harman Kardon premium sound system provided excellent audio quality, and the head-up display offered comprehensive data, although it struggled with polarized sunglasses.

The 2023 Kia Sportage offered a range of collision-avoidance tech and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as standard, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and rear backup sensors. Higher trims added features like blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. However, the Sportage had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade was equipped with Hyundai's SmartSense collection of driving assistance systems, including forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keep assist. The Highway Driving Assist system provided a hands-on driving experience for highway travel. The Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, although some crash tests were incomplete.