2023 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2022 Hyundai Kona

The 2022 Hyundai Kona received a significant makeover, enhancing its sophistication with a longer body, revised grille, and sporty character lines. The updated LED lighting and new alloy wheel designs contributed to its modern appearance. Inside, the Kona's interior was redesigned to offer a more spacious look with a horizontal layout, ambient lighting, and new trim levels like the N Line and Kona N, which added unique styling elements and sportier features. The Kona N Line, in particular, stood out with its exclusive black seats, red stitching, and alloy sport pedals, while the Kona N took sportiness to another level with its aggressive design and performance-oriented features.

In contrast, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe maintained a more conservative exterior design, continuing the look from the previous model year. The Santa Fe was available in four trims in Canada, all with standard all-wheel drive. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim, tested in a U.S.-spec model, featured a distinctive wide grille and thin LED headlights. Inside, the Santa Fe offered a high-quality, albeit dark, interior with Nappa leather seats and a range of comfort features. The cabin was equipped with heated and cooled front seats, and the second row also had seat heaters, making it a comfortable choice for various weather conditions.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered a diverse range of powertrains, catering to different performance preferences. The base 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 provided a more spirited drive with a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine, delivering 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque through a seven-speed DCT. The high-performance Kona N boasted a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, producing 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque, paired with an N eight-speed wet DCT. The Kona N also featured exclusive driving modes and performance enhancements, making it a thrilling option for enthusiasts.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a 2.5-litre engine, available in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions. The Preferred trim's naturally aspirated engine produced 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, while the turbocharged engine in the Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy trims delivered 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The turbocharged Santa Fe offered impressive acceleration and passing power, especially in Sport mode, with minimal turbo lag. The Santa Fe's handling was smooth, with a drive-mode selector offering Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart modes. The turbocharged version also had a higher towing capacity of 1,587 kg, compared to the non-turbo's 907 kg.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona, while compact, provided ample comfort for front-seat occupants, with sufficient headroom and legroom. However, rear-seat passengers faced challenges with limited space and small door openings. The Kona's cargo space was tight, offering 544 litres with all seats up and 1,296 litres with the rear seats folded. Despite claims of improved rear-seat legroom, it remained limited, and towing was not recommended for the Kona.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, on the other hand, excelled in interior space and comfort. With no third row, the Santa Fe offered generous rear-seat legroom of 1,060 millimetres and a competitive cargo space of 1,032 litres behind the second row. Folding the second row expanded the cargo area to 2,041 litres. The Santa Fe featured an array of comfort and convenience features, including dual-zone climate control, a hands-free smart liftgate, and a panoramic sunroof. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim added premium touches like a head-up display and ambient lighting.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona introduced more tech features, starting with an 8-inch display on the base trim, while the N Line and Kona N offered a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation and traffic information. The Kona's infotainment system was user-friendly, with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The N Line and Kona N also featured a Harman Kardon audio system and wireless device charging.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, offering a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system on the top trims. The Santa Fe's infotainment system was customizable, with a logical layout and voice recognition capabilities. However, the voice-recognition system had mixed results, particularly with music requests and temperature adjustments.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona provided essential safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, and driver attention warning. Optional features included adaptive cruise control and blind-spot warning. The Kona received a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and "Good" ratings from IIHS, though it did not achieve Top Safety Pick status due to child-seat anchor issues.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a comprehensive suite of safety-related ADAS, including forward-collision avoidance, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim featured Highway Driving Assist. The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from IIHS, with high marks in crashworthiness and crash avoidance.