2019 Hyundai Kona Goes Head-to-Head with the
Competition in Alcoa, TN
It may be all-new to the compact SUV segment, but
it's already catching on among enthusiasts of five-passenger crossovers here in
eastern Tennessee. You can see how well the new Hyundai Kona is already doing,
in fact, in how it stands up to challenges from longer-lived rivals from Honda
and Nissan to Toyota and Mazda -- the experts here at Twin City Hyundai in
Alcoa have made it easy. Then, be sure to stop by and see us in-person here at
3024 Alcoa Highway for a test drive that's sure to make an
impression!
2019 Hyundai Kona vs Honda HR-V
Kona offers two engines: a
spirited 147-horsepower, 2.0-liter I4 at base, and a turbocharged
175-horsepower, 1.6-liter inline-four in higher trims. HR-V builds in only a
1.8 in-line four-cylinder, and it's less energetic, putting out only 141
horsepower.
A seven-speed EcoShift® dual-clutch
transmission comes standard in top trims. That means no clutch fumble, no
torque converter clunk, and gear shifts you'll find exceptionally smooth. HR-V
pairs its engine with a CVT only.
Blind-spot and rear
cross-traffic collision warnings and lane change assist come standard in Kona
SEL and later, with driver-assistance features like lane keeping and forward
collision-avoidance assist, pedestrian detection, and driver attention and
parking distance warnings a mix of standard and optional depending on trim.
HR-V incorporates the Honda Sensing suite, with forward collision and lane
departure warnings, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and collision
and road departure mitigation systems, but it's only standard in the midrange
and later.
For managing your entertainment and
connectivity, you can find 7- and 8-inch infotainment touchscreen options, and
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard for extending smartphone
functionality to the dash. HR-V features only 5- and 7-inch systems, and Apple
and Android phone support are only standard in the middle trim tier and up.
A
new Kona comes with America's Best Warranty -- new vehicle coverage for 5 years
or 60,000 miles, 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage, a 7-year,
unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty, and 24-hour roadside assistance for 5
years and unlimited miles. A new HR-V offers nowhere near
that.
2019 Hyundai Kona vs Nissan Kicks
The base 147-horsepower,
2.0-liter I4 and higher-trim turbocharged 175-horsepower, 1.6-liter inline-four
engine options in the new Kona make it the far better performer. Kicks offers
only one engine, a 125-horsepower, 1.6-liter model.
Choose
an available seven-speed EcoShift® dual-clutch transmission, standard
in top Kona trims, if you prefer ease of use and some of the smoothest shifting
around. Kicks builds in only a continuously variable
transmission.
In Kona SEL and higher trims, blind-spot
collision warning, lane change assist, and rear cross-traffic collision warning
come standard. Standard and optional depending on trim, you can also find lane
keeping and forward collision-avoidance assistance features, pedestrian
detection, and warnings for both driver attention and parking distance. Kicks
offers a rearview monitor standard, but its options are limited to automatic
emergency brakes, a blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, and an
intelligent around view monitor.
Kona is roomier, with 94.1
cubic feet of passenger space and up to 45.8 cubic feet for cargo. The Kicks
interior is only 93.9 cubic feet, and its cargo area can only expand up to
32.3.
Your choice of 7- and 8-inch infotainment touchscreen
options appears, ready to put you in control of your ride's amusements, and
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard so that your smartphone can come
along for the ride. Kicks, on the other hand, features only a 7-inch display,
and Apple and Android compatibility comes only at the midrange and in later
trims.
America's Best Warranty surpasses that of a new
Nissan Kicks. Kona provides new vehicle coverage for up to 5 years or 60,000
miles, offers 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage, and includes a
7-year, unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty, not to mention 24-hour
roadside assistance for 5 years and unlimited mileage.
2019 Hyundai Kona vs Toyota C-HR
Kona is more powerful than
C-HR, offering 147-horsepower, 2.0-liter I4 and turbocharged 175-horsepower,
1.6-liter inline-four engine options, compared to the latter's 144-horsepower,
2.0-liter model.
