Compare the2025 Hyundai Elantra HybridVS 2025 Kia K4

The Elantra Hybrid’s 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. The K4 doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Elantra Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the K4’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Elantra Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the K4 LXS/EX/GT-Line offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.

The Elantra Hybrid Sport SEL/Limited has a standard Blue Link, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The K4 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Elantra Hybrid and the K4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available rear parking sensors.

The Hyundai Elantra Hybrid achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The K4 has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Elantra Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the K4’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Elantra Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the K4.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked fourth.

The Elantra Hybrid’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 132) than the K4’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Elantra Hybrid gets better mileage than the K4:

Regenerative brakes improve the Elantra Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The K4 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Elantra Hybrid offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The K4 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid 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 K4 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Elantra Hybrid has standard rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The K4’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Elantra Hybrid has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Elantra Hybrid flat and controlled during cornering. The K4 base model’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Elantra Hybrid has 1.6 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front hip room and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the K4.

The Elantra Hybrid has a 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. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the K4 EX/GT-Line.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Elantra as the 2021 North American Car of the Year. The K4 has never been chosen.

The Hyundai Elantra outsold the Kia K4 by 8% during 2023.