2024 Chrysler Pacifica vs 2025 Hyundai Kona

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica maintained its contemporary appeal despite not undergoing frequent redesigns. Its smooth exterior styling, with a modest grille, offered a refreshing alternative to the flashier designs of competitors like the Toyota Sienna. Chrysler's decision to avoid dressing up the Pacifica like an SUV, as seen with the Kia Carnival, resulted in a clean look, further enhanced by the hidden sliding-door tracks. The Pacifica's interior mirrored its exterior's distinctiveness, featuring a minimalist dashboard with well-integrated controls. The Pinnacle trim, with its luxurious brown Nappa leather upholstery and quilted stitching, added a touch of elegance, although some interior elements felt less premium.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona, while visually unchanged from its 2024 predecessor, retained a fresh and distinctive appearance in the crossover class. Its flush, single-piece grille and ultra-slim LED light bars gave even the gas-powered models a futuristic look. The Kona's increased size, being 15 centimetres longer, contributed to a more assertive stance and improved interior space. The N Line trim, with its sportier design, further enhanced the Kona's visual appeal. Inside, the Kona's unchanged interior felt solid and airy, with a well-organized layout and ample tech features. The relocation of the drive selector to a column beneath the wiper stalk created a sense of space, complemented by excellent in-car storage options.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica was powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine, producing 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available on the Touring L and Limited trims, and standard on the Pinnacle. The Pacifica's V6 engine, known as the Pentastar, had a long history within the Stellantis lineup, providing peppy acceleration and a towing capacity of 1,632 kilograms. The minivan's chassis tuning prioritized comfort and stability, although some weight transfer was noticeable during acceleration and deceleration.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona offered two gas-powered engine options. The Essential and Preferred trims featured a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, delivering 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with Hyundai's Intelligent Variable Transmission. The Kona N Line, on the other hand, boasted a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive was available on the Essential and Preferred trims and standard on the N Line, enhancing the Kona's performance and handling. The AWD models featured a more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension, providing a smoother ride.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica offered the innovative Stow ‘n Go seating, allowing second-row seats to fold flat into the floor, creating large in-floor storage bins. This feature was standard, providing seven seats with second-row bucket seats and a 60/40 split-folding third-row bench seat. The Pinnacle trim, however, featured second-row captain’s chairs and a power-folding third-row seat. The Pacifica's passenger space was competitive, with ample headroom and legroom across all rows. Cargo space was generous, with 914 litres behind the third row, 2,477 litres behind the second row, and 3,978 litres with both rows folded. The Stow ‘n Vac built-in vacuum cleaner was a convenient addition, although the raised centre console's storage area was less accessible.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona, despite its compact size, offered impressive cargo capacity with 723 litres behind the rear seats, expanding to 1,803 litres with the seats folded. The dual-level cargo floor added versatility. Rear legroom measured 970 millimetres, with 972 mm of headroom, providing adequate space for passengers. The front seats offered a generous range of movement, and the steering wheel was both reach- and height-adjustable. The Kona's interior featured excellent storage options, with numerous shelves, trays, and cubbies. Upholstery options varied across trims, with cloth in Essential and Preferred, leatherette in the Trend package, and Alcantara sport seats in the N Line. Climate control options ranged from single-zone air conditioning to dual-zone automatic climate control with rear air vents.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica came equipped with a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and available SiriusXM with 360L. The instrument cluster included analog gauges with a 7-inch digital display. Up to 12 USB-C ports were available, along with built-in navigation and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The Uconnect Theatre system offered rear-seat entertainment with dual 10.1-inch touchscreens, wireless headphones, and Amazon Fire TV connectivity. The FamCam interior camera allowed parents to monitor rear-seat occupants, although an intercom system was absent.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona featured a 12.3-inch central touchscreen infotainment display across all trims, with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Preferred trim with the Trend package and the N Line trim included wireless smartphone charging and Hyundai’s digital key. The N Line also boasted a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, offering customization options. The N Line with the Ultimate package provided an eight-speaker Bose audio system and built-in navigation. Hyundai’s Bluelink connectivity enabled over-the-air software updates, ensuring features remained up to date.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests. It was named a 2023 Top Safety Pick by the IIHS, although it missed the Top Safety Pick+ award due to lower scores in certain crash tests. Standard safety features included blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and rear park assist. Optional features included a 360-degree camera system and park assist.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona impressed with its comprehensive safety features, earning a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. Standard equipment included Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind-Spot Collision Warning, and Rear Cross-traffic Collision Avoidance Assist. The Preferred trim added enhanced Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, while the N Line with the Ultimate package included advanced features like Highway Driving Assist and a Blind Spot View Monitor. All Konas came with six airbags, electronic stability control, and a tire pressure monitoring system.