2023 Kia Sportage v Nissan X-TRAIL Comparison | Classy new X-TRAIL takes on our medium SUV champion

Can the upmarket new Nissan X-TRAIL take down our reigning mid-size SUV champion? 👉 Full Review: www.carsales.c...
The award-winning 2023 Kia Sportage is facing one of the toughest challengers in its short but illustrious career - the all-new Nissan X-TRAIL, which is a much-improved vehicle compared to its predecessor.
In top-shelf GT-Line and Ti-L forms both vehicles are priced almost identically, but the Sportage on test here is the diesel, while the X-TRAIL is only offered with petrol engines.
But the X-TRAIL comes with a number of features not offered in the Sportage, such as a head-up display and a switchable digital rear-view mirror, and also offers better rear-seat versatility.
However, we named the Sportage our Best Mid-Size SUV of 2022 and not just because it comes with a long warranty… needless to say this was a very close contest, so find out which one is the winner in this video comparo.
Fast Forward
00:00 Intro
00:35 Pricing and specs
03:15 Sportage interior review
06:03 X-TRAIL interior review
08:53 Safety and technology
09:20 Passenger space
11:04 Luggage space
11:57 Sportage road test
13:53 X-TRAIL road test
15:47 Fuel efficiency
16:06 Verdict
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[@Mohajerhub]

Nissan X-Trail e-power e-4orce is a different breed.

[@Repentofyosins]

My mum has this and I seriously agree

[@Mohajerhub]

@@Repentofyosins I posted this a while back. Now I have owned the car for a few months and I love it!

[@Peace0101]

Just bought the Kia sportage absolutely amazing car.

[@damongarrett3329]

New Kia is good but nissan xtrail will wear better over time, trust me ive owned both older models and thr kia plastics did not survive my children like the nissans😂

[@noiseman1986]

Can’t agree with this. I tried the sportage and the xtrail and the sportage was underpowered, and just felt a bit cheaper and more plastic. Space wasn’t as big, didn’t have the safety of the xtrail or the features. Ended up buying the xtrail and love it

[@Bramasaurus]

you're dreaming pal. Sportage is light years ahead of the X-trail

[@mriganka15]

@@Bramasaurusnope. Having tested both, the cabin feeling of the xtrail is unmatched for similarly priced ones.

[@hatamsu]

I have been seriously considering of purchasing the Ti hybrid. Everything about the car was perfect, until I found out the hybrid version does not come with a spare tyre but a repair kit instead. Seriously, for something with "trail" in the name, the lack of a spare tyre is just dumbfounding.

[@Tek-eq4ic]

Seriously? If your going off roading you will have roof racks for storage and be pulling a small trailer for supplies. Two spare wheels and fuel in trailer, cooking appliances a small fridge and a winch. Higher suspension better shocks😂. By this time you would have worked out that the Patrol was the better car to buy. I don't think you have ever gone trail. Also the X-Trail hybrid is for using less fuel in city traffic.

[@hatamsu]

@@Tek-eq4ic I'm not planning to go off roading and wouldn't have a clue what to do when bogged down in the sands. But I do travel out of town into areas with no reception quite frequently, and certainly experienced swapping tyres out in the outback close to midnight with kangaroos around, multiple times. No freaking way would I be looking for punctures and prepping out the repair kit.

[@juliestephens7549]

@@hatamsu this is me as well I am guess buying for the same reason. And space saver tyres are also a problem because sometimes I’m left doing a lot of highway driving before I can get into the nearest town.

[@joeyzhang876]

😂for this one i will give to Kia。 but im buying the Xtrail Epower TiL

[@krinzh43357]

Tried both cars in test drive and can say they x-trail much better in interior and drive better

[@RE_ZeeKaay]

The Nissan X trail has already been awarded Australia's best medium SUV for 2023, but your saying the current champion is the Kia, that's a bit odd..!!

[@Tek-eq4ic]

Thank you for the research. It's the better car obviously.

[@southpawlibranine3511]

An you think that means jack?

[@Rally4Life1982]

It's because they tested the base model with the 2.0 engine in that review. It's a completely different thing to drive.

[@muhammadharits3237]

Sportage designe is so amazing 😊😊

[@sinceremanau]

Why do we always review 'top of the range' ... many of us aren't in that money bracket?

[@Tek-eq4ic]

Borrow more, you only live once. :))

[@DaNavMan]

The cigarette lighter port is NOT 240V. It's a 12V outlet. Also, the Nissan gets matrix LED headlights which are a game changer for night time driving on unlit roads. Additionally, the X-trail has a hybrid version which makes it much, much faster and more fuel economical as well. It costs about $4k more.

[@RiverDanube]

Having owned a Kia for 8 years, it doesn't hold it's value well and doesn't have the same quality as better branded cars such as Toyota, Nissan, Subaru etc. It's not as durable. We're going in for the long run this time and getting the X trail. It's a luxury car.

