Compare the2023 Hyundai KonaVS 2022 Kia Sportage

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Kona are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Sportage doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kona has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Sportage’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kona 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. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Sportage.

The Kona SEL/N Line/Limited has standard Blue Link, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Sportage doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Kona and the Sportage 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

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

	Kona	Sportage
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	205	207
Neck Injury Risk	20%	22%
Neck Compression	57 lbs.	72 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	217	222
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	42%

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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Kona is safer than the Kia Sportage:

	Kona	Sportage
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	196	301
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	744 lbs.	873 lbs.

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 Kona is .6% to 1.9% less likely to roll over than the Sportage.

Warranty

The Kona’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Sportage’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sportage.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Kona has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Sportage’s standard 140-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Kona has a standard 640-amp battery. The Sportage’s 600-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Kona
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	30 city/35 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/33 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/32 hwy
Sportage
	FWD	2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	22 city/26 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/24 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Kona’s 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. The Sportage doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Hyundai Kona as a “Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle” (PZEV). The Kia Sportage is only certified to “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV) standards.

Transmission

A seven-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Hyundai Kona N Line/Limited, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Sportage.

The Kona has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Sportage doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Kona offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Sportage doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

The Kona stops shorter than the Sportage:

	Kona	Sportage
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver

Suspension and Handling

The Kona SEL AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Sportage SX Turbo AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kona executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Sportage LX (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Chassis

The Hyundai Kona may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 450 pounds less than the Kia Sportage.

The Kona is 10.8 inches shorter than the Sportage, making the Kona easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Kona has .3 inches more front headroom and 1 inch more rear hip room than the Sportage.

The front step up height for the Kona is 2.5 inches lower than the Sportage (16” vs. 18.5”). The Kona’s rear step up height is 3.3 inches lower than the Sportage’s (16.1” vs. 19.4”).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Kona easier. The Kona’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.5 inches, while the Sportage’s liftover is 29.8 inches.

Ergonomics

The Kona SEL/N Line/Limted’s front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches, and the 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 Sportage’s optional passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The Kona Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Sportage’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Kona’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia charges extra for heated mirrors on the Sportage.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Kona is less expensive to operate than the Sportage because it costs $127 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Kona than the Sportage, including $35 less for front brake pads, $93 less for fuel injection, $11 less for a fuel pump, $21 less for front struts, $64 less for a timing belt/chain and $783 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Kona was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2019. The Sportage has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue, and the Sportage has only been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Kona as the 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Sportage has never been chosen.

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