Compare the2023 Volkswagen ID.4VS 2023 Hyundai Kona Electric

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen ID.4 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Kona Electric doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The ID.4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the ID.4 and Kona Electric have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The ID.4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Kona Electric’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The ID.4 has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The ID.4 has standard Maneuver Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The ID.4 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The ID.4 Pro S Plus has a standard Area View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Kona Electric 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.

Both the ID.4 and the Kona Electric have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Volkswagen ID.4 weighs 481 to 1162 pounds more than the Hyundai Kona Electric. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ID.4 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Kona Electric has not been fully tested, yet.

Reliability

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 ID.4’s reliability 27 points higher than the Kona Electric.

Engine

The ID.4’s optional electric motors produces 94 more horsepower (295 vs. 201) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 291) than the Kona Electric’s electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volkswagen ID.4 electric motors is faster than the Hyundai Kona Electric:

	ID.4	Kona Electric
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	6.4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	15 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99 MPH	95 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The ID.4 can travel longer on a full charge than the Kona Electric on a full charge:

			Miles
ID.4
	RWD	Electric Motor	275 miles
		S Electric Motor	275 miles
Kona Electric
	FWD	Electric Motor	258 miles

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the ID.4’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Kona Electric:

	ID.4	Kona Electric
Front Rotors	14.1 inches	12 inches

The ID.4 stops shorter than the Kona Electric:

	ID.4	Kona Electric
60 to 0 MPH	134 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the ID.4 has larger tires than the Kona Electric (F:235/55R19 & R:255/50R19 vs. 215/55R17).

The ID.4’s standard 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kona Electric’s standard 55 series tires. The ID.4 S’ 235/50R20 front and 255/45R20 rear tires have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile than the Kona Electric’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ID.4 has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Kona Electric. The ID.4 S has standard 20-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ID.4’s wheelbase is 6.3 inches longer than on the Kona Electric (108.7 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

The ID.4 handles at .85 G’s, while the Kona Electric Limited pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The ID.4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Kona Electric Limited (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the ID.4’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Kona Electric’s (31.5 feet vs. 34.8 feet).

Passenger Space

The ID.4 has 7.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona Electric (99.9 vs. 92.4).

The ID.4 has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 4.2 inches more rear legroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona Electric.

Cargo Capacity

The ID.4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona Electric with its rear seat up (30.3 vs. 19.2 cubic feet). The ID.4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona Electric with its rear seat folded (64.2 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus’ power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The ID.4 has a 2200 lbs. towing capacity. The Kona Electric has no towing capacity.

Standard trailer stability control on the ID.4 uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a memory system.

The ID.4 Pro S’ standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The ID.4’s front and rear power windows all 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 rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the ID.4 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Kona Electric can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The ID.4’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Kona Electric’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The ID.4’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Kona Electric’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the ID.4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The ID.4’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Kona Electric SE/SEL’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

Consumer Reports rated the ID.4’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Kona Electric’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the ID.4 S/Pro S has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer cornering lights. The ID.4 S/Pro S also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

When the ID.4 Pro S Plus is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Kona Electric’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the ID.4 and the Kona Electric have standard heated front seats. The ID.4 Pro S Plus also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Kona Electric.

The ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Kona Electric.

The ID.4’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 Electric doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the ID.4 and the Kona Electric offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the ID.4 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 Volkswagen ID.4 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Kona Electric SEL/Limited offers wireless charging.

The ID.4’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer an automated parking system.