2021 Hyundai Kona vs 2020 Acura MDX

The 2020 Acura MDX was a well-designed crossover SUV, though its styling was not particularly groundbreaking or attention-grabbing. It blended seamlessly into its surroundings, offering a sense of understated elegance without drawing undue attention. The MDX featured Acura's signature Jewel Eye LED headlights, which added a touch of sophistication to the vehicle's front end. These headlights, with their five LED elements per side, flanked a trapezoidal grille that bore the prominent Acura logo, creating an expressive and refined face. The MDX's sleek and low-slung profile, combined with its chiseled details and flawless paint and chrome, contributed to its overall appeal. Inside, the MDX boasted a modern and simple design, with a centre stack that featured twin infotainment screens and a high-quality fit and finish that exuded a sense of solidity and craftsmanship.

In contrast, the 2021 Hyundai Kona presented a funky and youthful design that blended mild and wild elements. Its front end featured a busy arrangement of lighting elements, including a grille flanked by lights, additional lights above, and fog lights on certain trims. This playful design was aimed at attracting younger buyers. The rear of the Kona was more subdued, with a standard crossover shape and lighting configuration. Inside, the Kona maintained its unique and fun attitude without being overly whimsical. The seats featured neat patterns and standard cloth upholstery, with higher trims offering leather options. The well-organized interior included an infotainment system touchscreen mounted high on the dash and physical climate controls, providing a simple and intuitive layout that complemented the Kona's compact interior.

The 2020 Acura MDX offered two powertrain options, starting with a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 engine that delivered 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and came with standard all-wheel drive. The MDX Sport Hybrid variant featured a 3.0-litre V6 gasoline engine combined with three electric motors, producing a total system power of 321 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque. This hybrid system was connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The MDX demonstrated impressive straight-line performance, with its Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system enhancing its nimbleness in corners and curves. The SH-AWD system's torque-vectoring technology directed power to the outside wheel during cornering, improving handling and providing a smooth and confident driving experience. The MDX's four-wheel independent suspension further contributed to its comfortable ride quality.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona offered two powertrain options as well. The base model featured a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The optional turbocharged 1.6-litre engine delivered 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard on Essential and Preferred trims, with all-wheel drive available as an option, while higher trims came with standard all-wheel drive. Although neither engine was particularly powerful, both provided sufficient power for city and highway driving. The Kona's dual-clutch transmission offered a sporty feel, though it could be less smooth at low speeds. Despite its modest power, the Kona impressed with its agile handling and engaging driving experience. It also offered competitive fuel consumption ratings, with the base engine and front-wheel drive achieving 8.6/7.0/7.9 litres per 100 kilometres city/highway/combined.

The 2020 Acura MDX provided a spacious and versatile interior, making it a suitable choice for families. Its three-row seating configuration included sliding and reclining second-row seats, facilitating easy access to the third row and allowing for flexible legroom distribution. The MDX offered 447 litres of luggage space behind the third row, which could be expanded to 1,229 litres by folding the third-row seats flat. Folding the second row created a generous 2,574-litre cargo hold with a flat load floor. The MDX also featured various storage compartments, including a recessed cubby hole, covered underfloor storage, and a flexible centre console with cupholders and USB, power, and auxiliary jacks. Tri-zone climate control ensured comfort for all passengers, while the MDX's luxury features and thoughtful design made it a stylish alternative to minivans.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona, while compact, offered decent front-seat headroom and legroom, with an optional sunroof that didn't significantly impact headroom. The front seats were wide and well-padded, though they could benefit from more support. Rear-seat passengers enjoyed good headroom, but legroom was limited. The Kona's large rear door openings facilitated easy loading and unloading of children, though larger rear-facing car seats could pose challenges for taller front passengers. In terms of cargo space, the Kona ranked near the bottom of its segment, with only the Mazda CX-3 offering less. However, the rear seats could be folded to expand the cargo area, and the Kona provided generous small-item storage spaces, including large door pockets and a spacious centre console area.

The 2020 Acura MDX came equipped with a range of technology features, with trim levels simplified into packages. The base MDX included standard tech features such as Siri Eyes Free, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, SMS/MMS text message and email capability, a CD/MP3 and WMA-compatible compact disc player, five USB ports, SiriusXM satellite radio, and an eight-speaker audio system. The Technology Package added front and rear parking sensors, on-board navigation, sun position-linked climate control, and an Acura/ELS Studio Premium Audio system with 10 speakers. The A-Spec Package included additional features like LED fog lights, heated and ventilated front seats, and Alcantara and leather seating surfaces. The Technology Plus package offered heated rear outboard seats and an upgraded ELS Studio 11-speaker audio system, while the Elite Package included an Active Damper System suspension, surround-view camera, and a rear entertainment screen.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona featured a solid list of tech and entertainment features, including an eight-inch infotainment system touchscreen, Bluetooth, six speakers, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and USB inputs. Available tech upgrades included SiriusXM radio, navigation, a Harman Kardon audio system, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen system. Hyundai's infotainment software was user-friendly, with a colourful and responsive interface that made navigation easy. The inclusion of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was a significant advantage, especially for lower trim levels, as it provided access to navigation, streaming audio, and voice controls. However, the 10.25-inch infotainment system did not support wireless smartphone connectivity.

The 2020 Acura MDX was equipped with AcuraWatch, a suite of passive and active safety features, including adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and automatic emergency braking. The Technology Package added blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Additional safety features included a rearview camera, front airbags, front-side airbags, side curtain airbags with rollover sensor, driver's knee airbag, stability control, Trailer Stability Assist, tire pressure monitoring, LATCH child-seat mounts, and a theft-deterrent system. The MDX's Next-Generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) Body Structure was designed to absorb crash impact and protect occupants. The MDX received "good" ratings from the IIHS in all crash-test categories and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona earned a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS, with "Good" scores in all crash test areas, and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. Standard safety features included forward-collision avoidance assist, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were standard on AWD grades. Optional safety upgrades included lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, and parking sensors.