Compare the2024 Hyundai KonaVS 2023 Fiat 500X

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Kona have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Fiat 500X doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear 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 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 500X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist optional in the Kona as “Superior.” The 500X scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Kona’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The 500X doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Kona’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 500X and is only available on 500X Sport.

The Kona Limited has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 500X only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Kona has a standard blind spot warning system that 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 500X’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kona has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Fiat charges extra for Rear Cross Path Detection on the 500X, and only on the Sport and the 500X’s Rear Cross Path Detection does not include automatic braking.

Both the Kona and the 500X 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, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

The Hyundai Kona has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The 500X is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

The Kona comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The 500X’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Fiat covers the 500X. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 500X ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Kona’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the 500X’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Fiat doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 500X.

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

The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 13 more horsepower (190 vs. 177) than the 500X’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Kona gets better mileage than the 500X:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Kona uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 500X requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Kona has a standard locking fuel door. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the 500X. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The Kona SE/SEL 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 500X doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Kona stops shorter than the 500X:

For better traction, the Kona N Line/Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 500X (235/45R19 vs. 225/55R18).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Kona’s wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer than on the 500X (104.7 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Kona is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the 500X.

The Kona Limited AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the 500X pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Kona Limited AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the 500X (27.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Kona’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the 500X’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Kona has a greater minimum ground clearance than the 500X (8.1 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Kona to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Kona N Line’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the 500X (8.3 vs. 7.9 inches).

The Hyundai Kona may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 300 pounds less than the Fiat 500X.

The design of the Hyundai Kona amounts to more than styling. The Kona has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .302 Cd. That is significantly lower than the 500X (.35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Kona get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Kona uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The 500X doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Kona has 9.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 500X (101.2 vs. 91.7).

The Kona has .8 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front hip room, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 3.4 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the 500X.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Kona’s rear seats recline. The 500X’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Kona has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the 500X with its rear seat up (25.5 vs. 14.1 cubic feet). The Kona has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the 500X with its rear seat folded (63.7 vs. 39.8 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Kona Limited’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Kona’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The 500X doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

The Kona uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The 500X uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Kona’s headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the 500X’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

The Kona has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The 500X only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Kona Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 500X doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Kona Limited’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The 500X doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Kona has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 500X doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Kona has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500X doesn’t offer rear vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Kona (except SE) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The 500X doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Kona Limited’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The 500X doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Kona is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The 500X doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Fiat 500X by almost 143 to one during 2023.