A seven-speed EcoShift®
dual-clutch transmission comes standard in top Kona trims, abolishing both a
manual clutch and the use of a torque converter to deliver gearshifts you can
barely sense. C-HR offers only a less-seamless CVT.
Count
on up to an EPA-estimated 27 city mpg, 33 highway, and 30 combined mpg in Kona
SE and SEL trims, with Limited and Ultimate trims making possible up to 28 mpg
city, 32 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined. C-HR is less efficient, reaching
only 27 mpg, 31 mpg, and 29 mpg respectively.
Both models
offer comparable safety and driver-assist features. Kona standardizes lane
change assist and blind-spot and rear cross-traffic collision warnings in SEL
and later, with pedestrian detection, driver attention and parking distance
warnings, and lane keeping and forward collision-avoidance assist coming either
standard or optional depending on trim. C-HR incorporates the Toyota Safety
Sense P (TSS-P) system.
Kona offers more room for both
riders and luggage, up to 94.1 cubic feet for the former and up to 45.8 cubic
feet for the latter. C-HR only provides 83.8 and 36.4 cubic feet
respectively.
Choose from either a 7- or 8-inch
touch-screen equipped infotainment system for entertainment control, with
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard to enable connecting your smartphone.
C-HR offers a selection of three 8.0-inch Entune systems, but they feature
Apple CarPlay compatibility only.
Go with a new Kona, and
you get America's Best Warranty, 5 years or 60,000 miles of new vehicle
coverage, 10 years or 100,000 miles of coverage for its powertrain, 7 years and
unlimited miles of anti-perforation coverage, and 24-hour roadside assistance,
should you need it, for 5 years and unlimited miles. Toyota's warranty is not
as comprehensive.
2019 Hyundai Kona vs Mazda CX-3
The 147-horsepower,
2.0-liter I4 engine in the Kona base trim is comparable to the 148-horsepower,
2.0-liter model in CX-3's base, Sport. However, upgrade to the optional turbocharged
175-horsepower, 1.6-liter inline-four at a higher trim, and Kona gains the
clear edge.
Kona incorporates a seven-speed
EcoShift® transmission standard in its top-most trims. It's a
dual-clutch design, so there's neither a manual clutch nor a torque converter
in use, and that means a nearly seamless shift quality you won't find many
places elsewhere. CX-3, on the other hand, only builds in a six-speed auto
transmission.
Driver-assistance features abound in Kona.
Standards in the SEL trim and later include blind-spot and rear cross-traffic
collision warning systems and a lane change assist feature. Further options
like lane keeping assist, forward collision-avoidance assist, a pedestrian
detector, driver attention warning, and a parking distance warning system come
as a mix of standard and optional depending on your trim choice. CX-3, however,
standardizes a rearview camera, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic
alert, and Smart City Brake Support, offering options like Advanced Smart City
Brake Support, pedestrian detection, a collision warning feature, Mazda Radar
Cruise Control with Stop & Go, and lane departure warning only later in the
line.
With 94.1 cubic feet for passengers and up to 45.8 cubic
feet designated for cargo, Kona is the roomier option. CX-3 is just behind,
offering up to 44.5 cubic feet for cargo.
7- and 8-inch
infotainment touchscreen systems are your entertainment options, and each
features standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for connecting your smartphone
and controlling it from the dash. CX-3 offers only a 7-inch system, and neither
Apple nor Android compatibility factors in.
America's Best
Warranty comes standard in a new Hyundai Kona. You get new vehicle coverage for
up to 5 years or 60,000 miles, powertrain coverage for up to 10 years or
100,000 miles, an anti-perforation warranty good for 7 years and unlimited
miles, and 5 years and unlimited miles worth of 24-hour roadside assistance.
CX-3 doesn't offer as much coverage.