2021 Hyundai Kona vs 2021 Volkswagen ID.4

After three years on the market, the Hyundai Kona continues to wow with great features, strong styling, and decent specs. The 2021 model year brings subtle changes to the Kona lineup, including new colors, a new Night Edition with Rays semi-gloss black 18-inch wheels, and gloss black exterior and interior accents.

Hyundai offers the Kona in several trims: SE, SEL, SEL Plus, Night Edition, Limited, and Ultimate. A Hyundai Kona Electric model is available as well, but we'll cover that in a separate overview. A high-performance Kona N will be available for the 2022 model year.

The Hyundai Kona competes with subcompact SUVs that include the Kia Soul, Volkswagen Taos, Mazda CX-30, Subaru Crosstrek, Nissan Kicks, Hyundai Venue, and Toyota C-HR. Given its size and price, buyers may also cross-shop the larger Hyundai Tucson. New car buyers have many other choices, then, but the Kona still stands out as a value-forward crossover with a long warranty and plenty of standard features.

The “Dieselgate” emissions scandal forced Volkswagen to double down on electric cars, and now we’re finally seeing the first result of that: the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossover.

VW has made an electric car before, but its last attempt, the e-Golf, was built to satisfy emissions standards, not rack up sales. It was barely advertised, and it was sold only in certain states. That’s not the case with the ID.4, which will be available nationwide and will even be built in Tennessee starting in 2022. Volkswagen views the ID.4 as a rival not to other EVs, but to mainstream gasoline vehicles like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

Being late to the party means there are already several other EVs trying to coax new-car buyers away from internal combustion, however. If you want a reasonably-priced EV, the Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona Electric, and Kia Niro EV already exist, and General Motors just announced the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV—a new variant of the Chevy Bolt EV with a crossover body style similar to the Volkswagen.

We tested an ID.4 1st Edition, which commemorates the car’s launch, and an ID.4 PRO S with all-wheel drive (AWD). The 1st Edition is a limited-edition model that has already sold out, but it’s mechanically identical to the ID.4 Pro S AWD, albeit with power sent only to the rear wheels.