[@Tek-eq4ic]

Nappa leather, HUD, 3split rear seats and lots more, good choice, looks will turn heads for longer too.

[@nirmaljose8119]

How about Mazda CX 5?

[@RiverDanube]

@@nirmaljose8119 The car we owned before that was a Mazda 3. It was very reliable. I would consider it but find the exterior to be a little dull. It was not that good on petrol either considering it was a small car. We are committed to the X-Trail now and the fine print in the contract says we could be liable for 25% of the cost if we don't go through with the purchase.

[@vrs76r]

@@RiverDanubeI had the Mazda 3 SP25 up until I got the Ti-L e power about 6 weeks ago. On a regular daily commute, my avg fuel economy was 10.5-11.2l/100 in the Mazda. The X trail e power does that exact same route in 7.8-8.1l/100 which is impressive for a 2 tonne car that need to drive quite a bit of hills on this daily drive. So quiet and lots of instant power if you want to put the foot down. Super happy with the upgrade.

[@RiverDanube]

@@vrs76r It's a lot of petrol for a small car. Great to hear that you're happy with the upgrade. So excited, we got news today from the car yard that our TiL is on the ship, heading our way. It's not e power but we do less than 5,000 km's a year and the figures didn't add up for us. We've had demo's in the past and this is the first car that we got to choose the colours so we went all out.

[@BPatrickTan]

Tablet holders? I thought those were used to hang your coats

[@damieg82]

9:51 OMG those are NOT tablet holders, they are coat/jacket hooks. Do not put a tablet there... it will slide out and get damaged!

[@mrradbro3344]

Yeah lot of these reviewers dont know what they are talking about. Best is to research yourself and take it for a test drive

[@nevillegreg1]

No seat cooling in the Nissan, deal breaker for me. While neither car is meant for the motor enthusiast, would have been good to talk about which is more engaging on the open and winding roads, which one provides better feedback at the wheel. Also, not sure how many city folks would buy the diesel, odd that you didn't compare the petrol Kia and didn't mention towing capacity.

[@jihooncha-vs4om]

my love kia sportage

[@arjunpradhan2391]

Nissan X trail is a King❤ kia 😢

[@olivergosling3668]

This guy is just wrong. Got my X-Trail on order, picking it up soon. It’s a much better car

[@nurglesgrin8257]

You should have used a petrol kia then it would have been a fairer test for engine performance

[@NoChannelChannel]

Love diesel but you need to drive for extended distance to keep dpf healthy

[@nurglesgrin8257]

Do the test again with base models

[@raymondcox3585]

i like this video but the way you steer the steering wheel is wrong right?

[@kenslevin3380]

let's see you compare the e4orce to the kia

[@mylesfinn66]

What would reviewers do wihout scatchy plastics, cup holders and door pockets?

[@tonykourounblis1854]

Nissan for the win

[@rakesh890]

Kia Sportage doesn't come with a 7 seater though

[@AussieBronco]

Cvt v automatic.. Automatic all day over cvt

[@Gaurav.Shakya]

Honda ZR-V e:Hev LX or Qashqai epower, can u plz make a comparison video?

[@armaniyo]

How can anyone take this guy seriously when he describes the Sportage as "a delight to drive" when its actually underwhelming and not fun at all.

[@miketurner4462]

It's an opinion, just like yours is an opinion. Clearly the Kia is well liked, especially in the top spec GTline, kia have wait times of more than a year due to extremely high demand, so they can't be too bad.

[@armaniyo]

@@miketurner4462 Doesn't mean anything tbh as the Rav4 hybrid has extensive wait times too but the reality is that it is one underwhelming car to drive. Also a lot of these journalists are paid to 'hype' a car so you have to keep this in mind.

[@soulheal6303]

Sportage is really fun to drive and engaging, you should test drive one to appreciate it.

[@dzat]

Kia - choose the diesel.....Xtrail - choose the hybrid

[@pngmick]

I had noticed that the US Rogue has teeth in the cup holders. 7.12 . What gives? Surely the Japanese manufactured vehicle would have the same. Why the different tooling?

[@darthmelbius]

... and you will wait 18 months at least for the Kia. I'm still waiting...😢

[@centralkingdom8141]

Should compare the Xtril to Sorento instead of Sportage

[@andrewwilson2892]

me thinks a little bit bios review

[@veloce981]

Don't think the Kia has a tablet holder. I think it's for hanging clothes and bags.

[@reptileric]

Obviously it can function as both but the with that rubber lip on the inside edge it is definitely intended as a tablet holder.

[@Tek-eq4ic]

Lol, a tablet would fly off that thing. Why does the reviewer keep tugging on it, 😂.

[@Jstars200]

Honestly, Is it even a single point X-trail can compete with Sportage except price?

