Compare the2027 Volkswagen Taos VS 2027 Hyundai Kona

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Taos deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Taos’ side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Kona’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Taos has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Kona doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Taos and the Kona have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all-wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Taos for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Hyundai doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Kona.

The Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 27 more horsepower (174 vs. 147) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 132) than the Kona SE/SEL Sport’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Volkswagen Taos is faster than the Kona SE/SEL Sport 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	Taos	Kona
Zero to 30 MPH	3.5 sec	3.8 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	9.5 sec	9.8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.7 sec	6.2 sec
Quarter Mile	17.3 sec	17.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84 MPH	82 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the Taos gets better mileage than the Kona:

			MPG
Taos
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
Kona
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/29 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/29 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Taos’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Kona doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Taos AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kona 1.6T’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 13.2 gallons).

The Taos has a tether attaching its gas cap to prevent its loss. The Kona’s gas cap isn’t tethered, so it can be left at a gas station if the driver forgets to screw the cap back in.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Taos higher (7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Kona (6). This means the Taos produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Kona every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Taos’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the Kona:

	Taos	Kona 2.0	Kona AWD/1.6T
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	11 inches	12 inches

The Taos stops shorter than the Kona:

	Taos	Kona
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

The Taos 4Motion®’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kona SE’s standard 60 series tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taos 4Motion®’s wheelbase is .8 inches longer than on the Kona (105.5 inches vs. 104.7 inches). The Taos’ wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Kona (105.9 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

The Taos’ front to rear weight distribution is more even (57% to 43%) than the Kona’s (59% to 41%). This gives the Taos more stable handling and braking.

The Taos SEL 4Motion® handles at .85 G’s, while the Kona SEL Premium HTRAC AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Taos SEL 4Motion® executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Kona SEL Premium HTRAC AWD (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

The Taos has .8 inches more front headroom and 1.5 inches more rear headroom than the Kona.

The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona with its rear seat up (27.9 vs. 25.5 cubic feet). The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona with its rear seat folded (65.9 vs. 63.7 cubic feet).

The Taos’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Kona’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Kona SEL/Limited’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

On a hot day the Taos’ driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Kona can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Taos’ rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Kona’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Taos 4Motion to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Kona doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Taos’ available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Kona’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Taos SE/SEL has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Kona doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Taos SE/SEL also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Taos has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Kona Limited.

The Taos SEL’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Kona’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

With standard voice command, the Taos offers the driver hands free control of the radio and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Kona doesn’t offer a voice control system.