The 2020 Ford EcoSport and 2020 Hyundai Kona are two sporty compact SUVs to help you move freely in and out of places. While these two are similar in design, the EcoSport comes prepared and in style to make your ride easier. Let’s look at the differences. Brighton Ford will help you make your choice.
Design
The 2020 Ford EcoSport’s small build is a great choice for parking and navigating tight city streets. It comes with a comfortable interior and it offers a decent amount of cargo space for a compact SUV, with 20.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. The seats fold flat with a 60/40 split, providing 50 cubic feet of space. For a compact vehicle, that’s more space than most. The EcoSport seats five people in two rows; and for a small vehicle, they can ride reasonably well in each row.
The 2020 Hyundai Kona seats five people in two rows, however, the rear seats have less head- and legroom than its competitors and are a bit cramped. It has a stylish interior with quality materials, and it has about the same amount of cargo storage behind the second row as the EcoSport, with 19.2 cubic feet. With the seats folded down, you’ll get 45.8 cubic feet, which is below average for its class.
The EcoSport comes standard with a 123-hp turbocharged three-cylinder engine or an optional 166-hp four-cylinder engine. Both engines share a six-speed automatic transmission. When equipped with the more powerful engine, the EcoSport can tow a respectable 2,000 pounds. That number is good for this small-size vehicle. Both engines are peppy leaving stoplights and at city speeds; and they feel athletic in and out of traffic on busy streets. It comes in four different trim levels: S, SE, Titanium, and SES. All-wheel drive can be ordered at every trim level - perfect for maneuvering new terrains. The base engine gets an economical 27/29 mpg city and highway.
The Kona has two powertrain options – a standard 147 horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a six-speed automatic transmission; and a 175 hp turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Kona has sufficient power with its base engine to drive around town, but it is underpowered reaching highway speeds. Its acceleration is better with its optional turbocharged engine. Its ride is mostly comfortable, but it can be a bit jerky on rougher road surfaces. The Hyundai Kona is available in five trims: SE, SEL, SEL Plus, Limited, and Ultimate. It returns an estimated 27/33 mpg in the city and on the highway.
The Ford EcoSport comes standard with a rearview camera and Ford MyKey. The MyKey system encourages safe driving habits by adding extra seat belt reminders and letting you set limits on speed and audio volume. Available safety features include rain-sensing windshield wipers, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. It comes with a 4.2-inch display, two USB ports, and a Wi-Fi hot spot. It has an optional easy to use SYNC 3 user-friendly infotainment system, but in higher models it comes standard along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Attractively priced, the starting price for the EcoSport is $19,995 for the S model and ranges to $27,380 for the SES model
Standard safety features for the Kona include a rearview camera, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, and a driver attention monitor. Optional available features include rear parking sensors, pedestrian detection, automatic high-beam headlights, and blind spot monitoring. It comes standard with a 7-inch touch screen, two USB ports, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a six-speaker stereo. Added available features include navigation, satellite radio, HD radio, wireless device charging, and an 8-inch touch screen. The Kona starts at $20,100 for the Kona SE and ranges to $27,750 for the Kona Ultimate.
Overall
The 2020 Ford EcoSport and 2020 Hyundai Kona are similar in design but offer different styles. If you want an affordable, sporty, compact SUV that is also a comfortable ride, then the Ford EcoSport is your choice