Kia Sportage vs Lexus NX Hybrid

The 2026 Kia Sportage showcased a refreshed styling that gave it a more rugged, truck-like appearance, ensuring it stood out in the compact crossover segment. The wide grille design, which pushed the headlights to the corners of the front fascia, continued from previous models but evolved into a more rectangular shape with vertical headlights and daytime running lights. This design aligned the Sportage with the larger Sorento and Telluride models, enhancing its rugged appeal. Despite these changes, the rest of the vehicle maintained its previous look, with a curvaceous rear end and taillights that didn't quite match the restyled front. The vehicle's profile highlighted a 2,755-millimetre wheelbase, longer than both the Subaru Forester and Nissan Rogue, with crisp body lines adding visual interest.

Inside, the 2026 Sportage featured a new steering wheel with a squared-off rim and a large rectangular centre, reminiscent of early airbag-equipped wheels from the late 1980s. This distinctive touch complemented an otherwise straightforward interior. The dashboard's large air vents were removed, making the curved screen more prominent. While the materials weren't luxurious, they offered a quality feel suitable for active lifestyles. The U.S.-spec Sportage X-Pro off-road grade was not available in Canada, but the X-Line models offered off-road appearance packages with unique bumpers, tread-like stitching on SynTex upholstery, and all-season tires on 19-inch wheels.

The 2026 Lexus NX Hybrid, specifically the NX 350h F Sport 3, exhibited an over-stylized design typical of modern Lexus models. Its front featured a large, intricately patterned spindle grille, flanked by squinting LED headlights and mostly filled-in air intakes, creating an aggressive and complex face. While some found it attractive, others felt it was overly ambitious. The profile was sporty yet less extroverted, with smooth, rounded edges and body-coloured fender flares suggesting a focus on road performance rather than off-roading. F Sport elements included dark trim on mirrors, window surrounds, rocker panels, roof rails, and 20-inch wheels. The fastback roof shape echoed coupe-like crossovers such as the BMW X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe.

Inside, the NX combined a sporty look with modern technology, featuring a digital instrument cluster that seemed to flow into the large touchscreen, angled toward the driver for a cockpit-like feel. The F Sport 3 test car boasted dark graphite aluminum trim, metal pedals, a perforated leather-trimmed steering wheel, and optional two-tone Circuit Red synthetic leather upholstery on sport bucket seats. Lexus's NuLuxe textile convincingly mimicked real leather, offering a high-quality look and sturdy feel. Soft-touch surfaces adorned the door panels, dash, and centre console, enhancing the upscale ambiance.

The 2026 Kia Sportage offered a range of powertrains, including conventional gasoline, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options. The gas powertrain featured a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. This engine was available with front-wheel drive on the base LX grade, while all other versions in Canada came with all-wheel drive. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid models used a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine combined with an electric motor, delivering 232 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque for hybrids, and 268 hp for plug-in hybrids. Despite being the least powerful, the unassisted four-cylinder engine was competitive with rivals, while the hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains offered more refinement and consistent torque.

The 2026 Lexus NX Hybrid, specifically the NX 350h F Sport 3, wasn't as sporty as its name suggested. It featured adaptive dampers with Normal and Sport settings and a firmer suspension, but it wasn't designed for aggressive cornering. With 18.5 centimetres of ground clearance, the hybrid SUV leaned in bends and didn't gather its weight quickly enough to feel agile. Handling was controlled rather than sporty, with weighty steering that firmed up in Sport S and Sport S+ drive modes, though feedback was minimal. The ride was firm but comfortable, even with 20-inch wheels and stiffer suspension. The hybrid powertrain combined a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with three electric motors for standard all-wheel drive, producing 240 horsepower. Lexus quoted a 7.2-second 0 to 96 km/h time. Power delivery wasn't exhilarating, and the drivetrain felt slushy, though it was quick enough for traffic. Steering wheel paddles allowed for simulated downshifts, but they didn't mimic regular automatic transmission gear ratios. The NX 450h plug-in hybrid offered more power at 340 hp.

