Think this is an apples-and-oranges comparison? Think again Automotive columnist: Dan Heyman , Updated: 2023-01-27
• Auto123 compares the 2022 Nissan Rogue Taos and 2022 Kia Sportage HEV.
• One’s a hybrid, the other isn’t, and yet they deliver roughly equal fuel economy. Interesting…
Let’s address the elephant in the room: One of these vehicles is a hybrid, and the other is not. Well, right now there is no hybridized Rogue. And if and when we get one, it will likely be a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), as it shares a platform with the Mitsubishi Outlander – which has a PHEV variant.
Meanwhile, the 1.5L turbo 3-cylinder found in most Rogue models (base S models get a naturally aspirated 2.5L 4-cylinder) is the most fuel-efficient and powerful engine you can get, and we were eager to see if it was a viable alternative to Kia’s hybrid.
2023 Nissan Rogue
Take a drive anywhere in Canada you’re likely to see a Rogue before long. Nissan sells them in droves – it is their best-selling model currently (and soon it will be of all time). And the Rogue is now discretely handsome – more on that in a bit.
Interior
Our tester was a Platinum ($43,248; the base FWD S model starts at $30,848, with AWD coming in at $32,398), meaning it sits at the top of the Rogue lineup. Darned if its not full value for that.
This model has two-tone leather seating with diamond pattern, 12.3-inch digital gauge display, 9-inch infotainment display (up from 8 on other models) with wireless Apple CarPlay and a heads-up display. As popular as the last Rogue was, it wasn’t known for the quality of the interior materials. Nissan aimed to change that with this new model.
We also find a central front storage bin usable by both front- and rear-seat passengers, height-adjusting cargo floor (you have up to 2,064 litres of storage with the rear seats folded flat, down a little on what’s offered by the Sportage) and Zero Gravity seats developed with NASA that really hit the sweet spot between support and comfort.
In terms of tech, Nissan’s native interface isn’t the most advanced; I appreciate the shortcuts across the bottom of the display, but the graphics are tame and not that quick to react. I do appreciate wireless Carplay and charging, and I spent most of my time with the Rogue in this mode.
Of course, in addition to infotainment, that display also shows the backup camera image and Nissan’s Surround View monitor is one of the best around. The resolution is sharp, there are a multitude of angles to choose from (with a dual display) and the top-down view is so accurate it makes parking the Rogue really easy.
If looks could…
The exterior styling of the previous-generation Rogue wasn’t really its calling card. Indeed, a mass-market crossover like this draws a lot of conservative buyers who don’t want to rock the boat when it comes to styling.
Times are changing, because other than the patented “V-motion” grille, there isn’t much carried over from the old Rogue in front. And that V signature is taken to an extreme on this Rogue. The most noticeable difference is the dual-tier headlight treatment. You may not realize it at first, but the headlights aren’t the top-tier – those are the DRLs, the headlights taking their spot below. It’s a kinda menacing look.
The rear fascia doesn’t see quite as drastic a change. The taillight lenses are a little more built-up but the main difference is the large “ROGUE” scripting stretching across the rear fascia. That’s part of a trend sweeping through the crossover and SUV world these days and it’s one I like. You also get an exposed skidplate (probably not necessary for most Rogue drivers) and two-tone wheel choices.
To the power of three
The powertrain is more where this Rogue advances in comparison with the old one. The 1.5L turbo (201 hp, 225 lb-ft of torque) is a punchy little engine and an improvement over the 2.5L unit. Power is sent to all four wheels via a CVT.
Yes, unfortunately for some, even with the new engine we’re still having to work with a continuously variable transmission, not the best dance partner for enthusiastic drivers. There is a pair of paddles to provide a little more engagement, but even with this punchy motor I was content to leave it in automatic and be on my way.
Which can be done quite quickly, if you see fit. Peak power and peak torque land early so it doesn’t take much effort to get hustling in a hurry. You have good acceleration both from stop and, more importantly, at speed so you’re never left wanting for power when highway passing. This small engine will get a little harsh sounding when pushed, though.
The ride benefits from smart damper tuning that ensures cabin occupants are isolated from road imperfections and so on. You don’t get a tonne of feel through the steering wheel, but we’re not driving a sports car here and most Rogue buyers will be happy with less of the outside world bothering them.
Through the turns and back on the straight and narrow is when you start to explore the Rogue’s driver aides. Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist (PPA) takes care of the semi-autonomous stuff like lane centering assist and intelligent cruise control, while its Safety Shield 360 suite takes care of stuff like rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning and emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
To turn on PPA, just press a wheel-mounted button; Safety Shield is done via the gauge cluster. It’s all easy to work with once there, but to have to navigate to a menu to switch off lane departure warning, for example, is annoying.
2023 Kia Sportage HEV
The Sportage gets a complete redesign for 2023, and frankly there are few crossovers out there that look this unique. All sorts of interesting front and back details emerge, like the front end with its aggressive take on Kia’s Tiger Nose grille; you’d be hard pressed to tell there are any headlights at all. They’re there, pushed far to each corner of the grille and overshadowed by the boomerang LED DRLs. The best way to describe the look is “alien”.
The wide-open space theme continues at the back, where the Sportage takes cues from the EV6 electric crossover so the taillights have also been shoved to either corner of the fascia but are connected by a contrast-colour insert. The rest is vast open space with the newest Kia logo taking the place of the Nissan SUV’s scripting.
