2025 Subaru Crosstrek vs. Kia Sportage Exterior Design

Take on everyday treks and weekend escapes in the versatile and attractive 2025 Subaru Crosstrek or 2025 Kia Sportage. While each model utilizes its own exterior sculpting and styling, they both use LED lighting, including steering responsive headlights on the Crosstrek and fog lights on both SUVs. You can find 17- or 18-inch wheels on both the Crosstrek and Sportage, as well as 19-inch wheels on the Kia Sportage. For fresh air and natural light, a power moonroof is offered on the Crosstrek and a panoramic sunroof is available on the Sportage. A smart power liftgate is unique to the Sportage.

Adventure with ease using either SUV. Enjoy added cargo convenience with roof rails on either SUV, including unique raised roof rails on all but the Crosstrek Base trim that have a 700-pound static weight capacity for rooftop tent camping. All-terrain tires are optional on both models for your more rugged treks. In addition to sure-footed handling, the Crosstrek offers 8.7 inches of standard ground clearance or 9.3 inches with the Wilderness trim. The Sportage provides up to 8.3 inches of ground clearance.

2025 Subaru Crosstrek vs. Kia Sportage Interior Design & Technology

Premium comfort and connectivity features are designed to make you feel at home in either the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek or 2025 Kia Sportage. A number of similar features in both SUVs serve to support both you and your passengers. Among these, enjoy available heated front seats, a ten-way power driver’s seat, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. For easy smartphone integration, wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ are optional with either SUV. Both models offer a Harman Kardon® premium audio system, with ten speakers in the Subaru Crosstrek or eight speakers and HALOsonic® technology in the Kia Sportage.

Other notable interior and technology differences include:

• Seat Comfort Choices — Opt for a number of different seating materials in either SUV. Crosstrek upholsteries range from standard cloth to dynamic sport cloth with yellow stitching, plush leather, or weather-repellent StarTex® material. Meanwhile, the Sportage offers either woven cloth or SynTex artificial leather seat upholstery, as well as ventilated front seats and a power-adjustable front passenger’s seat.
• Display Options — Either enjoy a dual 7-inch display combination or 11.6-inch touchscreen in the Subaru Crosstrek. By comparison, the Kia Sportage offers either an 8-inch center touchscreen or 12.3-inch touchscreen. For your vehicle performance specs, the Crosstrek is equipped with standard analog tachometer and speedometer gauges and a 4.2-inch digital display. The Kia Sportage utilizes either a 12.2- or 12.3-inch instrument panel display.

2025 Subaru Crosstrek vs. Kia Sportage Engine Specs & Fuel Economy

Discover both strength and efficiency with the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek and 2025 Kia Sportage. While the Sportage is equipped with a single standard engine across its trim lineup, the Crosstrek is offered with two different sizes of the SUBARU BOXER® four-cylinder engine. The smaller 2.0L engine is standard with the Base trim and offers up to 27 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway. The larger 2.5L SUBARU BOXER engine is comparable in size and power output to the 2.5L engine of the Sportage, but it’s rated to achieve higher fuel economy ratings than the Kia model, and can tow 1,000 pounds more in the Crosstrek Wilderness trim model.

The Subaru Crosstrek retains its fuel economy advantage despite utilizing a standard all-wheel drive (AWD) system, compared with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) for the Sportage. Selectable drive modes for the Sportage include normal, smart, and sport modes, along with available snow mode. In the Crosstrek, X-MODE® functionality is standard, with dual-function X-MODE included on most models with additional capability settings for mud, dirt, and deep snow.

See the Crosstrek and Sportage engine specs in the accompanying table.

2025 Subaru Crosstrek vs. Kia Sportage Size & Cargo Space

While the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek and 2025 Kia Sportage are both two-row SUVs, their overall size and capacities are notable factors that set them apart. The Sportage measures in at just over 7 inches longer and 2.5 inches wider than the Crosstrek. Inside, you’ll find more front legroom in the Crosstrek and more rear legroom in the Sportage. Seat up to five in either model, or fold down the rear seats to create up to 54.7 cubic feet of cargo space in the Subaru Crosstrek or 74.1 cubic feet in the Kia Sportage.

Compare the Crosstrek and Sportage size differences in the accompanying chart.

2025 Subaru Crosstrek vs. Kia Sportage Safety Options & Features

A range of innovative safety technologies help you drive with confidence in the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek and 2025 Kia Sportage. Within their respective safety suites, the two models share smart functions designed to help you avoid or minimize collisions, stay within your lane, and reverse the vehicle with greater visibility. Advanced adaptive cruise control with lane centering is standard in every Crosstrek, while navigation-based smart cruise control with stop-and-go is available with some Sportage models. In select trims, the Crosstrek offers blind spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert and reverse automatic braking. Among the upgrades in the Sportage, you can also find blind spot and rear cross-traffic avoidance assist, along with a monitor view for the blind spot, a surround view monitor, front park distance warning, and reverse collision avoidance assist.

Standard Crosstrek safety features include:

• EyeSight driver assist technology
  • Advanced adaptive cruise control with lane centering
  • Pre-collision braking
  • Lane departure and sway warning
  • Lane keep assist
  • Automatic emergency steering
• High beam assist
• Rear vision camera

Standard Sportage safety features include:

• Forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Rear park distance warning
• Lane departure warning
• Lane keeping assist
• Lane following assist
• Driver attention warning
• Rearview monitor with dynamic parking guidance