2022 Jeep Wagoneer vs 2021 Hyundai Kona

After three years on the market, the Hyundai Kona continues to wow with great features, strong styling, and decent specs. The 2021 model year brings subtle changes to the Kona lineup, including new colors, a new Night Edition with Rays semi-gloss black 18-inch wheels, and gloss black exterior and interior accents.

Hyundai offers the Kona in several trims: SE, SEL, SEL Plus, Night Edition, Limited, and Ultimate. A Hyundai Kona Electric model is available as well, but we'll cover that in a separate overview. A high-performance Kona N will be available for the 2022 model year.

The Hyundai Kona competes with subcompact SUVs that include the Kia Soul, Volkswagen Taos, Mazda CX-30, Subaru Crosstrek, Nissan Kicks, Hyundai Venue, and Toyota C-HR. Given its size and price, buyers may also cross-shop the larger Hyundai Tucson. New car buyers have many other choices, then, but the Kona still stands out as a value-forward crossover with a long warranty and plenty of standard features.

Jeep is digging deep into its back catalog for new models. The Stellantis brand (formerly Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) recently resurrected the Jeep Gladiator pickup truck, and now it’s bringing back another name from the past—the Wagoneer.

The Jeep Wagoneer was one of the original American SUVs and boasted a 28-year production run, spanning 1963 to 1991. It’s a tough act to follow, then, as demonstrated by Jeep’s last attempt at a full-size SUV, the ill-fated Commander.

The Wagoneer returns not just as a new SUV, but as a sub-brand that sits atop the rest of the Jeep lineup in size, price, and prestige. For the 2022 model year, Jeep is launching both the standard Wagoneer and a more luxurious Grand Wagoneer (covered in a separate review). As the lower-tier model, the standard Wagoneer targets full-size SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, Nissan Armada, and Toyota Sequoia.

The 2022 Jeep Wagoneer launches in Series II and Series III trim levels, with a base Wagoneer Series I model scheduled to join the lineup at a later date. Our test vehicle was a Wagoneer Series II, which is the de facto base model until the Series I arrives.