2021 Toyota Sequoia vs 2022 Hyundai Kona

The 2021 Toyota Sequoia, despite its age, attempted to maintain a modern appearance with updates in 2018, including new headlights and grille designs. However, these subtle changes were often overshadowed by the vehicle's large silhouette. Inside, the Sequoia's design was reminiscent of the mid-2000s, with a multi-tiered center dash and a standard 7-inch touchscreen that appeared small against the expansive dashboard. The cabin offered ample space, but the front seats were bulky, limiting headroom for taller drivers, especially with the optional sunroof. The second-row seats, however, provided generous headroom and legroom, ensuring comfort for passengers. The Sequoia was available in several trims, including the SR5, TRD Sport, Limited, Nightshade Edition, TRD Pro, and Platinum, each offering various features and enhancements.

In contrast, the 2022 Hyundai Kona received a significant makeover, giving it a more sophisticated and sporty appearance. The exterior featured revised front and rear fascias, enhanced LED lighting, and new character lines, complemented by new alloy wheel designs. Inside, the Kona's instrument panel and center console were redesigned for a more spacious look, with new ambient lighting adding a touch of elegance. The 2022 model introduced two new trims, the N Line and Kona N, each with unique styling elements and performance enhancements. The N Line featured exclusive black seats with red stitching and alloy sport pedals, while the Kona N boasted wide fenders, a front lip spoiler, and N sport bucket seats. The Kona's interior quality and fit and finish were commendable, offering a sporty and modern feel.

The 2021 Toyota Sequoia was equipped with a robust 5.7-liter V8 engine, delivering 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, available in rear-wheel drive (RWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD) configurations. Despite its hefty weight of up to 6,000 pounds, the Sequoia offered strong acceleration, though its six-speed transmission was considered outdated compared to modern multi-speed options. The Sequoia's driving dynamics were akin to a truck, with a soft suspension and powerful brakes, providing a confident driving experience. However, it exhibited some body roll in corners. The Sequoia's towing capacity was 7,400 pounds, which was lower than some competitors in the full-size SUV segment.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered a diverse range of powertrains. The base SE and SEL trims featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). For those seeking more performance, the N Line and Limited trims came with a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine, producing 195 horsepower and paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The new Kona N trim boasted a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with 276 horsepower, paired with an eight-speed wet DCT. The Kona N offered exclusive driving features like N Grin Shift and launch control. Our test vehicle, a Kona N Line with AWD, provided ample power and agility, making it enjoyable to drive in both city and highway settings. The Kona's handling was composed, with a low center of gravity contributing to its stability.

The 2021 Toyota Sequoia's standout feature was its spacious cabin, offering nearly 19 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row and an impressive 120 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. This made it competitive with other full-size SUVs in terms of cargo capacity. The Sequoia also featured a power-retractable rear window, a convenient feature for accessing items without fully opening the hatch. While the front-row space could have been better utilized, the Sequoia provided ample storage options, including deep in-door pockets and a massive center console.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona, being a subcompact SUV, had limited interior space. However, Hyundai made efforts to maximize comfort for front-seat occupants, offering ample headroom and legroom. The rear seats, though, were less accommodating, with limited headroom and legroom due to the vehicle's compact dimensions. Cargo space was also limited, with 19.2 cubic feet available with all seats up and 45.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Kona was not recommended for towing, further emphasizing its focus on urban and suburban driving.

The 2021 Toyota Sequoia came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, and a WiFi hotspot. Our test model had a larger 9-inch screen, though it still felt small on the expansive dash. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with simple menu navigation and large hard buttons. The digital trip computer was small but functional, offering a straightforward interface.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona introduced more advanced technology for the 2022 model year. The base SE trim featured an 8-inch display, while higher trims offered a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation. The Kona's infotainment system included features like wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, though the larger screen required wired connections. The Kona also offered Hyundai Blue Link, a suite of connected services, and a digital key feature. The infotainment system was intuitive and easy to use, providing modern connectivity options for drivers.

The 2021 Toyota Sequoia was equipped with the Toyota Safety Sense-P suite, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams. It also featured blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors. However, it lacked more advanced technologies like lane-keeping assist. The Sequoia received a four-star rating in the NHTSA's rollover test but was not rated in other crash tests.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered a range of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, and driver attention warning. Additional technologies like adaptive cruise control and blind-spot warning were available. The Kona received a five-star overall crash protection rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings in all six IIHS crashworthiness tests. However, its child-seat anchors received a "Marginal" rating, preventing it from achieving Top Safety Pick status.