Compare the2023 Nissan KicksVS 2022 Hyundai Kona

The Nissan Kicks has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Kicks has standard Rear Automatic Braking 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.

The Kicks SR has a standard Around View® Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Kona only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kicks has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Kona SEL/N Line/Limited has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Kicks 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, available daytime running lights 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 Nissan Kicks is safer than the Hyundai Kona:

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Kicks the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 180 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Kona has not been fully tested, yet.

There are over 30 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Kicks’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

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

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

The Kicks SV/SR’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Kona are solid, not vented.

The Kicks stops much shorter than the Kona:

The Kicks has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Kona doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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

For better maneuverability, the Kicks’ turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Kona’s (34.1 feet vs. 34.8 feet).

The Nissan Kicks may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 600 pounds less than the Hyundai Kona.

The Kicks has .8 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom and .7 inches more rear headroom than the Kona.

The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 19.2 cubic feet). The Kicks has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona with its rear seat folded (53.1 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

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

The Kicks’ 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’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. The Kona’s optional windows’ rear windows don’t close automatically.

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

On extremely cold winter days, the Kicks SR’s optional 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.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Kicks third among small suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Kona isn’t in the top three.