2027 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2027 Kia Niro
The Kia Niro edges it, 91.5 to 87.9, on fuel & range, price, tech & comfort. The Hyundai Santa Fe is ahead on performance and safety. Raise the performance weight from 2 to 3 and it flips.
2027 Hyundai Santa Fe
The 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Santa Fe Hybrid F…
2027 Kia Niro
The 2027 Kia Niro is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid compact SUV. The most efficient version, the Niro, is EPA-rated at 50 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall camp…
2027 Kia Niro
Slight edgeThe Kia Niro edges it, 91.5 to 87.9, on fuel & range, price, tech & comfort. The Hyundai Santa Fe is ahead on performance and safety. Raise the performance weight from 2 to 3 and it flips.
| Category · weight | 2027 Hyundai Santa Feoverall 87.9 | 2027 Kia Nirooverall 91.5 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricew 4 | 84.7 | 100 | ||||||||||||
Base MSRP of the trim (or the model's lowest trim). Lower is better. | ||||||||||||||
| Fuel & rangew 3 | 72.7 | 100 | ||||||||||||
EPA annual fuel cost and combined mpg / MPGe; EV range when both are electric. | ||||||||||||||
| Safetyw 4 | 100 | 96 | ||||||||||||
NHTSA 5-Star rating, WhichTrim Safety Signal (open recalls by severity), owner complaints, standard driver-assist features (from the press kit, or from what the manufacturer filed with NHTSA where there is none). Open park-outside / do-not-drive advisories cost 25 points. | ||||||||||||||
| Space & cargonot compared | No data | No data | ||||||||||||
| Performancew 2 | 100 | 40 | ||||||||||||
Horsepower, torque and horsepower per ton. | ||||||||||||||
| Tech & comfortw 3 | 83.3 | 100 | ||||||||||||
Standard (1) and optional (0.5) infotainment, convenience, climate and interior features from the manufacturer's press kit. | ||||||||||||||
| Warrantynot compared | No data | No data | ||||||||||||
| Overall | 87.9 | 91.5 | ||||||||||||
Trim vs trim · 5 of 7 categories compared
Hyundai Santa Fe: base trim SE FWD · Kia Niro: base trim LX FWD. Pick a trim in the tool to compare any other trim.
Raise the performance weight from 2 to 3 and the answer flips.
Where the gap is
the biggest differences, from the scorecard's own numbersWhere the 2027 Kia Niro wins
- It is rated 50 combined against 36 (EPA mpg or MPGe).
- It costs $500 a year less to fuel on the EPA's estimate ($1,350 against $1,850).
- It starts $5,410 lower ($29,890 against $35,300 base MSRP).
Where the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe answers
- It turns out 311 lb-ft of torque against 106.
- It makes 277 hp against 104.
What they share
- A Safety Signal of 100.
Ranked by how far apart the two score on each measure, so a price gap and a horsepower gap are compared on the same scale. Every figure is on this page.
Specifications side by side
53 specs · manufacturer press kits| Spec | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Base MSRP (excludes destination) | $35,300 | $29,890 |
| Engine Basics | ||
| Aspiration | twin turbo | — |
| Cylinder count | 4 | 4 |
| Engine displacement | 2,497 cc | 1,580 cc |
| Engine type (full description) | Smartstream 2.5L Turbo GDI + MPI DOHC 16-valve Inline 4-cylinder | 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection Hybrid Engine |
| Fuel injection system | gdi mpi | gdi mpi |
| Valve configuration | DOHC 16-Valve | DOHC |
| Engine Output | ||
| Horsepower | 277 hp | 104 hp |
| Torque | 311 lb-ft | 106 lb-ft |
| Fuel Economy | ||
| MPG (city) | 20 mpg | 53 mpg |
| MPG (combined) | 24 mpg | 50 mpg |
| MPG (highway) | 29 mpg | 46 mpg |
| Transmission | ||
| Final drive ratio | 3.510 | — |
| Transmission speeds | 8 | 6 |
| Transmission type | automatic | dct |
| Dimensions Exterior | ||
| Ground clearance | 7 in | 6.3 in |
| Overall height | 67.7 in | 60.8 in |
| Overall length | 190 in | 174 in |
| Overall width | 74.8 in | 71.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 111 in | 107 in |
| Cargo | ||
| Cargo volume behind 1st row | 79.6 cu-ft | — |
| Cargo volume behind 2nd row | 40.5 cu-ft | — |
| Cargo volume behind 3rd row | 14.6 cu-ft | — |
| Total interior volume | 167 cu-ft | — |
| Seating | ||
