Compare the2022 Kia NiroVS 2022 Hyundai Kona

The Kia Niro has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Kona doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Niro has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Kona doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Niro 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, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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 Niro is safer than the Hyundai Kona:

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Niro is 1.5% to 2% less likely to roll over than the Kona.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Niro’s reliability 19 points higher than the Kona.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 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 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 8th.

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 Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 132) than the Kona’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Niro gets better mileage than the Kona:

Regenerative brakes improve the Niro’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Kona doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Niro higher (7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Kona (5 to 7). This means the Niro produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Kona every 15,000 miles.

The Niro stops much shorter than the Kona:

For superior ride and handling, the Kia Niro has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Kona 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Niro has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Niro flat and controlled during cornering. The Kona 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Kona (106.3 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

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

The Niro Touring SE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Kona SE (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

The design of the Kia Niro amounts to more than styling. The Niro has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is lower than the Kona (.32) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Niro get better fuel mileage.

The Niro has 6.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona (100.9 vs. 94.1).

The Niro has .5 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona.

The Niro has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona with its rear seat folded (54.5 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

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

The Niro has a higher standard payload capacity than the Kona (962 vs. 915 lbs.).

The Niro has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Kona (1089 vs. 930 lbs.).

The Niro’s standard front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches and its driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Kona’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. The Niro EX Premium’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Kona’s optional windows’ rear windows don’t close automatically.

The Niro’s power window, power lock and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Kona’s passenger power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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

When the Niro with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Kona’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro EX Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Kona doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Niro EX Premium’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Kona doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Niro’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Kona doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Niro’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Kona SE doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Both the Niro and the Kona offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Niro Touring SE/EX Premium has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Kona doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Niro and the Hyundai Kona, based on reliability, safety and performance.