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Subaru Outback Doesn’t Get Any Love From WWCOTY -They Give It To Kia Sportage

The 2022 Subaru Outback doesn't get any love on Valentine's Day from WWCOTY. The women's organization gives it to the Kia Sportage.

The 2022 Subaru Outback was not given the love this Valentine's Day. The Women's World Car of the Year jury announced the winners in each of this year's six categories. The Outback midsize SUV loses to the Kia Sportage in the family SUV category.

In January, the Outback made the final cut in the first phase for the Women's World Car of the Year award. But the Outback wasn't one of the final six. The Peugeot 308 wins the Urban Model category, Kia Sportage (Family SUV), Ford Mustang Mach-E (Large Car), BMW iX (Large SUV), Audi e-Tron GT (Performance Car), and Jeep Wrangler 4xe (4X4).

2022 Subaru Outback, Outback Wilderness, features, specs, pricing

The Women's World Car of the Year jury is the only one in the world made up solely of women experts in motoring. The jury currently includes 55 journalists from 40 countries with an audience of more than 500 million people.

The all-new 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness was not a big enough hit with the woman around the globe. The Wilderness trim is the newest trim level, and it's available in North America. The Outback Wilderness appeals to outdoor enthusiasts who use the family SUV for off-road pursuits to get further away from civilization.

2022 Subaru Outback, Outback Wilderness, features, specs, pricing
photo credit: Subaru of America - The new Subaru Outback Wilderness is not offered in all global markets

How does the 2022 Outback compare with the 2022 Kia Sportage?

We will compare similar models, the 2022 Outback Premium trim and the 2022 Sportage EX all-wheel-drive.

What is the price comparison?

The cost of the 2022 Outback Premium is $30,270 compared with the Sportage EX at $31,065; both include destination and delivery fees.

What is the fuel mileage comparison?

The Outback is powered by a 2.5-liter engine producing 182 horsepower. The Sportage comes with a 2.4-liter engine producing 181 horsepower. The Outback gets an EPA estimated 26/33 city/highway mpg. The Sportage gets an estimated 22/26 city/highway mpg.

What is the interior volume and cargo comparison?

The Subaru Outback is considerably larger inside with 40.1 inches of headroom in the front, 42.8-in of legroom, and 109.0 cubic feet of passenger volume. The Kia Sportage comes with 37.7 inches of headroom in the front, 41.0-inches of legroom, and 98.9 cubic feet of passenger volume. The Outback has 32.5 cubic feet of cargo volume vs. the Sportage with 37.5 cubes.

What sets the Outback apart from the Sportage?

The 2022 Outback comes with a higher ride height of 8.7-inches of ground clearance, making the Outback easy to get in and out. The Outback has a car's driving dynamics but the versatility of an SUV. The Outback comes standard with X-Mode for additional all-weather performance capabilities.

The 2022 Subaru Outback doesn't get the love on Valentine's Day, as WWCOTY gives it to the Kia Sportage in the family SUV category. Now voting begins for the top winner for Women's World Car of the Year. The winner will be announced in the days before March 8th (International Women Drivers' Day).

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Subaru

Comments

Marty Russo (not verified)    February 15, 2022 - 9:54AM

Subaru is still Subaru and from what I’ve seen too much of a fickle society. It’s too bad they didn’t get that recognition but is it really all that important? Congratulations Kia

Mimi (not verified)    February 19, 2022 - 2:58PM

So, the Subaru has better gas mileage, lower price, more room, very safe, more features and more torque but you chose the Kia? You convinced me to pick the Subaru.