The side profile view isn’t as aggressive, but past the wheel design and maybe a panel crease or two, there isn’t all that much you can do with the side profile of a crossover to add aggression. The gunmetal wheels are edgy if not that flashy and the chrome strip at the bottom of the doors is subtle.
Still, this is the most unique-looking crossover available in Canada today and even with its new dual-tier headlamps, V-motion grille and so on, the Rogue will never turn as many heads as the Kia.
Step Inside
I thought there was no way the interior styling could ever match that of the exterior. I was wrong, and it all starts with the instrument cluster.
It isn’t really a cluster at all as that implies a number of different mechanical bits packaged together. Rather, it’s a digital display, which is standard on all models, from the base HEV EX ($36,495) to the top-spec SX ($43,195). That base price, by the way, is around $8,000 more than on the non-hybrid LX FWD model and about $1,000 more than a non-hybrid but similarly equipped EX model.
Yes, the Rogue also gets a digital gauge cluster but only on the top-spec Platinum model, and it doesn’t change in appearance depending on the drive mode. With the Sportage, these vary depending on which of the three drive modes – Eco, Smart and Sport – you’ve selected.
The infotainment display is the same size and the driver data display, but it’s curved and angled towards the driver. It displays a faster, slicker interface than the Rogue and gets neat bits like the Sounds of Nature app. That aural extra may not seem like much, but it’s little touches like this that add just that much more humanity to the experience.
The ultramodern feel continues with both the transmission and climate/infotainment controls, sometimes to the detriment of their usability. The former is controlled via a scroll wheel, the latter two are by the same buttons…in a way.
There is a low-profile touch panel just below the infotainment display and what it shows depends on which of the two tiny buttons on the left you’ve pressed. One is marked with an arrow, and they toggle you between the navigation system and audio on the one hand and the climate controls on the other. It’s a fine idea, but the toggle buttons are small so I always had to look down to switch them.
The powertrain mode toggle and terrain mode toggle are controlled via a wheel; just press down to toggle between the two. That works. The other clutter-removing approach? Not so much.
I did appreciate how the auxiliary climate controls – heated steering wheel, seats – are aligned perfectly logically in a button bank just above and right of the transmission wheel. That makes a lot of sense.
Mixed-bag powertrain
Like the Rogue, the Sportage gets a small-displacement (1.6L) turbo 4-cylinder engine, but it’s aided here by a small permanent-magnet EV motor, for a total of 177 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. That’s nice, but it’s beaten pretty cleanly on both fronts by the Rogue. Plus, the hybrid system adds weight, bringing the curb weight to 3,896 lb, about 150 more than the Rogue. So it’s less powerful and heavier. If you want power that’s even with the Rogue – beats it, actually — you have to opt for the PHEV version.
You do feel that weight as you start to delve into the powerband. Having a traditional close-ratio six-speed automatic (with paddle shifters) and standard AWD helps a little, but the Sportage doesn’t feel as fast as the Rogue either from a standstill or when at speed. Neither are sports cars, so all-out performance isn’t at the top of buyers’ punch lists, but this is a comparison test and there are those out there what will appreciate the extra oomph the Rogue provides.
That said, even more crucial is ride comfort, and while the Rogue is good, the Sportage is better. It goes about its business with less drama, meaning there’s less road noise and less wind noise. The engine noise is almost a non-factor when you’re cruising along in low-stress environments. When you start to stress it, though – which doesn’t take as much effort as you might think – it gets more strained and grating than the Rogue. Which, because it’s otherwise so quiet and calm, is a bit of a rude awakening,
Drive judiciously, however, and you can sit back and enjoy all those aspects we mentioned, plus a few more. One nice example is the blind spot system, which has the digital gauge cluster become a blind spot camera when you activate either indicator.
Like the Rogue, there’s a whole suite of systems from lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control to rear cross-traffic alert and so on. It all works well and is never too invasive. In both vehicles, though, there’s a lack of hard buttons to modify things. It’s all done via the infotainment system and that can be a bit of a slog.
Advantage Nissan Rogue
With the extra power and less weight, the Rogue does a better job in terms of powertrain dynamics. It’s not the smoothest engine, but it’s responsive and I wasn’t left wanting for more performance.
Advantage Kia Sportage
While the Rogue’s interior is well-appointed, it feels somewhat old school and just a little sterile when compared with the Sportage. The Kia’s lighting, modifiable gauge cluster, clever apps and curved displays help create a cockpit that’s both futuristic and convivial.
Similarities
There are a few, but one big one: fuel economy. Across identical drives in similar weather, I saw almost identical fuel economy figures between these two: the Rogue was good for 7.2L/100 km, the Sportage 7.1L/100 km. A big old difference of 0.1L/100 km…
Verdict
That virtual tie in the fuel consumption battle is interesting because it helps show that traditional hybrids aren’t the only way to achieve good fuel economy. Nissan has done wonders with the Rogue’s powertrain to deliver the performance and fuel economy it does.
But it’s not quite enough to sway me. Thanks to its exterior and interior styling, its features and how well it rides in most situations, the Sportage is my winner here.
The difference is as little as that 0.1L/100 km, mind you…
2023 Nissan Rogue
We like
Engine
Interior appointments
We like less
Infotainment
CVT transmission a bore
2023 Kia Sportage HEV
We like
Interior digs
Unique exterior styling
We like less
Could use more power…
…and less weight
Keyword: Comparison: 2022 Nissan Rogue Taos vs 2022 Kia Sportage HEV