Compare the2023 Nissan AriyaVS 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric

The Nissan Ariya has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Ariya Platinum+ has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Ariya has standard Rear Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Ariya offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Ariya and the Kona Electric 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Ariya its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 67 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Kona Electric has not been fully tested, yet.

There are over 30 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Ariya’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated lower.

The Ariya has more powerful engines than the Kona Electric:

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

The Ariya’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Kona Electric are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Ariya has larger standard tires than the Kona Electric (235/55R19 vs. 215/60R17). The Ariya Platinum+’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Kona Electric (255/45R20 vs. 215/60R17).

The Ariya’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kona Electric’s standard 60 series tires. The Ariya Platinum+’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Kona Electric’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Ariya has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Kona Electric. The Ariya Platinum+ offers optional 20-inch wheels.

The Ariya 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 Kona Electric doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ariya’s wheelbase is 4.6 inches longer than on the Kona Electric (109.3 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Ariya is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Kona Electric.

The Ariya Platinum+ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Ariya has 2.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona Electric (101.3 vs. 99).

The Ariya has .6 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear legroom, .1 inches more rear hip room and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona Electric.

When two different drivers share the Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver and front passenger’s seat positions, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster) and outside mirror angle. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Ariya’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Kona Electric’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. With the Kona Electric Limited’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

On a hot day the Ariya’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Kona Electric can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Ariya’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Kona Electric’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Ariya Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

When the Ariya Platinum+ is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Kona Electric’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Ariya and the Kona Electric offer available heated front seats. The Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Kona Electric.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Ariya, based on reliability, safety and performance.