Kia Sorento vs Hyundai Santa Fe

If you feel like a crossover may be your speed, take a look at the 2021 Kia Sorento or the Hyundai Santa Fe. Many Coatesville, Downingtown, and Gap, Pennsylvania, drivers see both crossing their paths daily, but what do they really know about them? Jim Sipala’s Kia of Coatesville sweeps in with a comprehensive comparison of the two for curious shoppers near Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Reading, Pennsylvania; and Newark, Delaware.

Kia Sorento vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Safety

Count on the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe to keep you safe with their multitude of comparable safety systems. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2021 Kia Sorento a 5-Star Safety Rating for Frontal Crash safety tests, while the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe only earned a 4-Star Safety Rating for the same test.

Kia vs Hyundai: Seating

Maybe you didn’t even realize this, but did you know the Kia Sorento has a third row? This means you can comfortably fit seven passengers in your Kia car. In the Santa Fe, you can only seat five. You can expect much more passenger volume, too, in the Kia Sorento, with 154.2 cubic feet. This exceeds the Hyundai, which only features 110.7 cubic feet of passenger volume.

For versatile cargo carrying, the Kia SUV gives you more customizable configurations to make use of ample space. Fold your second-row seats 40/20/40, or go with the 50/50 split-folding seats in the third row. Only one space-making method comes in the Hyundai—the solid 60/40-split fold-flat rear seats, which can supply you with extra room.

Interior Cargo Volume	Behind First Row	Behind Second Row	Behind Third Row
Kia Sorento	73 cu. ft.	38 cu. ft.	11.3 cu. ft.
Hyundai Santa Fe	71.3 cu. ft.	35.9 cu. ft.	N/A

Kia Sorento vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Comfort

Sit down and relax while you drive the Kia Sorento. Adjust your available 14-way power-adjustable driver’s seat to your preferences and use the Integrated Memory System (IMS) to remember your settings. It also comes with 4-way power lumbar support for extra cushioning. In the Hyundai Santa Fe, sit in the available 8-way power driver’s seat, also equipped with optional 4-way power lumbar support.

Both the Kia Sorento and the Hyundai come furnished with standard cloth seating, but the Kia vehicle features YES Essentials® fabric. It repels spills, so if you bring along a crew of kids sporting sticky hands and brightly colored drinks, no worries. The Santa Fe does not have this same stain protection.

Performance and Towing

With both the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe, you can choose from two different engines that produce varying amounts of pep. Let’s take a look.

In the Kia Sorento, you can select between the following engines:

• 2.4L 4-cylinder engine that generates 185 horsepower paired with 178 lb-ft of torque.
• 3.3L V6 engine that generates 290 horsepower paired with 252 lb-ft of torque.

If you go with the Hyundai’s standard 2.4L engine, you’ll find the same stats as the Kia SUV’s base engine:

• 2.4L 4-cylinder engine that issues 185 horsepower mated with 178 lb-ft of torque.
• 2.0L 4-cylinder Turbo engine that issues 235 horsepower mated with 260 lb-ft of torque.

To tow or not to tow? That’s the question and the Kia Sorento has the answer. Depending on which drivetrain you go with determines how much you can tow.

• Kia Sorento front-wheel drive (FWD) towing capacity veers from 2,000 to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped.
• Kia Sorento with all-wheel drive (AWD) tows up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.

The maximum towing capacity you can expect from the Hyundai is 3,500 pounds when properly equipped. So, if there’s a hefty load you want to tow, you know which way to go.

Which Do You Choose? 2021 Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe?

When you frequently see the 2021 Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe traveling through Coatesville, Downingtown, and Gap, PA, you’re familiar with both models. We hope our comparison will give Lancaster, PA; Reading, PA; and Newark, DE, shoppers something to talk about. For a last look, schedule a test drive at Kia of Coatesville.