Compare the2023 Hyundai Kona NVS 2023 Maserati Grecale

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 Grecale doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kona N’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 Grecale.

The Kona N 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 Grecale’s blind spot costs extra.

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

Both the Kona N and the Grecale have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

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

The Kona N’s corrosion warranty is 3 years and unlimited miles longer than the Grecale’s (7/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

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. Maserati doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Grecale.

There are over 7 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Maserati dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Kona N’s warranty.

On the EPA test cycle the Kona N gets better fuel mileage than the Grecale Trofeo 3.0 turbo V6 (20 city/27 hwy vs. 18 city/25 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 Grecale doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

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

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 Grecale GT’s standard 55 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the Kona N’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Grecale’s (38.3 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

The Hyundai Kona N may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 950 to 1150 pounds less than the Maserati Grecale.

The Kona N is 2 feet shorter than the Grecale, making the Kona N easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona N is 6.4 inches narrower on average than the Grecale, making the Kona N easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The Kona N has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Grecale (19.2 vs. 18.9 cubic feet).

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 Grecale.

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

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Maserati Grecale by almost 122 to one during 2022.