Compare the2022 Kia SeltosVS 2022 Hyundai Kona

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Seltos S Turbo/EX/SX has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Kona doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Seltos and the Kona have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Hyundai Kona:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Seltos is safer than the Hyundai Kona:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

The Seltos Nightfall/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 28 more horsepower (175 vs. 147) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 132) than the Kona’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Seltos’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Kona doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Seltos stops much shorter than the Kona:

For better traction, the Seltos has larger standard tires than the Kona (215/55R17 vs. 205/60R16).

The Seltos’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kona SE’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Seltos has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Kona SE.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Seltos’ wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Kona (103.5 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

The Seltos SX handles at .82 G’s, while the Kona SE pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Seltos SX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Kona SE (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Seltos has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Kona (7.3 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Seltos to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Seltos has 4.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona (99 vs. 94.1).

The Seltos has .4 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 2.8 inches more rear legroom, .6 inches more rear hip room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Seltos’ rear seats recline. The Kona’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona with its rear seat up (26.6 vs. 19.2 cubic feet). The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona with its rear seat folded (62.8 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

The Seltos’ cargo area is larger than the Kona’s in every dimension:

Consumer Reports rated the Seltos’ headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Kona’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”