2024 Hyundai Kona vs 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2024 Hyundai Kona was designed with an electric vehicle (EV) focus, evident in its sleek, modern appearance. The front grille resembled that of the Ioniq 5, featuring a single-piece design that signified its electric powertrain. The Kona showcased a "seamless horizon" LED headlight, similar to the new Sonata, giving it a distinctive front-end look. Despite its increased size, the Kona maintained its recognizable silhouette, with new creased "parametric surface" doors and more pronounced black body cladding on the Essential and Preferred trims. The N Line trim featured body-coloured wheel arches, adding a sporty touch. Standard LED lighting and a single taillight spanning the vehicle's width enhanced its modern aesthetic. Inside, the Kona's cabin was updated with a driver-oriented centre stack, a relocated gear shift, and a curved display housing driver-information and infotainment screens.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, available in XRT, Luxury, and Ultimate Calligraphy trims, retained its chunky, boxy design from its 2024 debut. The three-row SUV featured a long wheelbase, flat hood, and snub nose, with pixelated H-shaped LED headlamps aligning with Hyundai's design aesthetic. The Santa Fe offered vibrant colours like Terracotta Orange and Atlantis Blue, breaking away from the typical greyscale SUV palette. However, the rear design suffered from mismatched proportions, with taillights positioned lower than ideal. Each trim had specific wheels, ranging from 18 to 21 inches, and the XRT trim added chrome and black exterior accents. Inside, the Santa Fe accommodated seven passengers, except for the Ultimate Calligraphy trim, which featured captain's chairs. The interior boasted leatherette, leather, or Nappa leather upholstery, depending on the trim, and included features like heated and ventilated seats.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona retained its predecessor's engine lineup, featuring a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine for the Essential and Preferred trims, producing 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with a CVT. The N Line trims boasted a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, delivering 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, now coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Paddle shifters were included with the N Line. During a test drive in Maryland, the Kona N Line demonstrated intuitive steering and nimble handling, though pickup was slightly sluggish even with the turbo. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available for an additional $2,000 on Essential and Preferred trims, and standard on the N Line. Fuel economy varied, with the N Line AWD consuming 9.7 L/100 km city, 8.3 highway, and 9.1 combined.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe featured a standard 2.5-litre turbocharged engine, producing 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, with AWD standard across the lineup. An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission handled shifting duties. The Santa Fe Hybrid, a separate model, combined a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, offering 231 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque, also with standard AWD. The Santa Fe provided stable cornering, firm brake feel, and responsive steering, though turbo lag was noticeable during acceleration. The gear selector, located on a stalk on the steering column, required some adjustment. The XRT trim featured 30-inch all-terrain tires and 21.2 cm of ground clearance, enhancing off-road capabilities with improved approach, departure, and breakover angles.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona's increased length significantly improved rear-seat legroom, offering 970 mm, 77 mm more than the 2023 model and 15 cm more than the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross. Headroom increased to 974 mm front and 972 mm rear with the sunroof. Cargo capacity expanded to 723 litres with rear seats up and 1,803 litres with them folded, over 500 litres more than the first-gen Kona. Interior storage was enhanced with a passenger-side dash shelf and a "guardrail" on the wireless charging pad. The Kona offered cloth seats on Essential and Preferred trims, leatherette with the Preferred Trend package, and a leather/suede combination for N Line. Ventilated front seats were available on the N Line with the Ultimate package, a first for the Kona.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in interior space, offering the most third-row legroom in its class. The second-row seats featured an adjustable cushion angle, and both the second and third rows could be folded via a button in the rear cargo area. Folding the third row provided 1,148 litres of space, while folding the second row expanded it to 2,267 litres. With all rows occupied, 413 litres of space remained. The rear opening was widened to 127.5 cm, with a height of 81 cm, facilitating easy loading of large items. Most trims could tow 1,587 kg, with the XRT capable of towing 2,040 kg.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona introduced a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display across all trims, replacing the previous 8-inch display. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, except for the N Line with the Ultimate package, which required wired connections due to compatibility issues with Hyundai's navigation system. An OTA update was promised to address this. The Kona featured six standard speakers, with a Bose stereo system in the N Line's Ultimate package. Dual 12.3-inch displays were included with N Line, and OTA update capability was standard. Hyundai's Bluelink connected services and a digital key feature were also standard.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment and a digital gauge cluster of the same size, except for the base Preferred trim, which was hybrid-only. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard. Multiple USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad were included, with the Ultimate Calligraphy trim accommodating two phones. A digital key feature allowed unlocking and starting the car via phone or Apple watch. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim offered a digital rearview mirror and head-up display. Bluelink app connectivity was standard, providing features like climate control presets and alerts for customized rules. OTA updates ensured the latest software.

The 2024 Hyundai Kona came equipped with standard safety features, including Safe Exit Warning, blind-spot collision avoidance, and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance. High-beam assist was standard, with adaptive cruise control available from the Preferred trim. The N Line's Ultimate package included Surround View Monitor and blind-spot view monitor. Hyundai's Highway Driving Assist suite offered smooth lane-keep assist, though it was slightly resistant to cancellation on backroads.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and more. Additional features like rear parking collision avoidance assist and Highway Drive Assist were available on higher trims. The Highway Drive Assist feature combined adaptive cruise control and lane following assist, though it occasionally exhibited abrupt braking in traffic. The top trim included a blind spot avoidance feature and Blind View Monitor. The NHTSA awarded the Santa Fe a four-star overall safety rating, while the IIHS rated it "Good" in most categories.