[@bigdoggy6650]

Nissan over Kia anyday!

[@koga1330]

KIA has much smaller luggage space. No wonder it is almost 20cm shorter. Should be compared to the Quashqai.

[@sternwho3932]

Would buy xtrail if it didn't have jatco cvt

[@BluePandaa284]

I test drive both today. Nissan exterior and interior looks better. It makes me feel luxury car. 1.6t and dct not good enough. 2.5 non turba plus cvt much comfy and smoothy. I would not compare these two.

[@tirana12100]

Apple to Pear Comparison! .. Nissan X-Trail is a D-Segment SUV, whereas Kia Sportage is C-SUV! If so I congratulate Kia Engineers for their "above-the class" work!

[@richking4705]

RAV4 don’t loose value like this other stuff

[@piyushporwal1307]

sportage is no comparision to xtrail comapridion must be done between equally capable models

[@karenwalker3958]

I wasn't impressed with Kia interior

[@josephpereira1390]

Breezy driving music

[@mrz1281]

should have been petrol vs petrol. unfair advantage against nissan. giving extra points to kia for fuel econ and power. plus the kia looks weired asf. id get the nissan if it was my money.

[@CROMA1927]

Spot on!

[@user-oz9dl4qn1h]

Kia duel-clutch no comparison to superior Nissan CVT transmission for downhill speed control in the mountains and acceleration in low gears.

[@reptileric]

The diesel doesn't have the duel clutch, it has the conventional 8 speed. The duel clutch in the Kia Petrol is absolute rubbish.

[@hinan187]

@@reptilericI have Kia Sportage GT with DCT. Very sporty feel, no lag, or sluggish. I had kia optima GT 180kw and this sportage feels the same powerful. Have done off-roading with it and never disappointed me.

[@miketurner4462]

The Nissan CVT has been problematic for many years, they're unreliable, the bands stretch and break Nissan still hasn't got it right, yet they stick with CVT anyway. At least the Kia Sportage GTline diesel is a conventional 8spd.

[@TenzWang88]

stay away from the Nissan cvt transmission if you value your moeny. lol

[@silversilv6630]

Nissan too small inside. Sportage longer and wider. Kia better

[@BluePandaa284]

Are you blind :D

[@BluePandaa284]

What are you talkin about? In every dimensions xtrail bigger ?

[@silversilv6630]

@@BluePandaa284 sit inside both cars and check yourself. I checked both sportage and xtrail. Sportage inside almost like sorento.

[@BluePandaa284]

@@silversilv6630 i already tested drive both in same day. Xtrail bigger than sportage. And if you check offical dimensions you can clearly see xtrail bigger car. I think you should spend more time in both car.

[@richking4705]

RAV4 king of the jungle

[@BluePandaa284]

I tested drive today. After rav4 (even edge badge) nissan made me feel another planet. How can you like rav4. It is really dated car.

[@abaidypostajigamer8728]

KIA wow

[@rickbelieves7652]

The CVT is like a rubber band in the NIssan, I did not like it during a test drive..

[@Bramasaurus]

Kia Sportage can not be beat in this category!

[@michaelb3798]

X-Trail won mid size car of the year 2023. Beating the Kia 😅

[@vaskodimoski5690]

Kia kills that Renault oops Hyundai/Kia

[@Tek-eq4ic]