| Passenger seating capacity | 7 | — |
| Headroom | ||
| Front headroom | 41.1 in | 40.5 in |
| Second-row headroom | 40.6 in | 39.6 in |
| Third-row headroom | 37.7 in | — |
| Legroom | ||
| Front legroom | 44.4 in | 41.5 in |
| Second-row legroom | 42.3 in | 39.8 in |
| Third-row legroom | 30 in | — |
| Weights | ||
| Curb weight (maximum) | 4,343 lbs | 3,362 lbs |
| Curb weight (minimum) | 4,343 lbs | 3,208 lbs |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 5,534 lbs | 4,255 lbs |
| Suspension | ||
| Front suspension type | MacPherson strut with coil springs | Independent, MacPherson Strut, Stabilizer |
| Rear suspension type | Multi-link Independent, separated spring & shocks | Independent, Multi-link |
| Steering | ||
| Steering type | Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS), rack and pinion, column-mounted | Rack & Pinion / Electric Motor |
| Turning radius (curb-to-curb) | 37.9 ft | — |
| Brakes | ||
| Front brake diameter | 325 mm | 381 mm |
| Front brake type | ventilated disc | ventilated disc |
| Parking brake type | Electric with Auto Vehicle Hold | epb |
| Rear brake diameter | 325 mm | 356 mm |
| Rear brake type | solid disc | solid disc |
| Wheels | ||
| Wheel diameter | 18 in | 16 in |
| Wheel material | forged alloy | forged alloy |
| Wheel width | 7.5 in | — |
| Tires | ||
| Tire size | 235/60 R18 | P205/60R16 |
| Fuel System | ||
| Fuel tank capacity | 17.7 gal | 11.1 gal |
| Minimum recommended octane | 87 | — |
| Connected Services | ||
| Connected services brand | Blue Link | Kia Connect |
| Shoulder Room | ||
| Front shoulder room | 59.5 in | 56.3 in |
| Second-row shoulder room | 58.1 in | 55.4 in |
| Third-row shoulder room | 53.5 in | — |
Green marks the better value where the direction is unambiguous (more room, more power, lower price). Blank rows are specs the press kit does not publish.
Equipment, feature by feature
133 features · differences first, then sharedSafety17 differ · 37 listed
| Feature | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Blind-Spot Collision Warning | std | — |
| Downhill Brake Control (DBC) | std | — |
| Parking Distance Warning – Forward (PDW-F) | std | — |
| Parking Distance Warning – Reverse (PDW-R) | std | — |
| Rear side airbag / 2nd Row seat side airbags (2) | std | — |
| Safe Exit Assist (SEA) | std | — |
| Trailer Sway Control | std | — |
| Blindspot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA) | — | std |
| Brake force Assist System (BAS) | — | std |
| Burglar Alarm | std | — |
| Electric Parking Brake with Automatic Vehicle Hold | std | — |
| Electronic Parking Break (EPB) with Auto Hold | — | std |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA 1.5) Car, Pedestrian, Cyclist, Junction Tunring and Direct Oncoming | — | std |
| Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA) | — | std |
| Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) | — | std |
| Roof-mounted Side-curtain Airbags with Rollover Sensors | std | — |
| Traction Control System | std | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA 1.5) Car, Pedestrian, Cyclist, Junction Tunring and Direct Oncoming | std | std |
| Smart Cruise Control 2 (SCC 2) | std | std |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA 1.5) Car, Pedestrian, Cyclist, Junction Tunring and Direct Oncoming | std | std |
| Lane Following Assist (LFA) | std | std |
| Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist (RCCA) | std | std |
| Dual front advanced airbags | std | std |
| Dual front seat-mounted side airbags | std | std |
| Full-length side curtain airbags | std | std |
| Lane Keeping Assist | std | std |
| Rear-view Camera with dynamic guidelines | std | std |
| Driver Attention Warning (DAW) with Lead Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA) | std | std |
| Antilock Brakes System (ABS) | std | std |
| Driver's knee airbag | std | std |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | std | std |
| High Beam Assist (HBA) | std | std |
| Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) | std | std |
| Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) Door logic type | std | std |
| Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) | std | std |
| Immobilizer | std | std |
| Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) | std | std |
Infotainment13 differ · 16 listed
| Feature | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth Hands-free with voice recognition | — | std |
| 12.3" ccNC Lite AVT Head Unit (Non-Navigation) | std | — |
| Blue Link® Connected Car System | std | — |
| Bluetooth® Hands-free with Wireless Audio Streaming | std | — |
| ccNC Lite 12.3-Inch LCD Display with HD Radio®, Wireless Apple CarPlay® & Android Auto™ | — | std |
| Front door speakers (x2) | — | std |
| Front high-power USB Charge Ports (2) / Rear USB Charge Ports (2) | std | — |
| HD Radio® | std | — |
| Paddle shifters | std | — |
| Rear door speakers (x2) | — | std |
| Rear Seat Quiet Mode | std | — |
| Tweeter speakers (x2) | — | std |
| USB-c (Media Input x1, Front Tray Charging x1, Seatback Charging x2) | — | std |
| Kia Connect and Over the Air Updates (OTA) | std | std |
| SiriusXM | std | std |
| Steering wheel-mounted audio controls | std | std |
Convenience9 differ · 10 listed
| Feature | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-free Power Liftgate with Hands Free-Auto Open | std | — |
| Proximity Key System with remote engine start (on key fob) | std | — |
| 12V power outlet (x1): front console | — | std |
| Keyless entry with lock, unlock, panic and remote control | — | std |
| Power Door and Liftgate Locks | std | — |
| Manual Tailgate | — | std |
| 12-volt Power Outlet | std | — |
| Central door locks: driver and front passenger control | — | std |
| Power driver's window with auto up/down and pinch protection | — | std |
| Smart Key with push button start, remote start, panic alarm and liftgate unlock | std | std |
Climate2 differ · 2 listed
| Feature | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Air Conditioning, automatic dual-zone with Driver Only mode | — | std |
| Dual FATC with Touch Segment LCD | std | — |
Seating5 differ · 7 listed
| Feature | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Second row bench (3 passengers) 60/40 split-folding rear seats | — | std |
| 2-way Lumbar Support (Driver's seat power aircell type) | std | — |
| 3rd row seating with Room Lamp | std | — |
| 6-way manual adjustable passenger seat with height adjuster | — | std |
| 60/40 split second row fold-flat seats with Recline and Center Armrest | std | — |
| 6-way manual adjustable driver's seat with height adjuster | std | std |
| Cloth seat trim | std | std |
Interior19 differ · 22 listed
| Feature | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Bi-directional Center Console Armrest with Two-Level Storage Compartment | std | — |
| Bottle holder integrated into front door trim | — | std |
| Cargo light | — | std |
| Driver seatback pocket | — | std |
| Dual front cupholders | — | std |
| Front console arm rest with storage | — | std |
| Front door pockets | — | std |
| Interior Lights, Map lights and Cargo-area Light (LED) | std | — |
| Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel | std | — |
| Metal paint inside door handle | — | std |
| Overhead console lamp | — | std |
| Room lamp | — | std |
| Second row arm rest with storage and cup holder | — | std |
| Sunvisor with vanity mirror and extendable | — | std |
| SynTex steering wheel | — | std |
| Tilt-and-Telescopic Steering Wheel | std | — |
| Tilt and telescoping steering column | — | std |
| Cloth headliner | std | — |
| Trip odometer | std | — |
| Cluster: Supervision 4.0" TFT display | std | std |
| Day and night rear-view mirror | std | std |
| Illuminated sunvisor vanity mirrors | std | std |
Exterior22 differ · 28 listed
| Feature | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| LED (low & high beam) projection headlights | std | — |
| Power folding, heated outside mirrors with integrated turn signals | — | std |
| 16-inch Alloy wheels | — | std |
| 18" Alloy Wheels (black machine finished / hyper silver) | std | — |
| Black Doot Waistline | — | std |
| Black Side Sill | — | std |
| Black Wheel Arch | — | std |
| Body color Fender | — | std |
| Body-color outside door handles | — | std |
| Body-color outside mirrors | — | std |
| Exhaust System Single Muffler | — | std |
| Manual folding outside mirrors | — | std |
