2021 Kia Seltos vs 2022 Hyundai Kona

The 2021 Kia Seltos, despite being a subcompact SUV, offered a big-car feel with its upright layout and commanding road view. Its headlight design, though busy, seamlessly integrated with the grille, and the aggressive lower front bumper hinted at off-road capabilities, even if it wasn't designed for such adventures. The red circles around the wheel centres added a touch of on-road dynamism. Inside, the Seltos boasted a straightforward design with clean lines and tech features reminiscent of upscale brands like Audi. The LCD screen for climate controls and the touchscreen atop the dash provided visual symmetry, while the handle framing the tray below the centre stack underscored its utilitarian yet sporty nature.

In contrast, the 2022 Hyundai Kona received a significant makeover, enhancing its sophistication with a longer body, revised grille, and sporty character lines. The new alloy wheel designs complemented the exterior changes. Inside, the Kona's instrument panel and centre console were separated, creating a more horizontal layout that gave the interior a spacious feel. Ambient lighting in the front cupholders and footwells added a touch of elegance. The addition of the sporty N Line and Kona N trims brought unique styling elements, including body-colour cladding and rocker panels, enhancing the Kona's athletic appearance. The N Line's interior featured exclusive black seats with red stitching and alloy sport pedals, while the Kona N offered even sportier features like N sport bucket seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The 2021 Kia Seltos offered a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine in its LX, EX, and EX Premium trims, producing 146 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), powered either the front wheels or all-wheel drive (AWD), standard on all but the base model in Canada. While adequate for city driving, the base engine struggled at higher speeds. The SX Turbo trim, however, featured a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, delivering 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to standard AWD. This engine provided ample power for quick acceleration and highway passing, especially in Sport Mode, which enhanced throttle response and steering feel.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered a variety of powertrains. The Essential and Preferred trims featured a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT. The N Line trim boasted a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine, producing 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The new Kona N trim featured a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, delivering 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque through an N eight-speed wet DCT. The Kona N also included performance features like launch control and an electronic limited-slip differential. The Kona's handling was composed, with a low centre of gravity and surefooted performance, making it feel stable and agile.

The 2021 Kia Seltos excelled in cargo space, offering 752 litres behind the rear seats and expanding to 1,778 litres with the seats folded, making it one of the most spacious subcompact SUVs. The interior featured numerous cubbies and compartments, providing ample storage for front and rear passengers. The rear seats offered generous head- and legroom, a rarity among subcompact SUVs, positioning the Seltos as a leader in interior space.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona, while compact, provided ample front-seat comfort with generous headroom and legroom, even with the optional sunroof. However, rear-seat occupants faced challenges with small door openings and limited head- and legroom due to the vehicle's compact dimensions. Cargo space was tight, with 544 litres available with all seats up, expanding to 1,296 litres with the rear seats folded. The Kona's compact size limited its practicality for rear passengers and cargo, making it less spacious than the Seltos.

The 2021 Kia Seltos featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the base LX and EX trims, while the EX Premium and SX Turbo offered a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen. The SX Turbo also included a Bose premium sound system. The infotainment system was intuitive, with a helpful home button and hard buttons for easy navigation. However, only one of the two USB ports allowed data connection, which could be frustrating in the dark.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona introduced more tech, with an 8-inch display on the base Essential trim and a 10.25-inch touchscreen on the Kona N and N Line with the Ultimate Package. The Kona N Line and Kona N featured an eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were standard with the base screen, while the larger screen required wired connections. The Kona's infotainment system was user-friendly, with easy smartphone connectivity and Hyundai BlueLink services available on most trims.

The 2021 Kia Seltos came standard with front- and side-impact airbags, electronic stability control, and a tire pressure monitoring system. In Canada, the base LX included blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Higher trims offered a full suite of driver-assistance features, including collision avoidance assist, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The Seltos received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, and rear occupant alert. Available technologies included adaptive cruise control and blind-spot warning. The Kona received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings in all IIHS crashworthiness tests. However, it did not achieve Top Safety Pick status due to the "Marginal" rating for child-seat anchors.