2025 Hyundai Kona vs 2025 Chevrolet Suburban

The 2025 Hyundai Kona retained its fresh and distinctive appearance from the previous year, making it stand out in the crossover class. Its design featured a largely flush, single-piece grille and ultra-slim LED light bars at the front and rear, giving even the gas-powered models a futuristic look. While not traditionally handsome, the Kona's curves, bulges, and sharp angles came together in a satisfactory manner. The newer model was noticeably larger, offering more interior space and a more assertive stance, especially in the sportier N Line trim with body-coloured bumpers and cladding. The interior remained unchanged from 2024, maintaining a solid and airy feel with ample tech features.

The 2025 Chevrolet Suburban, a staple in the full-size SUV market, underwent a careful restyling to maintain its consumer recognition. The profile remained largely unchanged, but the new front fascia and rear end added a modern touch, complemented by dramatic new lighting signatures. The trim lineup stayed the same, with the LS, LT, RST, Z71, Premier, and High Country offering various features. The interior saw significant upgrades, including a more sophisticated dash and a new 17.7-inch touchscreen display, replacing the outdated 10.2-inch screen. The Suburban's interior improvements made it a more luxurious and user-friendly vehicle compared to its predecessor.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona offered a choice between a fully electric drivetrain and two gas-powered 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. The Kona N Line, however, 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 vehicle's handling and ride quality.

The 2025 Chevrolet Suburban continued to offer a 5.3-litre V8 engine with 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque as its base option, while the 6.2-litre V8, delivering 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, was available on higher trims. The turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six Duramax diesel engine received a power boost to 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque, making it a compelling choice for those seeking efficiency and smooth performance. All engines were paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Suburban's recalibrated Magnetic Ride Control suspension, available on upper trims, provided a more comfortable ride, while the optional 24-inch wheels, though visually impressive, were deemed too harsh for rough roads.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona offered a surprising amount of cargo space, with 723 litres available with the rear seats in place and 1,803 litres when folded. Rear legroom measured 970 millimetres, providing adequate comfort for most passengers. The front seats offered a generous range of movement, and the interior featured numerous storage compartments. Cloth upholstery was standard on lower trims, while leatherette and Alcantara sport seats were available on higher trims. Climate control options ranged from basic single-zone air conditioning to dual-zone automatic climate control with rear air vents.

The 2025 Chevrolet Suburban excelled in interior space, accommodating 1,175 litres of cargo behind the third row and expanding to 2,656 litres with the third row folded. With all seats down, it offered a massive 4,092 litres of cargo space. The Suburban also boasted impressive towing capacity, with the ability to pull up to 3,765 kilograms when properly equipped. The diesel engine provided excellent fuel economy, allowing for nearly 1,000 kilometres of highway driving on a single tank.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona featured a 12.3-inch central touchscreen infotainment display across all trims, offering wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Higher trims included wireless smartphone charging and Hyundai's digital key. The N Line trim boasted a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, while lower trims had a 4.2-inch display. The N Line with the Ultimate package offered an eight-speaker Bose audio system and built-in navigation, while all trims came with SiriusXM and Hyundai's Bluelink connectivity for over-the-air updates.

The 2025 Chevrolet Suburban addressed previous shortcomings with a new 17.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, complemented by an 11-inch driver information display and an available 15-inch head-up display. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with Google Built-in for seamless integration of Google services. While the user interface was intuitive, some aspects, like customizing the driver information display, were less user-friendly. The top-range Bose stereo, though improved, still lagged behind competitors.

The 2025 Hyundai Kona impressed with its comprehensive safety features, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind-Spot Collision Warning, and more, all standard across trims. Higher trims added advanced features like Highway Driving Assist and a Blind Spot View Monitor. The Kona was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, reflecting its strong safety credentials.

The 2025 Chevrolet Suburban had not been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS at the time of review, but the 2024 model received four out of five stars in overall crash safety. The Suburban came equipped with a robust suite of advanced driver assistance systems, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and more. GM's Super Cruise hands-free driving technology was available on most trims, though not immediately at launch.