The 2026 Kia Sportage's exterior styling changes didn't impact interior space, which remained competitive in the segment. Headroom in both rows was nearly identical to key rivals, though the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester offered slightly more in the first row without a sunroof. Legroom was similar to other small crossovers, with rear-seat legroom matching the best in the segment and surpassing the Nissan, Subaru, and redesigned 2026 Toyota RAV4. Cargo space was 1,036 litres with the rear bench in place and 1,962 litres with it folded, expandable to 2,098 litres behind the first row and 1,121 litres behind the second row by lowering the dual-level cargo floor. The non-hybrid Sportage's towing capacity was 1,130 kilograms, more than a CR-V but less than a RAV4. The centre console offered ample storage, with a wireless charging pad, adjustable cupholders, and a large storage bin, despite retaining a large shift lever and prominent buttons for heating.

The 2026 Lexus NX Hybrid's F Sport 3 model featured well-bolstered front seats with ample room for tall adults. Power seat and steering wheel adjustments allowed for comfortable seating positions, complemented by heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Heated rear seats were standard on the Executive and F Sport 3 packages. A wireless phone charger was available at the centre stack's base, with cupholders next to the electronic shifter and a large console bin for small items. The rear seat accommodated two average-sized adults comfortably, with 950 millimetres of rear headroom and 917 mm of legroom. The rear cushion was comfortable for long trips, aided by a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders. The NX's cargo space was limited for its class, with 643 litres behind the rear seats and 1,328 litres with them folded, compared to the Acura RDX and Volvo XC60. The coupe-like roof shape contributed to this limitation, but the cargo hold was still useful for errands.

The 2026 Kia Sportage came standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, joined by a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster on the X-Line Limited trim. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with SiriusXM satellite radio. Wireless phone charging was standard on all but the base LX trim. The X-Line Limited featured a Harman Kardon premium audio system, head-up display, and digital key functionality. The horizontal display blended the instrument cluster and touchscreen into one unit, similar to luxury cars. While the interface had sharp graphics and large icons, it required regular swiping due to limited home screen space. Exiting Android Auto was more complicated than necessary, and while some buttons were provided, climate control and audio functions shared a control panel, requiring attention to avoid mistakes.

The 2026 Lexus NX Hybrid featured a 9.8-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch touchscreen as standard, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio compatibility. A programmable head-up display and wireless phone charger were optional, as was a 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system. A three-year Remote Connect subscription included a 4G connection and an app for remote starting, door lock/unlock, and vehicle status alerts. Drivers could customize the instrument cluster display using touch-sensitive controllers on the steering wheel, with options for trip fuel economy, head-up display information, and phone or audio details. The right-hand controller also managed adaptive cruise control settings. The touchscreen, angled toward the driver, responded quickly to inputs, with a volume dial and embedded temperature controls for easy access. Navigation required a Remote Connect subscription.

The 2026 Kia Sportage came equipped with standard driver-assist features, including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and lane following assist. Front and rear parking sensors were available, along with driver fatigue detection, rear seat reminders, and door opening alerts for oncoming traffic. Higher trims featured the Highway Driving Assist system with automated lane centring, a surround-view camera system, and a blind-spot view monitor. The Sportage received the highest Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in frontal and side crash testing and four stars for rollover crash performance.

The 2026 Lexus NX Hybrid earned the highest Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and received four out of five stars in the NHTSA frontal crash test and five stars in the side crash test. The NX 350h came standard with the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 suite, including blind spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, lane keep assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and intersection assist, and emergency steering assist. Optional features included automatic parking, front cross-traffic alert, lane change assist, and a surround-view camera system. All systems performed well during winter testing, though the adaptive cruise control was somewhat complex to operate with the steering wheel controller.