Compare the2025 Hyundai KonaVS 2025 Kia Sportage

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 Kia Sportage doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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

The Kona 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. Only the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kona 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 Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.

Both the Kona and the Sportage 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Sportage is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024, though it hasn’t yet been rated in the updated moderate overlap frontal test, a requirement for the “Top Safety Pick Plus” award.

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

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona 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 Sportage.

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 Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 3 more horsepower (190 vs. 187) and 17 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 178) than the Sportage’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Kona N Line/Limited 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Kia Sportage:

On the EPA test cycle the Kona gets better mileage than the Sportage:

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 Sportage doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Kona stops much shorter than the Sportage:

The Kona SE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sportage LX/X-Pro’s standard 65 series tires. The Kona N Line/Limited’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Sportage SX Prestige/X-Line’s 55 series tires.

The Kona N Line AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Sportage X-Pro Prestige pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kona Limited AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Sportage X-Pro (27.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Kona’s turning circle is 3.8 feet tighter than the Sportage’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

The Hyundai Kona may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Kia Sportage.

The Kona is 1 foot shorter than the Sportage, making the Kona easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Kona N Line AWD is quieter than the Sportage X-Pro Prestige:

The Kona has .3 inches more front headroom and .3 inches more front legroom than the Sportage.

The Kona uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sportage 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.

The Kona has a standard Proximity Key that 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. Only the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro offers a Smart Key.

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 Sportage doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Kona second among small suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Sportage was rated third in its category.