Kia Sportage vs Toyota Land Cruiser

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, pushing the headlights to the corners, continued from the previous generation but evolved into a more rectangular shape with vertical headlights and daytime running lights. This design aligned the Sportage with Kia's larger Sorento and Telluride models, enhancing its rugged appeal. Despite these changes, the rest of the vehicle retained its previous look, with a curvaceous rear end and taillights that didn't quite match the restyled front. The Sportage's 2,755-millimetre wheelbase was notably longer than its competitors, adding visual interest with crisp body lines across its expansive sheet metal.

Inside, the 2026 Sportage featured a new steering wheel design reminiscent of early airbag-equipped wheels from the late 1980s, adding a distinctive touch to an otherwise straightforward interior. The dashboard's large air vents were removed, making the curved screen more prominent. While the materials used weren't luxurious, they offered a quality feel suitable for an active lifestyle. The test vehicle, a U.S. specification Sportage X-Pro, was not available in Canada, but the X-Line models offered off-road appearance packages with unique bumpers, tread-like stitching on SynTex artificial leather upholstery, and all-season tires on 19-inch wheels. The EX Premium trim also featured 19-inch wheels, while other trims came with 17-inch or 18-inch wheels.

The 2027 Toyota Land Cruiser was available in two versions: the Land Cruiser 1958 and a higher trim level. The 1958 model was distinguishable by its round headlights and cloth seats, while the higher trim featured rectangular lamps and standard artificial leather upholstery. The higher trim also offered more colour options and additional features. Starting at $73,600 in Canada, the 1958 catered to those seeking a basic yet functional vehicle, while the upmarket version, priced from $82,390, targeted buyers looking for more luxury.

The Land Cruiser's cabin prioritized function over form, with the test vehicle's Premium Package adding soft leather upholstery and generous padding. The displays and switchgear were similar to those in the more expensive Lexus GX, giving the Land Cruiser a premium feel. Despite a thin metallic echo when doors slammed, the vehicle exuded quality in construction and materials. The Land Cruiser's design and engineering focused on serious off-roading, with features like centre and locking rear differentials, hill start and descent assist, and Crawl Control. The vehicle's ground clearance and approach, breakover, and departure angles were impressive, making it capable of tackling challenging terrains.

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. 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. While the base engine was less powerful, it was competitive within its segment. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains offered more refinement and torque, though the transmission's response could have been quicker.

The 2027 Toyota Land Cruiser was equipped with the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain, shared with the 4Runner SUV and Tacoma pickup truck. This system combined a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, producing 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission, full-time four-wheel drive, and a trailer brake controller were standard, along with a towing capacity of 2,722 kilograms. Fuel consumption was rated at 10.1 litres per 100 kilometres combined, though real-world testing showed higher figures during a heat wave and on mountainous routes.

The Land Cruiser's off-road capabilities were enhanced by features like centre and locking rear differentials, hill start and descent assist, and Crawl Control. The vehicle's ground clearance and approach, breakover, and departure angles were impressive, allowing it to tackle challenging terrains with ease. The higher-spec Land Cruiser offered additional features like Multi-Terrain Select modes, a Multi-Terrain Monitor camera system, and a front stabilizer bar disconnect system. Despite its weight, the i-Force Max powertrain provided adequate power, with the 465 lb-ft of torque feeling particularly impressive.

The 2026 Kia Sportage's exterior styling changes did not impact its interior space, which remained competitive within the segment. Headroom in both rows was comparable 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 surpassing the Nissan, Subaru, and the redesigned 2026 Toyota RAV4. Cargo space was 1,036 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,962 litres with them folded, expandable to 2,098 litres with the dual-level cargo floor in its lower position. The non-hybrid Sportage's towing capacity was 1,130 kilograms, more than a CR-V but less than a RAV4.

The 2027 Toyota Land Cruiser's 1958 model featured manually adjustable heated front seats with cloth upholstery, while the higher trim offered power-adjustable, ventilated front seats with SofTex artificial leather. The Premium Package added genuine leather, memory settings, and heated and ventilated rear seats. The Land Cruiser's seats were comfortable, with ample room for five passengers, though a third-row seat was not available. Storage was mixed, with the optional centre console cool box holding only four beverage cans. The power liftgate provided access to a 1,062-litre cargo area, expandable to 2,327 litres, though the high liftover height and lack of a flat surface made loading bulky items challenging.

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 available 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. However, the screen-centric interface required regular swiping and lacked physical buttons for climate and audio controls.

The 2027 Toyota Land Cruiser 1958 featured a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, while the higher trim offered 12.3-inch displays. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were included, along with trial periods for Toyota's connected services. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL audio system, digital rearview mirror, and head-up display. Four connected service plans were available, with complimentary subscriptions for Service Connect, Safety Connect, and Remote Connect. The infotainment system was simple and easy to use, though it lacked a home screen with different data panels.

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. Higher trim levels offered the Highway Driving Assist system, surround-view camera system, and 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.

The 2027 Toyota Land Cruiser featured Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which included high beam assist, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and lane centring assist. Proactive Driving Assist added subtle braking and steering inputs for extra safety. Additional features included blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a surround-view camera system. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and mostly Good ratings from the IIHS, with some Acceptable and Marginal scores.