2027 Hyundai Santa Fe vs. 2027 Kia Sorento

CarGurus says the Santa Fe feels particularly refined on the move, with silky-smooth hybrid power and suspension that does a brilliant job of soaking up bumps, calling it and the Sorento two of the strongest contenders in the class, from the same corporate family. Driving.ca's data-driven scoring gives the Sorento PHEV a 4.30 overall rating with 5 stars for safety, efficiency and cargo space, against the Santa Fe's 4.10 with 5 stars for safety and efficiency, a close result that comes down to whether you want the Sorento's plug-in hybrid range or the Santa Fe's refinement.

Which to choose, and why

Ride and refinement

CarGurus (opens in a new tab) says two of the strongest contenders in the class come from the same family, the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Kia Sorento, and that the Santa Fe feels particularly refined on the move, with silky-smooth hybrid power and suspension that does a brilliant job of soaking up lumps and bumps.

How they score and what the Sorento PHEV offers

Driving.ca (opens in a new tab) gives the 2027 Kia Sorento PHEV EX an overall data-driven rating of 4.30, with 5 stars for safety, efficiency and cargo space, against a 4.10 rating for the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe Luxury, with 5 stars for safety and efficiency. It says the Sorento PHEV comes with a plug-in hybrid powertrain making 261 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque, an option the Santa Fe does not match with the same electric-only range.

Questions buyers ask

Which is more refined, the Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia Sorento?

CarGurus (opens in a new tab) says the Santa Fe feels particularly refined on the move, with silky-smooth hybrid power and a suspension that soaks up bumps well.

Which scores higher, the Santa Fe or Sorento PHEV?

Driving.ca (opens in a new tab) gives the 2027 Sorento PHEV a 4.30 overall rating against 4.10 for the Santa Fe.

Side-by-side matrix

The published fields that can change the decision.

Hyundai Santa Fe: 5 records · Kia Sorento: 6 records.

Decision field	Hyundai Santa Fe	Kia Sorento
Exact EPA records	5	6
Model / option labels	5	4
Drive layouts	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive
Engines / propulsion	1.6L 4-cyl SIDI; Hybrid, 2.5L 4-cyl SIDI & PFI	1.6L 4-cyl SIDI; Hybrid, 2.5L 4-cyl SIDI & PFI
Transmissions	Automatic (AM-S6), Automatic (S8)	Automatic (AM-S6), Automatic (AM-S8), Automatic (S8)
Fuel types	Regular	Regular
EPA classes	Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD	Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Combined efficiency	21–36 MPG/MPGe	23–37 MPG/MPGe
Electric range	Not listed	Not listed
Annual fuel / energy estimate	$1800–3100 per year	$1750–2800 per year

Head to head

Hyundai Santa Fe vs. Kia Sorento: size, power, capability and price.

Measure	Hyundai Santa Fe	Kia Sorento
Horsepower	277 hp	191-281 hp
Torque	311 lb-ft	181-311 lb-ft
Curb weight	4,486 lb	3,814-4,213 lb
Length	190.2 in	189.6-189.8 in
Wheelbase	110.8 in	110.8 in
Cargo volume	79.6 cu ft	75.5 cu ft
Towing capacity	3,500-4,500 lb	2,000-4,500 lb
Seating	6-7 seats	6-7 seats
Basic warranty	5 years	5 years

Figures are ranges across each model’s trims from Kelley Blue Book records (2027 and 2026 model years); prices are KBB base prices.

On peak horsepower, the Kia Sorento leads: 281 hp against 277 hp.
Both list the same peak torque: 311 lb-ft.
The Kia Sorento is lighter, comparing lightest trims: 3,814 lb against 4,486 lb.
On length, the Hyundai Santa Fe leads: 190.2 in against 189.8 in.
Both list the same wheelbase: 110.8 in.
On cargo volume, the Hyundai Santa Fe leads: 79.6 cu ft against 75.5 cu ft.
Both list the same maximum towing capacity: 4,500 lb.
Both list the same seating capacity: 7 seats.
Both list the same basic warranty: 5 years.

Background on each vehicle

What public sources say about the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Kia Sorento.

2027 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a series of crossover SUVs produced across five generations by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 2000. It is named after the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was introduced for the 2001 model year as Hyundai's first SUV. The Santa Fe was a milestone in the company's restructuring program of the late 1990s because the SUV was a hit with American buyers.

Source: Hyundai Santa Fe (Wikipedia)

Marketing. Advertising Standards Bureau of Australia banned a Santa Fe TV commercial titled 'Restless' or 'Toddler' in 2007, which ASB argued that it promotes an illegal driving activity: an underaged person (a toddler) driving a car. He also picked up a hitchhiking toddler girl and both were wearing seatbelts instead of approved child restraints which also breached safety recommendations.

Powertrain. The long-wheelbase variant was released in South Korea as the Maxcruz on March 7, 2013. The longer Santa Fe receives a unique grille design, optional 19-inch alloy wheels, flush dual exhaust tips, and a body shape that accentuates the crossover's added passenger and cargo room hind-wise from the B-pillar.

NHTSA rated the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe overall 4 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (6 campaigns across the latest model years)

April 2026, Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, 2023-2026 Genesis G90, 2024-2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The driver and passenger seat belt anchors may detach. Consequence: A detached seat belt anchor will not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
January 2026, Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument… Consequence: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
November 2025, Air Bags:Side/Window:Curtain. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy… Consequence: Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Owners filed 133 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, most often about electrical system (28), unknown or other (27), power train (21).

2027 Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento is a series of two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive family SUVs manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2002 through four generations. Initially a compact SUV built on a body-on-frame chassis, the second-generation Sorento transitioned to a larger car-based platform which placed it into the mid-size crossover SUV class, and has been developed alongside the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Awards: In January 2021, the Sorento 1.6 T-GDi Hybrid 2 was named Large SUV of the Year by What Car magazine. What Car awarded the Sorento four stars out of five in its review of the car. In June 2022, the Sorento won Auto Trader UK's New Car Award for Best 7 Seater.

Source: Kia Sorento (Wikipedia)

Marketing. As part of 2014 Sorento market launch in the US, a campaign titled "It has an answer for everything" was unveiled during Super Bowl XLVII. "Space Babies" (directed by Jake Scott) commercial was premiered in the fourth quarter, featuring the existence of a faraway planet known as "Babylandia" and follows infant boys, girls, dogs, pandas and more on their journey to Earth to join their new families.

NHTSA rated the 2025 Kia Sorento overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (7 campaigns across the latest model years)

January 2026, Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may… Consequence: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
September 2025, Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire. Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
August 2025, Engine And Engine Cooling:Critical Fasteners. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K4 and Sorento vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power. Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Owners filed 74 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Kia Sorento, most often about electrical system (21), unknown or other (20), engine (19).

Open both dossiers

Resolve the exact engine, drive and EPA ID.

01 · 2027Hyundai Santa Fe5 configurations →02 · 2027Kia Sorento6 configurations →

Comparison answer desk

12 answers for this exact pairing.

Q01Which is more efficient: the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe or the 2027 Kia Sorento?

Efficiency

The 2027 Kia Sorento lists the higher combined-efficiency midpoint in this snapshot (30 vs. the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe's 28.5 MPG/MPGe).