Compare the2023 Hyundai Kona NVS 2023 BMW X2

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Kona N are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X2 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 N are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X2 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kona N 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 X2’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kona N 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 X2.

The Kona N’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The X2 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Compared to metal, the Kona N’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The BMW X2 has a metal gas tank.

Both the Kona N and the X2 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Kona N comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The X2’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona N 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X2. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the X2 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Kona N’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 39 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 15th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 6 places higher in reliability than BMW.

The Kona N’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 48 more horsepower (276 vs. 228) and 31 lbs.-ft. more torque (289 vs. 258) than the X2’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Kona N is faster than the BMW X2 2.0:

The Kona N offers a standard 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 X2 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Kona N’s brake rotors are larger than those on the X2:

The Kona N stops shorter than the X2:

For better traction, the Kona N has larger tires than the X2 (235/40R19 vs. 225/50R18).

The Kona N’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the X2’s standard 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kona N has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the X2.

The Kona N handles at .95 G’s, while the X2 xDrive28i pulls only .90 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kona N is 6.3 inches shorter than the X2, making the Kona N easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona N has .4 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the X2.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Kona N easier. The Kona N’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.5 inches, while the X2’s liftover is 30.6 inches.

The Kona N has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The X2 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Kona N has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X2 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Kona N has standard extendable sun visors. The X2 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Kona N has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the X2.

The Kona N was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” in 2019. The X2 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.