| Rear quarter glass Privacy | std | — |
| Side mirror LED Repeater lamps | — | std |
| Solar control and tinted front windows | — | std |
| Tire Mobility Kit (TMK) | — | std |
| Variable intermittent windshield wipers | — | std |
| Auto Light Control headlights | — | std |
| Solar Front Glass | std | — |
| Bodycolor Rear Spoiler | std | — |
| LED high-mounted stop lamp (integrated into rear spoiler) | — | std |
| Temporary Compact Spare Tire | std | — |
| LED Daytime Running Light (DRL) | std | std |
| Outside electrically adjustable heated mirrors | std | std |
| Rear LED combination lights | std | std |
| Tinted, Solar control, Heated, Acoustic windshield | std | std |
| Privacy glass (rear doors, rear quarter, back-lite) | std | std |
| Rear-window defroster with timer | std | std |
Powertrain5 differ · 7 listed
| Feature | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Front-Wheel Drive | std | — |
| 1.6-liter inline 4-cylinder Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine | — | std |
| 6-speed Automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) | — | std |
| Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) | — | std |
| Shift-By-Wire to maximize interior design creativity & storage | std | — |
| Drive Mode Select (DMS): ECO or Sport Mode | std | std |
| Idle Stop and Go (ISG) | std | std |
Chassis1 differ · 1 listed
| Feature | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| MacPherson front suspention and Multi-link rear suspension | — | std |
Cargo3 differ · 3 listed
| Feature | Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Luggage net hook | — | std |
| Trailer Prep Package (Pre-wiring) | std | — |
| Underfloor storage tray | std | — |
Highlighted rows are where the two differ. Wording is the manufacturer's own.
Safety record
NHTSA recalls, complaints, NCAPHyundai Santa Fe
Top recalls
No recalls on file.
Kia Niro
Top recalls
No recalls on file.
Ownership
EPA, manufacturer warranty| Hyundai Santa FeSE FWD | Kia NiroLX FWD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $35,300 (base trim) | $29,890 (base trim) |
| Price range across trims | $35,300 – $50,750 21 trims | $29,890 – $38,990 5 trims |
| Powertrains | HEV, GAS | HEV |
| EPA configuration compared | Santa Fe Hybrid FWD | Niro |
| Combined mpg / MPGe | 36 | 50 |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $1,850 | $1,350 |
| EV range | — | — |
| Basic warranty | — | — |
| Powertrain warranty | — | — |
| Roadside assistance | — | — |
Common questions
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich is better, the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe or the 2027 Kia Niro?
The Kia Niro edges it, 91.5 to 87.9, on fuel & range, price, tech & comfort. The Hyundai Santa Fe is ahead on performance and safety. Raise the performance weight from 2 to 3 and it flips. On WhichTrim's default weights the 2027 Kia Niro scores 91.5 and the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe 87.9. The weights are yours to change — move what you care about and the verdict recalculates on the page.
Which is cheaper, the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe or the 2027 Kia Niro?
The 2027 Kia Niro starts lower — $29,890 against $35,300, a gap of $5,410 at the trims compared here. Both are manufacturer MSRPs before destination, options and dealer charges.
Which has the better safety record, the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe or the 2027 Kia Niro?
2027 Hyundai Santa Fe: no NHTSA rating yet, grade A, 0 recalls. 2027 Kia Niro: no NHTSA rating yet, grade A, 0 recalls. Crash ratings come from NHTSA's own tests; the grade is WhichTrim's read of the recall record, and the two can disagree.
What are the biggest differences between the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe and the 2027 Kia Niro?
Where the 2027 Kia Niro wins: it is rated 50 combined against 36 (EPA mpg or MPGe), costs $500 a year less to fuel on the EPA's estimate ($1,350 against $1,850), and starts $5,410 lower ($29,890 against $35,300 base MSRP). Where the 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe answers: it turns out 311 lb-ft of torque against 106 and makes 277 hp against 104. What they share: a Safety Signal of 100.