Compare the2023 Hyundai Kona ElectricVS 2023 Kia Niro EV

The Kona Electric has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Niro EV doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Kona Electric and the Niro EV 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.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Kona Electric the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 221 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Niro EV has not been tested, yet.

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

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona Electric 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 Niro EV.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 9 places higher in reliability than Kia.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Kona Electric is faster than the Kia Niro EV:

The Kona Electric can travel longer on a full charge than the Niro EV (258 miles vs. 253 miles).

The Kona Electric has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Niro EV doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kona Electric is 8.4 inches shorter than the Niro EV, making the Kona Electric easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona Electric’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 Niro EV’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Niro EV Wave’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

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

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Kona Electric Limited has a standard Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Niro EV doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

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

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

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Kia Niro by almost three to one during the 2022 model year.