SUVs have become a big deal in the last ten years. What says safety better than a ton of steel around the driver and passengers? However, these steel boxes have changed over the last decade or so, and have been repurposed to be more than just durable, cargo and people haulers. Some, like the Kia Sorento, are likened to more of a crossover. Its counterpart, the Kia Sportage, is a larger family crossover. They’re a lot alike. So what makes them different?

Trims and Price

First thing’s first – how many choices does each vehicle provide, and what is the cost to own? The 2017 Kia Sportage SUV is available in three trims and the base trim starts at $22,990.

The 2017 Kia Sorento SUV is available in seven trims. The MSRP starts at $25,400 and climbs through the lineup.

Engine Options

Both the Sportage and Sorento also have an option of front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), which changes their fuel economy. The base engine on both of Kia’s SUVs is a 2.4-liter DOHC 16 I4 engine, and they are both available with a turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 engine. However, the power and fuel economy the engines produce is different on each model.

On the Kia Sportage, the 2.4-liter engine generates 181-horsepower and has a fuel economy of  23/30 mpg city/highway. When the Kia Sportage is equipped with the turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 engine, the Sportage produces 240 horsepower and has a fuel economy of 21/26 mpg city/highway.

When the Sorento is equipped with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, it generates 290 horsepower and has a fuel economy of 18/25 mpg city/highway. When equipped with the 2.4-liter engine, it produces 185-horsepower and has a fuel-economy of 21/28 mpg city/highway. The third option, a 3.3-liter DOHC V6 engine (only available on the Sorento), which generates 240-horsepower, has a fuel-economy of 20/27 mpg city/highway.

Interior

The 2017 Kia Sorento comes standard with Cloth Seats with YES Essentials Fabric treatment, or in leather trim (premium or standard), whereas the Sportage has cloth and leather, with YES Essentials as an option, and only on the LX.

The Sportage has 40/40 split-fold rear seatbacks; the Sorento has second row 40/20/20 split-folding seats and 50/50 split-fold third row seating. Depending on the trim, the Sorento can also seat up to seven passengers, being a family SUV; the Sportage is locked in at five passengers.

Because both SUVs have split-fold seating, there is of course different ways to store cargo. Here are the different specs:

Sportage

Cargo space with seat up – 30.7 cubic feet

Cargo space with seat down – 60.1 cubic feet

Sorento

5-seater

Cargo space behind first row – 73.5 cubic feet

Cargo space behind second row – 38.8 cubic feet

7-seater

Cargo space behind first row – 73.0 cubic feet

Cargo space behind second row – 38.0 cubic feet

Cargo space behind second row – 11.3 cubic feet

Since both models have had their 2017 versions released, drivers have the most up-to date SUV/Crossovers the market has to offer when choosing between the 2017 Kia Sportage SUV and the 2017 Kia Sorento SUV. What it all comes down to is preferences for seating capacity and storage space. You can take a look at what’s in stock in our inventory.

Photo Source/Copyright: Kia Ad Planner