2021 Honda CR-V vs 2022 Hyundai Kona

The 2021 Honda CR-V had a design that blended into the crowded compact crossover market. Its styling was almost indistinguishable from its competitors, with a similar "daylight opening" shape for the side windows. While the CR-V had a few unique touches like its grille and some chromed plastic features, it wasn't a vehicle that stood out based on looks alone. The color options were limited, especially for the base LX trim, which only offered black, silver, and white. The interior featured black, gray, and ivory cloth or leather, with higher trims adding wood panels and more chrome for a more upscale appearance. However, competitors like the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson offered more distinctive styling, particularly in the mid-tier trims.

In contrast, the 2022 Hyundai Kona received a significant makeover, making it 1.6 inches longer than the previous model and adding revised front and rear fascias, enhanced LED lighting, and sporty new character lines. The interior saw improvements with a more horizontal layout, new ambient lighting, and a rear USB port. The addition of the sporty N Line and even sportier Kona N trims brought unique styling elements and performance features, making the Kona look more athletic. The N Line featured exclusive black seats with red stitching, a black headliner, and alloy sport pedals, while the Kona N added wide fenders, a front lip spoiler, and N sport bucket seats. Overall, the refreshed 2022 model gave the Kona a more streamlined and sophisticated look.

The 2021 Honda CR-V was not designed for high-performance driving but rather for smooth and steady acceleration and predictable cornering. All nine trims (excluding the Hybrid) came with a 190-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, achieving 0-60 mph in about 7.8 seconds. The CR-V featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which held engine revs constant as the vehicle gained speed. While this setup provided a smooth driving experience, it lacked the engagement found in competitors like the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson, which offered conventional eight-speed automatic transmissions. The CR-V came standard with front-wheel drive (FWD), with all-wheel drive (AWD) as an extra-cost option. Its suspension setup included a MacPherson strut in the front and a multi-link suspension at the rear, providing decent handling and ride quality.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona offered a variety of engines and transmissions across its lineup. The lower SE and SEL trims featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT. The N Line and Limited trims came with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 195 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The new Kona N trim boasted a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque, paired with an N eight-speed wet DCT. The Kona N also featured exclusive driving modes, launch control, and high-performance brakes and tires. Our test vehicle, a Kona N Line with the 1.6-liter turbo engine and AWD, provided ample power and a sporty driving experience, with minor turbo lag and some clunkiness in lower gears. The Kona's handling was composed and surefooted, thanks to its low ride height and AWD system.

The 2021 Honda CR-V was designed to fit five people comfortably and carry their gear. It offered 102.9 cubic feet of passenger volume and 75.8 cubic feet of total cargo volume with the rear seats folded. The cargo area could be accessed via a manual tailgate on lower trims, a power tailgate on the EX-L, and a hands-free power tailgate on the Touring trim. Roof rails were only standard on the top-of-the-line Touring trim.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona, while small, provided ample headroom and legroom for front-seat occupants. The N Line's front seats offered excellent support during spirited driving. However, rear-seat occupants faced challenges with small door openings, limited headroom due to the sloping roof, and tight legroom. Cargo space was also limited, with 19.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 45.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Towing was not recommended for the Kona.

The 2021 Honda CR-V's base LX trim had a 5-inch color screen with Bluetooth connectivity. Other trims featured a 7-inch high-definition touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The Special Edition and EX trims had a 180-watt audio system with six speakers, while the EX-L added two more speakers. The Touring trim had a 300-watt system with a subwoofer and satellite navigation. Charging ports were abundant, with USB ports in the front and second row, and a wireless phone charger on the Touring trim.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona added more tech for 2022. The base SE trim had an 8-inch display with Bluetooth connectivity. The SEL trim added SiriusXM satellite radio, HD Radio, and Hyundai Blue Link. The Limited and Kona N trims featured a new 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation and traffic information. An eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system was optional on the N Line and standard on the Limited and Kona N. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were standard with the 8-inch screen, while the larger screen only offered wired versions. The Kona also had a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster on higher trims and Hyundai Blue Link services.

The 2021 Honda CR-V excelled in safety, earning a five-star NHTSA overall crash test rating and an IIHS Top Safety Pick award. It featured the Honda Sensing system, which included a multi-angle rearview camera, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, road departure mitigation, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and auto high-beam headlamps. The only feature not standard on the base LX trim was blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

The 2022 Hyundai Kona had a limited driver aid menu but included standard features like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assistance, lane-following assistance, driver attention warning, and rear occupant alert. Available technologies included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, Highway Drive Assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safe Exit Warning. The Kona received five stars from NHTSA for overall crash protection and "Good" ratings from IIHS in all six crashworthiness tests. However, it received a "Marginal" rating for child-seat anchors, preventing it from achieving Top Safety Pick status.