Kia Sportage vs Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser was offered in two trim levels, with the base model named the 1958, a nod to its North American debut year. This version had a retro aesthetic, featuring round headlights, cloth seats, and basic equipment, available in three paint colours. Despite its nostalgic charm, the 1958 model was priced at $73,270, including destination charges, making it a costly choice for those seeking a budget-friendly SUV. The Cruiser trim, priced at $82,030, presented a more modern and upscale appearance, with additional colour options, a refined interior, and essential off-roading enhancements. The Premium Package further elevated the Cruiser trim with leather upholstery and advanced technology, bringing the MSRP to $90,603. The Land Cruiser's design emphasized off-road capabilities, with a traditional two-box SUV shape, dark grey cladding, and an optional roof rack to maximize utility. Inside, the Cruiser trim offered a more luxurious feel than the 1958, with Java-coloured leather and dual 12.3-inch digital screens enhancing its technological appeal. The intuitive steering wheel controls were a notable improvement over those in the Lexus RX.

The 2026 Kia Sportage underwent a styling refresh, giving it a more rugged, truck-like appearance while maintaining its distinctive wide grille and corner-positioned headlights. The grille became more rectangular, and the headlights and daytime running lights adopted a vertical orientation, aligning with the larger Sorento and Telluride models. Despite these changes, the rear end retained its curvaceous design, creating a slight mismatch with the restyled front. The Sportage's 2,755-millimetre wheelbase was notably longer than competitors like the Subaru Forester and Nissan Rogue, contributing to its spacious profile. The test vehicle, a U.S.-spec Sportage X-Pro, showcased off-road-oriented features, though this variant wasn't available in Canada. The X-Line models offered off-road appearance packages with unique bumpers and tread-like stitching on SynTex upholstery. Inside, the Sportage featured a new steering wheel design reminiscent of early airbag-equipped wheels, adding a distinctive touch to the straightforward interior. The dashboard's large air vents were removed, emphasizing the curved screen. While materials weren't luxurious, they felt appropriate for an active lifestyle-focused model.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser was equipped with Toyota's i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor. This setup delivered 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, channelled through a full-time four-wheel-drive system with electronic locking rear and centre differentials. The Land Cruiser boasted a towing capacity of 2,720 kilograms and featured standard Downhill Assist Control and Crawl Control. The Cruiser trim added Multi-Terrain Select off-roading modes, Multi-Terrain Monitor camera views, and a front stabilizer bar disconnect feature. Despite an official fuel economy rating of 10.1 L/100 km, real-world testing revealed a less efficient 15.0 L/100 km. The Land Cruiser excelled as a daily driver and off-road adventurer, though it struggled on twisty roads due to its tires and suspension tuning. Its high seating position provided excellent visibility, and off-road capabilities were enhanced by features like the front stabilizer bar disconnect and Crawl Control. While powerful and responsive, the Land Cruiser's acceleration and handling were best suited for slow and steady driving.

The 2026 Kia Sportage offered a range of powertrains, including conventional gasoline, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options. The base LX grade 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. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models utilized a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an integrated electric motor, delivering 232 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque for hybrids, and 268 horsepower for plug-in hybrids. While the base engine was less powerful, it remained competitive within the segment. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains offered more refinement and consistent torque delivery. The 2.5-litre engine performed adequately, though quicker transmission responses would have been appreciated.

Upgrading from the Land Cruiser 1958 to the Cruiser trim replaced cloth upholstery with Toyota's SofTex artificial leather, adding ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Premium Package introduced real leather and a power sunroof. Front seats provided excellent support, but second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle. Long-legged passengers might find the running boards obstructive, though they aided roof rack access. The rear window design was less practical than the 4Runner's, and the centre console's cool box seemed unnecessary. The Land Cruiser offered 1,062 litres of cargo space, expandable to 2,324 litres with the rear seats folded, though the high load floor required effort when loading heavy items.

The 2026 Kia Sportage's interior space remained competitive, with headroom and legroom comparable to rivals. Rear-seat legroom surpassed competitors like the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Forester. Cargo space measured 1,036 litres with the rear seats in place, expandable to 2,098 litres with the dual-level cargo floor in its lower position. The Sportage's towing capacity was 1,130 kilograms for non-hybrid models and 900 kilograms for hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. The centre console offered ample storage, with a wireless charging pad, adaptable cupholders, and a large storage bin. Despite retaining a large shift lever and prominent buttons, Kia effectively utilized the available space.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's Cruiser trim upgraded the 7-inch digital driver display and 8-inch touchscreen to dual 12.3-inch displays. The Toyota Audio Multimedia system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. Four connected service plans were available, including Service Connect, Safety Connect, Remote Connect, and Drive Connect. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, a wireless smartphone charger, a head-up display, a digital rearview mirror, and digital key technology.

The 2026 Kia Sportage featured a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster on the X-Line Limited trim. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and wireless phone charging were standard on most trims. The X-Line Limited included a Harman Kardon audio system, a head-up display, and digital key functionality. The horizontal display blended the instrument cluster and touchscreen, similar to luxury models. While the interface had sharp graphics, usability issues arose from screen-centric controls, requiring frequent swiping and complicating Android Auto exit. Some physical buttons were provided, but climate and audio functions shared a control panel.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser came with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist detection. Lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centring assist were included, along with adaptive cruise control and a semi-autonomous highway driving aid. Additional features included a road sign reader, automatic high-beam headlights, and Proactive Driving Assist. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, and Traffic Jam Assist. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side-impact testing and three stars for rollover resistance.

The 2026 Kia Sportage offered adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and lane following assist as standard. Higher trims featured Highway Driving Assist, a surround-view camera system, and a blind-spot view monitor. The Sportage received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in frontal and side crash testing and four stars for rollover performance.