Compare the2022 Kia Niro EVVS 2022 Hyundai Kona Electric

The Kia Niro EV 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 Electric doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the Niro EV and the Kona Electric 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available rear parking sensors.

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 EV’s reliability 45 points higher than the Kona Electric.

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.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Niro EV is faster than the Hyundai Kona Electric:

The Niro EV stops much shorter than the Kona Electric:

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

The Niro EV EX Premium handles at .88 G’s, while the Kona Electric Limited pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Niro EV EX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Kona Electric Limited (27.1 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

The Niro EV has 4.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona Electric (96.6 vs. 92.4).

The Niro EV has .5 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona Electric.

The Niro EV has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona Electric with its rear seat folded (53 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

The Niro EV’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Kona Electric’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Kona Electric’s optional windows’ rear windows don’t close automatically.

The Niro EV’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 Electric’s passenger power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Niro EV has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Kona Electric only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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

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

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Niro EV has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Kona Electric Limited/Ultimate offers wireless charging.

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