Compare the2024 Toyota bZ4XVS 2023 Hyundai Kona Electric

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota bZ4X have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Hyundai Kona Electric doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Toyota bZ4X 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 bZ4X has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The bZ4X has a standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The bZ4X has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the bZ4X AWD’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

The bZ4X Limited has a standard Bird’s Eye View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Kona Electric only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the bZ4X and the Kona Electric have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Toyota bZ4X weighs 430 to 749 pounds more than the Hyundai Kona Electric. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

There are over 49 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the bZ4X’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the bZ4X’s reliability 42 points higher than the Kona Electric.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 11th.

The bZ4X’s optional electric motors produces 13 more horsepower (214 vs. 201) than the Kona Electric’s electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota bZ4X electric motors is faster than the Hyundai Kona Electric:

For better stopping power the bZ4X’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Kona Electric:

The bZ4X’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.

The bZ4X stops much shorter than the Kona Electric:

For better traction, the bZ4X has larger tires than the Kona Electric (235/60R18 vs. 215/55R17).

The bZ4X Limited’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kona Electric’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the bZ4X XLE has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Kona Electric. The bZ4X Limited has standard 20-inch wheels.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the bZ4X’s wheelbase is 9.8 inches longer than on the Kona Electric (112.2 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the bZ4X is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Kona Electric.

The bZ4X Limited AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Kona Electric Limited pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The bZ4X Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Kona Electric Limited (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

The bZ4X has .6 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear legroom and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona Electric.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the bZ4X’s rear seats recline. The Kona Electric’s rear seats don’t recline.

The bZ4X has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona Electric with its rear seat up (27.7 vs. 19.2 cubic feet). The bZ4X has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona Electric with its rear seat folded (56.9 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the bZ4X has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the bZ4X Limited, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

The bZ4X’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 rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the bZ4X the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Kona Electric can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The bZ4X’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Kona Electric’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The bZ4X’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Kona Electric SE/SEL’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

Both the bZ4X and the Kona Electric offer available heated front seats. The bZ4X Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Kona Electric.

The bZ4X’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 Kona Electric doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the bZ4X and the Kona Electric offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the bZ4X 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota bZ4X has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Kona Electric SEL/Limited offers wireless charging.

The bZ4X Limited’s Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer an automated parking system.