Compare the2024 Hyundai Kona ElectricVS 2024 Fiat 500e

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 Fiat 500e doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 500e doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kona Electric Limited has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 500e only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Kona Electric and the 500e have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 driver alert monitors.

The Hyundai Kona Electric weighs 619 to 939 pounds more than the Fiat 500e. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

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 500e 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 500e’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 Fiat covers the 500e. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 500e ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Kona Electric’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the 500e’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. Fiat doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 500e.

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

The Kona Electric SE’s standard electric motor produces 15 more horsepower (133 vs. 118) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (188 vs. 162) than the 500e’s electric motor. The Kona Electric SEL/Limited’s standard electric motor produces 83 more horsepower (201 vs. 118) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (188 vs. 162) than the 500e’s electric motor.

The Kona Electric can travel longer on a full charge than the 500e on a full charge:

For better stopping power the Kona Electric’s brake rotors are larger than those on the 500e:

The Hyundai Kona Electric has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the 500e. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

For better traction, the Kona Electric has larger tires than the 500e (215/60R17 vs. 205/45R17).

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 500e doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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 Fiat 500e has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Kona Electric has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The 500e doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Kona Electric’s wheelbase is 13.3 inches longer than on the 500e (104.7 inches vs. 91.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Kona Electric is 4.7 inches wider in the front and 5.3 inches wider in the rear than on the 500e.

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 500e doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Kona Electric has standard seating for 5 passengers; the 500e can only carry 4.

The Kona Electric has 5.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 500e (99 vs. 93.7).

The Kona Electric has .7 inches more front headroom, 4.5 inches more front hip room, 5.4 inches more front shoulder room, 2.9 inches more rear headroom, 6.9 inches more rear legroom, 7.2 inches more rear hip room and 7.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the 500e.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Kona Electric’s rear seats recline. The 500e’s rear seats don’t recline.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Kona Electric’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The 500e doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Kona Electric’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. Fiat does not offer a locking feature on the 500e’s standard power windows.

The Kona Electric Limited’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The 500e’s power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The Kona Electric SEL/Limited has standard heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the 500e.

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 500e doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Kona Electric Limited’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The 500e doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Kona Electric has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 500e doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Kona Electric has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500e doesn’t offer rear 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 500e doesn’t offer an automated parking system.