2025 Hyundai Kona vs 2024 Toyota Sienna

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in Canada in LE, XLE, XSE, and Limited trims, presented a distinctive appearance with its sleek front and rear fascias. It was offered in striking colours like deep blue, red, or bronze, making it a stylish choice for families. The Sienna featured standard LED lighting, with upper trims boasting Bi-LED projector headlamps. The XSE trim, known for its sporty look, included a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels. Inside, the Sienna provided cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and seating for eight, with the XSE trim offering leatherette-trimmed sport seats and a heated, leather-trimmed power steering wheel. The interior design, with horizontal lines and satin accents, created a spacious feel, although it wasn't considered luxurious.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona, while visually unchanged from the 2024 model, maintained a fresh and futuristic appearance with its flush, single-piece grille and ultra-slim LED light bars. The Kona's design, characterized by curves, bulges, and sharp angles, was distinctive in the crossover class. The newer model was about 15 centimetres longer, enhancing interior space and giving it a more assertive stance. The Kona N Line trim featured a sportier design with body-coloured bumpers and cladding. The interior remained unchanged from 2024, offering a solid and airy feel with ample tech features. The Kona's trims, Essential and Preferred, offered varying levels of visual enhancements, while the N Line trim provided a sportier look.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna was a hybrid minivan, combining a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, producing a total of 245 horsepower. All-wheel drive models had an additional electric motor for the rear wheels. Despite its sport-tuned suspension and Sport mode, the Sienna's performance was not particularly thrilling, feeling sluggish off the line with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that prioritized smoothness over speed. The minivan excelled in town driving, offering a pleasant experience with light and accurate steering and excellent visibility. However, the brakes were a bit grabby, and the Sienna's acceleration was considered slow, especially when merging on highways or climbing hills.

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 with 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, paired with Hyundai's Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). This setup prioritized fuel efficiency but lacked performance excitement. The Kona N Line trim, on the other hand, came with a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine producing 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This combination provided a more muscular performance, although it could still feel flat at low revs. All-wheel drive was available for an additional cost on the Essential and Preferred trims and standard on the N Line, enhancing the Kona's handling and ride quality.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna offered practical interior features, including a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items and multiple cupholders. The second-row captain's chairs could slide fore and aft, providing up to 101.5 centimetres of legroom, although the slide function was somewhat complicated. The third row was accessible for adults and offered ample legroom when the second row was adjusted. The Sienna featured tri-zone climate control, with an additional zone for the front passenger in the XSE trim. The rear liftgate, activated with a kick motion, revealed 949 litres of cargo space, expandable to 2,860 litres with the second row folded.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona impressed with its cargo capacity, offering 723 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,803 litres when folded. Rear legroom was adequate, with 970 millimetres available, and the front seats provided a generous range of movement. The Kona's interior featured excellent storage options, including a large compartment where the drive selector was relocated. The Essential and Preferred trims had cloth upholstery, while the Trend package added leatherette, and the N Line featured Alcantara sport seats. Heated front seats were standard in Canada, with a heated steering wheel available on the Preferred trim. The Kona's climate control system ranged from basic single-zone air conditioning to dual-zone automatic climate control with rear air vents.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna was equipped with an older infotainment system featuring a nine-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the system included physical buttons for common menus, the backup camera's grainy view was disappointing. The Sienna offered available SiriusXM satellite radio and a 12-speaker JBL stereo system. USB ports were scattered throughout the cabin, and a 1500-watt inverter with a 120-volt outlet was available for the second row and rear cargo area.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona featured a 12.3-inch central touchscreen infotainment display across all trims, offering 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 trim also boasted a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, providing a cohesive and customizable display. Audiophiles could upgrade to the N Line with the Ultimate package for an eight-speaker Bose premium audio system. Hyundai's Bluelink connectivity allowed for over-the-air software updates, ensuring features remained up to date.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna came standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, including lane departure alert, automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard. The Sienna received a four-star rating from the NHTSA for frontal crash and rollover protection and a five-star rating for side crash protection. The IIHS awarded the Sienna a "Good" rating in crashworthiness and seat belt and child restraint systems, although its front crash prevention was rated as "Average."

The 2025 Hyundai Kona impressed with its standard safety features, including 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. The Kona was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, reflecting its strong safety credentials.