If you’re in the market for a refined and affordable small SUV, then feast your car-shopping eyes on the two vehicles we’re about to compare. The 2025 Hyundai Kona and the 2025 Volkswagen Taos are subcompact SUVs with room for five and a surprising amount of space inside. This holds true whether your driving routine involves toting a full complement of passengers or loading up the cargo hold with bags and boxes.
Want to see how they compare? Join us for the highlights of the Hyundai Kona and Volkswagen Taos.
2025 Hyundai Kona
Completely revamped for 2024, the Hyundai Kona redesign brought with it an attention-grabbing exterior and a sizable upgrade in onboard tech. We are so smitten with the Kona that we named it the Kelley Blue Book Subcompact SUV Best Buy for 2025. High praise indeed. Hyundai offers the Kona in six trims: SE, SEL, SEL Convenience, N Line S, N Line, and Limited. All-wheel drive (AWD) is available. Hyundai also offers the Kona as an all-electric vehicle.
Hyundai Kona Highlights
Available turbo power: If you want to keep the price low, the standard 147-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder is perfectly capable. It’s standard in the SE and SEL. For those who crave zestier acceleration and added passing power, we suggest the available 190-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine. It comes with the N Line and Limited trims.
Warranty coverage: The Hyundai Kona boasts the most comprehensive warranty among small SUVs (Kia and Mitsubishi provide the same great coverage). You get 5-year/60,000-mile basic coverage and 10 years/100,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
Upgraded interior tech touches: Sitting proudly atop the dashboard are available dual 12.3-inch screens. One serves as a digital instrument cluster; the other is the infotainment touchscreen. This sleek setup wouldn’t look out of place in a vehicle costing thousands more. Wireless smartphone connectivity, four USB-C ports, and automatic high-beam headlights are also newly standard.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Kona models near you.
2025 Volkswagen Taos
Not to be outdone, Volkswagen redesigned the Taos for 2025. Volkswagen’s SUVs share several characteristics — primarily a surprisingly roomy interior for their particular class and the iconic VW driving dynamics. A peppy turbocharged 4-cylinder engine matched to an 8-speed automatic transmission keeps the Taos in the hunt with more than enough power smoothly delivered. A comprehensive bundle of advanced safety technology helps keep its passenger load safe. Oh, and the Taos looks pretty darn good while taking care of business.
The Taos is available in four trims: S, SE, SE Black, and SEL. All-wheel drive is optional in the four lower trims and standard in the SEL.
Volkswagen Taos Highlights
Peppy to drive: The Taos comes with a 174-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. That’s stronger than the base engine in the Hyundai Kona. During miles of road tests, we’ve found the Taos has the solidly buttoned-down, European-style driving dynamics expected from a VW.
Digital Cockpit: The Taos also comes with an attractive digital instrument display. It spans 8 inches in the S, SE, and SE Black trims and 10.25 inches in the SEL. The Digital Cockpit puts driving information where it should be, directly ahead of the driver. This means less glancing away from the road ahead to check a centrally mounted dashboard screen.
Free maintenance: True, the Hyundai Kona scores the overall warranty win. But it’s worth noting that Taos buyers get 2 years/20,000 miles of free routine maintenance, whichever comes first. Who doesn’t like not having to pay for an oil change, right?
Cargo space: The Taos continues to offer some of the most cargo volume you’ll find in a subcompact SUV. Behind the second row is 27.9 cubic feet of room. Fold the seat back down, and the space expands to 65.9 cubic feet. That’s a lot of room and slightly more than the Hyundai Kona.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Taos models near you.
Similarities
The Kona and Taos routinely surprise us with their practicality, versatility, and easy-going driving manners. Their recent round of improvements loads in more tech features and we think each is worthy of a test drive if you’re in the market for a small SUV.
Price
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Hyundai Kona vehicles and vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.
Specifications
| 2025 Hyundai Kona | 2025 Volkswagen Taos | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder | 1.5-liter turbo 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 147 hp @ 6,200 rpm | 174 hp @ 5,500 rpm |
| Torque | 132 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm | 184 lb-ft @ 1,750 rpm |
| Transmission | CVT | 8-speed automatic |
| Fuel economy MPG | 29 city/34highway/31 combined | 28 city/36 highway/31 combined |
| Also Available | Turbo 1.6-liter 4-cylinder, AWD; EV | AWD |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | 4 stars | 4 stars |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 104.7 inches | 105.9 inches |
| Overall Length | 171.3 inches | 175.9 inches |
| Width | 71.9 inches | 72.5 inches |
| Height | 62.3 inches | 64.5 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 34.8 feet | 35.1 |
| Headroom, Front | 39.9 inches | 40.7 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 38.3 inches | 39.8 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 41.7 inches | 40.1 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 38.2 inches | 37.9 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 56.8 inches | 56.5 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 55.2 inches | 55.2 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 25.5 cubic feet/63.7 cubic feet | 27.9 cubic feet/65.9 cubic feet |
Conclusion
We stand by awarding the Hyundai Kona our Best Buy Award; it’s our favorite subcompact SUV in its class. It simply has the best balance of value, practicality, and even performance with its available turbo engine, and its class-leading warranty coverage is the cherry on top. That said, the VW Taos has its fair share of virtues, like a spacious interior, modern tech, and engaging driving dynamics.
