Kia e-Niro vs Hyundai Kona Electric review – which is the best electric car? | What Car?

At last, there is a selection of impressive electric cars for a more mainstream SUV family budget. Both the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kona Electric have big batteries and massive ranges - but which is the best electric car you can buy?

What Car? is the UK's biggest car-buying brand and has been helping Britain's car buyers make purchasing decisions for more than 40 years. Our tests are widely regarded as the most trusted source of new car advice.

This channel brings you trusted reviews on all the new models on the market, all the latest first drives, reader reviews, and great car-buying advice.

Follow What Car? here:

#KiaeNiro #HyundaiKonaElectric #WhatCar

[robertmilanese]

I have a 2017 Niro Hybrid and I LOVE IT. Kia has really hit it outta the park with their vehicles

[jtjvvlr]

250 miles is a great real world range. Would be more than sufficient for my needs.

[narrowgauge.]

Why do people think under floor storage is the correct place for cables? I regularly have a full boot so the cable underneath is the worst possible place for them

[runeborgbjerg]

You forgot to mention the amazing detail that the E-Niro has a cargo space for the cargo space layer thingie that sits on top of the cargo bay.
It's the only car I've ever seen that has that, and it's almost enough reason to buy it :D
Great review. Thanks. :)

[bln]

I will take either one of them. Waiting for them to be released into Canada. Will trade my 2018 Santa Fe for one of these. Spending 400-500 dollars a month on fuel now. 5 free charging stations at work. It's a win win.

[PittyDomino]

I test drove both the niro and the Kona and settled on the Kona. I get approximately 300 mi on a charge, find it to be very comfortable. The upgrades to the 2020 have solved some of the issues with the 2019, and for me it's a great car.I'm surprised there's much of a difference considering they are practically the same company :-)

[ES-prbt]

The Kia was tested in real world testing and the only other electric that went farther was the Tesla model 3, and only by 20 miles

[elricho]

Fantastic review! Great comparison. You answered all my questions. Thanks...
Now if only Kia would hurry up and bring the e-Niro to Australia!!!

[rogerssgaard]

Rogers S Denmark
It took a long time to pursuede myself that I can live without a trailer. But given the opportunity to buy a Kona Electric mid August I gave in for a life without beeing able to pull something behind my car -
As a testdriver during 45 years i wonder why ALL “modern” testdrivers I have read forget to tell their readers that the Niro as well as the Kona and with them mostly all other ecars can’t be fittet with a tow hitch - AND WHY NOT. In my part of Denmark at least 33% of all fusil cars are able to pull a trailer or a caravan. Meaning that lots of buyers have to refrain from an electric car.
By the way - why did’nt I chose the Niro? - Answer: Beeing nearly 91 I dont want to wait another year to join the modern world of transportation!

[eip]

This is a very good review! I am planning on buying an EV and have already test drove both of them. I very much agree with your comparison! The biggest difference for me was the lack of leg room in the Hyundai Kona, which I had read about onelin, and which I confirmed sitting at the back of one. Of particular interest to me in your video was that you managed to get 253 miles in the Kia Niro, even though it is only spec'ed at 239 miles. I was told by the Kia dealer that this number was conservative and the person I talked to thought it was closer to 250 miles, so your information here is useful. From my test drive and on watching your video, I agree that the Kia is slightly better, but both of these are great EV's! Thank you so much for your information!

[PhillipYewTree]

Great commentary. Factual, clear, easy to follow and low on presenter “presenting” himself. Good stuff

[OyvindNyborg]

The Kona is much better looking tho... The front on the niro is just... off

[gg]

Any one miss the entry/exit driver assist handle above the door?

[cityofbricks]

Great review but why don't you cover the Apps and what functionally you have with them?

[Hustwick]

I went from an i20 to a Kona and am chuffed with its small size. It's only 10cm longer yet still is a breeze to park and drive.

[olleapelqvist]

I think you forgot to mention that the boot floor can be
lowered in Kona. I have an e-Golf today, but have ordered a new Kona electric. It
will be delivered in September. (Sweden)

[stephennewport]

I think this is bias to the e Niro

1 kona led head lights
2 kona head up display
3 kona cooled front seats
4 kona in a dark interior looks very nice

I think if you compare like for like Nina a little cheaper not by much though

So I am a kona driver but the points above are great

[vidar]

Sorry, but this seems biased towards E-Niro. Both are great cars and I guess it depends where you live, but in Norway, Kona is 4-6k€ cheaper than the E-Niro + the only extra equipment you need to pay for is leather seats and sunroof, otherwise everything else is standard. Both has its pros and cos as stated, but you didn't talk about all the pros of owning a Kona. In my opinion, Kona wins. Yes, it's smaller than E-Niro, but you can't deny how badass it looks (subjective), LED lights when you open the doors (footwell), HUD (heads up display), when you put the charger in, there's a green color that appears (perhaps when it's dark outside), you have cooled seats (and heated obviously), you have electric adjustable seats on both front seats in the Kona, while in E-Niro you only have it on the driving seat and no cooled seats! One last thing. Kona is smaller, so it's easier to park as well, so being smaller can also be a nice thing. If you gonna compare two cars, please at least show the good side of both cars, not only one of them. Again... both cars comes down to what's most important for you. We picked the Kona because we think it looks a lot better and we don't need the extra space (the size is fine for a family, not sure why anyone else says otherwise) and the extra goodies as HUD and cooled seats. PS: Kona also has heated steering wheel!

[nlo]

I think I'll wait for the e-Soul to arrive in UK, then Buy the 'r' version with bigger battery.

[gregoryg]

My e-Niro has blind spot detection. You said it did not
From the window sticker
Blind Spot Detection System (BSD)
Smart Cruise Control w/ Stop & Go (SCC w/ S&G)
Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA)
Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Lane Following Assist (LFA)