Compare the2024 Acura ZDXVS 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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Both the ZDX and Kona Electric have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The ZDX has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Kona Electric’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Acura ZDX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The ZDX offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the ZDX and the Kona Electric have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 around view monitors.

The Acura ZDX weighs 1530 to 2481 pounds more than the Hyundai Kona Electric. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Acura ZDX is safer than the Kona Electric:

	ZDX	Kona Electric
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	34	251
Neck Tension	156 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	1.57 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	602 lbs.	915 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	85	282
Neck Tension	45 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.51 in	2.09 in
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.71 in	1.61 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	402 lbs.	759 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura fourth in overall reliability. Hyundai is ranked 11th.

Engine

The ZDX has more powerful engines than the Kona Electric:

	Horsepower	Torque
ZDX A-Spec electric motor	358 HP	324 lbs.-ft.
ZDX A-Spec AWD electric motors	490 HP	437 lbs.-ft.
ZDX Type S electric motors	500 HP	544 lbs.-ft.
Kona Electric SE electric motor	133 HP	188 lbs.-ft.
Kona Electric SEL/Limited/N-Line electric motor	201 HP	188 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Acura ZDX is faster than the Kona Electric SEL/Limited/N-Line:

	ZDX A-Spec AWD	ZDX Type S	Kona Electric
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	4.2 sec	7.1 sec
Quarter Mile	13.5 sec	12.7 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99.7 MPH	113.3 MPH	93.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			Miles
ZDX
	RWD	A-Spec Electric Motor	313 miles
	AWD	A-Spec Electric Motors	304 miles
		Type S Electric Motors	278 miles
Kona Electric
	FWD	SEL/Limited Electric Motor	261 miles
		N-Line Electric Motor	230 miles
		SE Electric Motor	200 miles

Brakes and Stopping

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

	ZDX A-Spec	ZDX Type S	Kona Electric
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	15.3 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	13.5 inches	13.5 inches	11.8 inches

The ZDX’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Kona Electric are solid, not vented.

The ZDX stops shorter than the Kona Electric:

	ZDX	Kona Electric
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	114 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the ZDX has larger standard tires than the Kona Electric (265/50R20 vs. 215/60R17). The ZDX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Kona Electric (275/40R22 vs. 235/45R19).

The ZDX A-Spec’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kona Electric’s standard 60 series tires. The ZDX Type S’ tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Kona Electric N-Line’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ZDX A-Spec has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Kona Electric. The ZDX Type S’ 22-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Kona Electric N-Line.

The Acura ZDX’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Hyundai Kona Electric only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires standard on the ZDX can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Suspension and Handling

The ZDX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Kona Electric’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ZDX’s wheelbase is 17.1 inches longer than on the Kona Electric (121.8 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the ZDX is 3.6 inches wider in the front and 3.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Kona Electric.

The ZDX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the Kona Electric’s (56% to 44%). This gives the ZDX more stable handling and braking.

The ZDX Type S handles at .86 G’s, while the Kona Electric Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The ZDX Type S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.5 seconds quicker than the Kona Electric Limited (25.1 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the ZDX has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Kona Electric (7 vs. 5.9 inches), allowing the ZDX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The ZDX has 11.8 inches more front hip room, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, 3 inches more rear legroom, 13.9 inches more rear hip room and 2.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Kona Electric.

Cargo Capacity

The ZDX has a much larger cargo volume than the Kona Electric with its rear seat up (29.7 vs. 25.5 cubic feet).

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the ZDX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The ZDX has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The Kona Electric has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the ZDX uses the Vehicle Stability Assist sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Hyundai. J.D. Power ranks Acura 9th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 51% lower rating, Hyundai is ranked 29th.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the ZDX, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver and front passenger’s seat positions. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer memory seats.

The ZDX Type S has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction, infotainment and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The ZDX’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Kona Electric’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. With the Kona Electric N-Line/Limited’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

On a hot day the ZDX’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Kona Electric can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The ZDX’s standard Keyless Access System allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Proximity Key standard on the Kona Electric doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The ZDX’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Kona Electric’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The ZDX’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Kona Electric’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the ZDX to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the ZDX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Kona Electric’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Acura ZDX has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are not standard on all versions of the Kona Electric.

The ZDX has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Kona Electric SEL/N-Line/Limited. The ZDX Type S also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Kona Electric.

The ZDX has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Kona Electric Limited.

Both the ZDX and the Kona Electric offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the ZDX has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Acura ZDX has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the infotainment. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Hyundai charges extra for Homelink® on the Kona Electric.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Acura ZDX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Kona Electric N-Line/Limited offers wireless charging.

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