Compare the2024 Hyundai Kona ElectricVS 2023 Mercedes EQB

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 Electric are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The EQB doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kona Electric’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 EQB.

Both the Kona Electric and the EQB have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors 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 EQB has not been 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 EQB’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

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

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

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. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the EQB.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

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 Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 47 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 18 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

On the EPA test cycle the Kona Electric gets better mileage than the EQB:

The Kona Electric can travel longer on a full charge than the EQB on a full charge:

The Kona Electric has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The EQB doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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

For better maneuverability, the Kona Electric’s turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the EQB’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The Hyundai Kona Electric may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 850 to 950 pounds less than the Mercedes EQB.

The Kona Electric is 1 foot shorter than the EQB, making the Kona Electric easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona Electric has .6 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the EQB.

The Kona Electric has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the EQB with its rear seat up (25.5 vs. 10.7 cubic feet). The Kona Electric has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the EQB with its rear seat folded (63.7 vs. 61.8 cubic feet).

The Kona Electric’s standard Proximity Key allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless-Start standard on the EQB only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Kona Electric has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the EQB only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Kona Electric has standard extendable sun visors. The EQB doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 EQB’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Mercedes EQB by almost seven to one during 2023.