Compare the2024 Hyundai Kona ElectricVS 2023 Chevrolet Bolt

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Kona Electric have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Chevrolet Bolt doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Kona Electric are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Bolt doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Kona Electric 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 Bolt’s blind spot costs extra.

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

The Kona Electric’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Bolt doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kona Electric and the Bolt have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

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 Electric the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 207 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Bolt has not been fully tested, yet.

The Kona Electric comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Bolt’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona Electric 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Bolt. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Bolt ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Kona Electric’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Bolt’s (7/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona Electric for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Bolt.

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 Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 9 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

The Kona Electric SEL/Limited can travel longer on a full charge than the Bolt (261 miles vs. 259 miles).

For better stopping power the Kona Electric’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Bolt:

For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Kona Electric has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Bolt has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Kona Electric has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Bolt’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Kona Electric has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Kona Electric flat and controlled during cornering. The Bolt’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Kona Electric’s wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer than on the Bolt (104.7 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Kona Electric is 3.5 inches wider in the front and 3.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Bolt.

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

The Kona Electric has 5.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Bolt (99 vs. 93.9).

The Kona Electric has 3 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, .4 inches more rear legroom, 1.8 inches more rear hip room and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Bolt.

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

The Kona Electric has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Bolt with its rear seat up (25.5 vs. 16.6 cubic feet). The Kona Electric has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Bolt with its rear seat folded (63.7 vs. 57 cubic feet).

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

The Kona Electric Limited’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Bolt’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

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

The Kona Electric’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 Bolt doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Kona Electric and the Bolt offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Kona Electric SEL/Limited has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Bolt doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Kona Electric 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 Bolt doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Chevrolet Bolt by 28% during 2023.