Compare the2024 Hyundai KonaVS 2024 Volkswagen Taos

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Kona have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Volkswagen Taos doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear 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 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Taos doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Hyundai Kona is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Volkswagen Taos, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Kona	Taos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-9 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-14 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-14 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Brights	2 sec	No Warning
37 MPH Low beams	-33 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.2 sec	No Warning

The Kona Limited has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Taos 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.

The Kona’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 Taos doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kona and the Taos 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 available all wheel drive.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the Kona is safer than the Taos:

	Kona	Taos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	36 mm	38 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	10.4 g’s	13.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

The Hyundai Kona has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Taos is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Warranty

The Kona comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Taos’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

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

The Kona’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Taos runs out after 100,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Taos (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

There are over 29 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Kona’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Kona’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Taos’ camshafts. If the Taos’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 61 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen 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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 69 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 16 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 32 more horsepower (190 vs. 158) and 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kona N Line/Limited 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Kona	Taos
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	8.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	89.2 MPH	83.9 MPH

Transmission

The Kona SE/SEL has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Taos doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Kona stops much shorter than the Taos:

	Kona	Taos
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Kona N Line/Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Taos (235/45R19 vs. 225/45R19).

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Kona is .6 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

The Kona Limited AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Taos SEL pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Kona Limited AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Taos SEL (27.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Kona has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Taos (8.1 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Kona to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Kona N Line’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the Taos (8.3 vs. 7.6 inches).

Chassis

The Kona is 4.5 inches shorter than the Taos, making the Kona easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

Passenger Space

The Kona has 1.6 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear legroom than the Taos.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

Servicing Ease

The Kona uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Taos uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Kona’s standard Proximity Key allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. KESSY Push-Button Start standard on the Taos only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle. KESSY Push-Button Start is not available on the Taos SE/SEL.

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

The Kona 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 Taos doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Volkswagen Taos by 34% during 2023.