Once again an unbiased review, NOT. The Kia Sportage is the raining SUV champion? WOW. Better interior upholstery finish and seats in the Nissan and has the HUD, never having to look down to check your speed and keep looking at Sat Nav or mis- hearing the next turn watching a screen is not safe. The Heads Up Display,(HUD) has everything you need. It shows Sat Nav turns coming up and distances, speed, cruise control proximity alerts, blind spot monitoring and a few things more. You will never have to look around the screens again, safest way to travel. Everything is on your windscreen. You drove the Turbo Diesel KIA Sportage, clearly higher torque once moving and commented how much power it has, a bad comparison. My Territory 2.7 liter turbo gets better liters per km than the Kia? Anybody just cruising about the city, avoid the Turbo Diesel Sportage, you will have huge expenses as you wont get to heat up the exhaust to burn off the diesel minerals. Suited for people who drive on freeways going 100 kms at least half an hour a week twice , heating the exhaust. This has no ad-blu like the BMW diesels and not suited for long term short daily trips in the city. The issue with the Kia Sportage is that the petrol versions are underpowered 9.9 seconds 0-100kms 2l and you will never get that with a full tank, kids in car and whatnot in boot. Expect to be looked at regularly because you are so slow. I estimate the petrol 2l petrol version loaded as above will be 11.5 seconds 0-100 and that's being generous. My Hyundai Kona has the same drivetrain. Slow cars fully loaded don't need better handling IMO . The 1.6l uses the worst transmission, avoid. The 2l petrol has a six speed auto 75% will buy this IMO and after you have worked out if the exhaust will get hot twice a week. Diesels motors take a long time to heat the exhaust. Engine choices by a reputable reviewer should point out these things in a review, this will lead to major costs incurred to the buyer and should be pointed out early. Not pointing what I have mentioned here could be bordering shameful. Reviewers should state who the car is suited to. A clever place to put the rear windscreen wipers is not a😅 feature I look at when buying a car. How do you clean the rubbers properly when you wash the car? Getting my arms all wet from the excess water dropping down doesn't appeal to me. Does the car have a half wiper stop function? Messing around with stopping the engine at the perfect time is not a thing people like to do in a self- serve car wash. Obviously the poor rear view due to the small window had them put it there? Thinking again changing wipers would be almost impossible as you could not totally lift the wipers up due to the wind deflector/ rear scoop. I would worry about scratching that and the rear window. The review stated the small rear window but never married the wiper being higher as a necessity, but a smart location. It is a necessity. High technology once set is not adjusted, as the reviewer demonstrates, look what I can do, see how fast it is. When your driving and concentrating and have no time to see all the cameras at work. Technology is suppose to work for you, beep when something is close, look in rear view mirror to see while reversing , cross traffic alert and finally stop if your going to hit something, not play around while driving to see your 360 camera , that shows on your screen when you start to reverse. A slower Sat Nav in the Nissan, what a statement. Once set you never have to look at the screen , everything is on your windscreen. A better drivetrain KIA but suited to only 25 percent of the population. The better fuel economy also would cost more at a diesel pump. The Nissan clearly won in the back seat, sunviser built in, adjustable rear seats with tilt, plus climate control. Who cares about tablet holders for rear seat passenger, especially with no clips to hold them in, who designed them? To me it looks like the tablets will move and fall off let alone rattle and cause lots of wear and tear. Surely the tablets there will leave marks and stains on those cream surfaces. Please in your next review of the Sportage, I am sure there will be one, put a tablet in one of those holders, connect it to a charger and do your test drive in one, let the viewers see if it stays there . Oh stop tugging on it to show it's strong, people want to see if it's functional and not going to leave scratches and tears in the future. Interesting how you did not comment on the rear seat split once down on either car, just showing you can pull down one of the Kia's 50/50 with a leaver was biased. Surely the features of both boots in a family SUV is important to families.I think the Nissan has 3 splits allowing two occupants to travel in the rear if you have a long object your carrying, correct me please if i am wrong. In the Kia you can only have one rear passenger carrying a long load. Also why didn't you show the front arm rest storage on the KIA? Seems you flew through it very quickly. The Nissan looked superior , double opening access to both front driver and passenger, better storage and amenities such as charging and sockets? Reviewers should show both, instead you picked on the Nissan not having springs on the front bottle holders. You know those things eventually fail, it's better to buy rubbers that sit inside the holders, your bottles and drinks will never move then. IMHO, go look and test drive both, not the diesel Kia if you dont get your exhaust hot enough a few times a week. Look at finishes, driver and passenger comforts, everything I have pointed out here, check the tablet holder secures a tablet. Check the front middle console on both cars, see which is best. The thing that will sway you is the HUD( heads up display) on the Nissan X-Trail, well done, never having to take your eyes off the road while driving. Who needs big screens that you have to look at when everything is on your windscreen? Fighter pilots and BMW( who has it in every car) surely can't be wrong? Safety. If this is your local run family car, school run and local shopping only i would recommend the Nissan, even with the cvt transmission. Look at the reviewers face when he says it had a cvt transmission. Nissan has developed the cvt and used it in every X-Trail it ever built, that says a lot. The X-Trail is also safer with the HUD especially in peak hour traffic. Alternatively if it feels too big go for CX-5 2.5l Petrol or Petrol Turbo, also has the HUD. Unfortunately the Mazda has no ad-blu on the Turbo Diesel so 75% needs to avoid the diesel. 0-100km in the Nissan is 7 seconds, lack lustered indeed. What's the Sportage?...no matter what search I do I get nothing.😂.

[@CROMA1927]

I think You made good and valid points. The X-Trail to me is also the better car. One reason alone is the horrendous plastic in the KIA. My choice would be the XTrail NConnecta 2-wheel E-Power model.

[@shanna7010]

Mate I wish you can do car review videos, u remind me of old the top gear show season 😂

[@alxdava2004]

A lot of bollocks in your comment. Much of the things you mentioned depend on the level of trims you choose or have money for.

[@muhammadharits3237]

Nissan steer design is bad 😅😅

[@TimEnsor-dm2km]

The Kia looks ugly to me

[@pothpornchaiimongkon]

😊😊😊

[@Rayman96]

The Nissan looks like garbage and won’t age well