2025 Dodge Durango vs 2025 Hyundai Kona

The 2025 Dodge Durango, available in Canada starting at $56,511, offered a range of trims from the base GT with a V6 engine to the high-performance SRT Hellcat with a supercharged V8 engine priced at $151,915. The Silver Bullet special edition package, which added $495 to the SRT Hellcat’s price, enhanced its visual appeal with a satin black hood, unique wheels, dark badges, and black exhaust tips. Inside, the SRT Hellcat featured dark red premium Nappa leather seats, a suede headliner, and forged carbon fibre trim, though some plastic surfaces detracted from the overall luxury feel.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona maintained its fresh appearance from the previous year, with a distinctive design featuring a flush grille and ultra-slim LED light bars. The Kona's increased size, being 15 centimetres longer than its predecessor, improved interior space and gave it a more assertive stance. The N Line trim offered a sportier design with body-coloured bumpers and cladding. Inside, the Kona provided a solid and airy feel, with a drive selector on the column and ample tech features. The Trend package added a sunroof and powered liftgate, enhancing the vehicle's practicality.

The 2025 Dodge Durango streamlined its powertrain offerings with the GT featuring a 295-horsepower 3.6-litre V6, the R/T with a 360-hp 5.7-litre V8, and the SRT Hellcat boasting a 710-hp supercharged 6.2-litre V8. The SRT Hellcat delivered 645 lb-ft of torque, accelerating to 96 km/h in 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 290 km/h and a towing capacity of 3,945 kilograms. Despite its power, the Durango SRT Hellcat suffered from poor fuel economy, rated at 20.5 L/100 km in the city. However, its full-time AWD, adaptive damping suspension, and Brembo brakes provided exceptional handling and performance.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona offered two gas-powered engine options: a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower for the Essential and Preferred trims, and a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine with 190 horsepower for the N Line. The N Line's turbo engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, provided a more muscular performance, although it could feel flat at low revs. AWD was available for an additional $2,000 on the Essential and Preferred trims and standard on the N Line, enhancing the Kona's handling with a multi-link rear suspension.

The Dodge Durango excelled in form and function, offering a spacious and comfortable interior with heated and ventilated front seats in Nappa leather. The second-row captain’s chairs provided good leg support, while the third-row seat offered ample room for adults. The Durango's cargo space was generous, with 487 litres behind the third row, expanding to 1,226 litres with the third row folded, and a maximum of 2,409 litres. The power liftgate and thoughtful storage solutions added to its practicality.

The Hyundai Kona impressed with its cargo capacity of 723 litres with the rear seats in place, expanding to 1,803 litres when folded. Rear legroom was adequate, and the front seats offered a generous range of movement. The Kona's interior featured excellent storage options, with cloth upholstery on the Essential and Preferred trims, leatherette on the Trend package, and Alcantara sport seats on the N Line. Heated front seats were standard, with dual-zone climate control available on higher trims.

The 2025 Dodge Durango featured a Uconnect 5 infotainment system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a native navigation system. The SRT Hellcat came with a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, and the SRT Performance Pages allowed drivers to track performance metrics. The system supported dual-phone Bluetooth pairing and wireless smartphone charging, though voice recognition required specificity.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona offered a 12.3-inch central touchscreen infotainment display with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The N Line trim featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and an eight-speaker Bose audio system with the Ultimate package. Hyundai’s Bluelink connectivity enabled over-the-air updates, and the Kona included SiriusXM as standard. Built-in navigation was available on the N Line with the Ultimate package.

The Dodge Durango's safety features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keep assist. However, its safety ratings were less impressive, with a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA and concerns in the IIHS small overlap frontal-impact test.

The Hyundai Kona impressed with its standard safety features, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, and Blind-Spot Collision Warning. The N Line with the Ultimate package added advanced features like Highway Driving Assist. The Kona was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, reflecting its strong safety credentials.