Compare the2023 Hyundai Kona NVS 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

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 Stelvio Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Kona N and Stelvio Quadrifoglio have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Kona N has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s Rear Cross-Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Kona N and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Kona N the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 231 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio has not been tested, yet.

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 Stelvio Quadrifoglio’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 Alfa Romeo covers the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Stelvio Quadrifoglio ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Kona N’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona N 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. Alfa Romeo only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

There are almost 6 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Kona N’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Kona N has a standard 640-amp battery. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s 525-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Alfa Romeo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 97 more problems per 100 vehicles, Alfa Romeo is ranked 29th.

On the EPA test cycle the Kona N gets better fuel mileage than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio (20 city/27 hwy vs. 17 city/23 hwy).

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 Stelvio Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Kona N’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer launch control.

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 Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s standard 45 series front tires.

For better maneuverability, the Kona N’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s (38.3 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

The Hyundai Kona N may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 950 pounds less than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

The Kona N is 1 foot, 7.2 inches shorter than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, making the Kona N easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona N is 6.1 inches narrower than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, making the Kona N easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Kona N is quieter than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio (46 vs. 47 dB).

The Kona N has 4.9 inches more front legroom and 3.3 inches more rear legroom than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

The front step up height for the Kona N is 1 inches lower than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio (16” vs. 17”). The Kona N’s rear step up height is 1.9 inches lower than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s (16.1” vs. 18”).

The Kona N has a larger cargo volume than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio with its rear seat up (19.2 vs. 18.5 cubic feet).

The Kona N’s cargo area is larger than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s in almost every dimension:

The Kona N’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

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

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Alfa Romeo Stelvio by over 8 to one during 2022.