Compare the2025 Hyundai Kona ElectricVS 2025 Kia Niro EV

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 Niro EV 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 Niro EV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Hyundai Kona Electric 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 Niro EV has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

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. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Niro EV.

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.

On the EPA test cycle the Kona Electric gets better mileage than the Niro EV:

The Kona Electric SEL/Limited can travel longer on a full charge than the Niro EV (261 miles vs. 253 miles).

For better traction, the Kona Electric N-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Niro EV (235/45R19 vs. 215/55R17).

The Kona Electric N-Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Niro EV’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Kona Electric N-Line has standard 19-inch wheels. The Niro EV’s largest wheels are only 17-inches.

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 Niro EV doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Kona Electric has .2 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front hip room, .2 inches more front shoulder room and .2 inches more rear headroom than the Niro EV.

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

The Kona Electric has a much larger cargo volume than the Niro EV with its rear seat up (25.5 vs. 22.8 cubic feet).

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

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Kona Electric has a standard Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Niro EV doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Kia Niro by over two to one during 2023.