Hyundai Kona vs Tesla Model S

What's the difference?

It’s easy to see why the Hyundai Kona leads the Aussie small SUV category, with this hybrid version enhancing the car’s abilities in key areas. Sharply priced and well-specified, comfortable and practical with a hugely efficient powertrain as well as refined dynamic performance. It’s a compelling package. 

I spoke to a friend who bought a Model S before one had even hit the ground here in Australia. He chuckled when I told him how much this car cost but then said something I'd already suspected. "My mates who own a P100D would never drop that kind of money on a normal car. Buying a Tesla is like buying shares in the company, you're buying into the future."

And that's kind of the point. A $300,000 Audi RS7 (fully-loaded, obviously) is a bit slower in a straight line, looks just as good, is extremely well-built and emits noises that make people like me go as weak at the knees (just as the Model S' acceleration does). And would probably win a 10 lap race with the Tesla around Mount Panorama.

The Tesla is the future of cars. It may still be decades before the internal combustion engine is gone, but Tesla buyers are getting the jump, and today the Model S is the best car in which to make that leap.

The Kona’s exterior mixes smooth curves across its softly rounded nose and swollen haunches with sharp lines and geometric shapes in the lower grille, wheel arches and rear bumper.

And when the current, second-generation version arrived in mid-2023 it swapped out its predecessor’s already slimline LED daytime running lights for an even thinner strip running the width of the car, in similar fashion to the Hyundai Sonata sedan and Staria people mover.

The single line light signature is repeated with the tail-lights, a brake, reversing and indicator cluster confined to the outer rear edges.

Throw in a conspicuous diagonal character line across the doors, and bright metallic accents making a visual connection between the top of the tailgate and the lower edge of the side glass and there’s a lot going on. 

Always a subjective call, but I don’t mind the Kona’s design, although our test car’s ‘Mirage Green’ paint finish leaves me (and my significant other) cold.

Inside, the colour palette is uniformly grey which contributes to a restrained, relatively low-key feel, although light trim for the headliner and pillar covers brightens the mood somewhat.

The dash treatment is cool and contemporary, comprising a wide wrap-around instrument and media screen panel next to a narrow tray on the passenger side.

Fit and finish is impressive and details like perforated centre panels on the leather-faced seats dial up the premium feel.

The Model S is definitely the looker of the three Tesla models on sale (the Model 3 might be some way from release, but you can reserve one and it's... weird-looking). With a slinky, Jaguar XF/Audi A7 roofline and low-slung stance, it looks the business. Like the X, the detailing of the car's surfacing and panel gaps aren't where other $200,000+ cars are, but it has improved a lot over the last couple of years.

The cabin has improved even more than the exterior.

The styling is quite sparse, really. Teslas look like computer renders in real life, especially in white, with little in the way of jewellery or detailed design elements. And that's probably the idea. It's a cleaner design than when first launched, with a simpler, flatter snout that brings out the headlights better.

The cabin has improved even more than the exterior. It's still the same minimalist design, but it fits together much more tightly than it used to. The 17.0-inch portrait screen is still there in its central but skewed-to-the-driver position and is now up to version 8. It's an impressive interface, covering off the vast majority of functions in the car, and is mostly easy to use. The responsiveness is key to its usability. If it was underpowered, you'd quickly start demanding real buttons.

Even though the Kona measures a relatively modest 4350mm end-to-end, it offers up copious amounts of interior space. Dr Who would be proud.

Lots of breathing room up front, with the ‘shift-by-wire’ auto transmission shifter’s location on the steering column freeing up extra space in the centre console.

There’s a lidded bin between the seats (the padded top of which doubles as a centre armrest) with an open tray the size of a shoebox in front of it (which includes a pair of swivel-out bottle or cupholders) as well as a wireless phone charging bay ahead of that.

Generous bins in the doors include a recess for large bottles, plus there’s a decent glove box on the passenger side and a handy open tray above it. Plenty of room to keep the bits and pieces of everyday life under control.

Power and connectivity for the driver and passenger runs to two USB-C sockets and a (180W) 12-volt outlet.

Switching to the back is where the Tardis factor steps up a notch, the Kona offering space more in line with a next-size-up medium SUV.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my 183cm position there’s loads of leg and headroom and even enough shoulder room for three adults to get to know one another on shorter journeys. A close to flat floor also helps with foot room in the centre position. Worth noting the rear seat backrests recline slightly for extra comfort options.

No door bins as such but, again, there are recesses for bottles. Netted map pockets on the front seat backs are helpful as is a fold-down centre armrest, which includes a pair of cupholders.

Individual air vents for back-seaters (in the rear of the front centre console) is always a welcome inclusion, and there’s a small oddments tray underneath them. Another pair of USB-C sockets will keep devices charged.

Boot capacity is healthy at a class-competitive 407 litres (VDA), expanding to 1241L with the 60/40 split-folding second row seat folded.

There are storage wells behind the rear wheel tubs, multiple bag hooks and four tie-down anchors to help keep loads secure.

There’s a temporary space-saver spare under the boot floor, which gets a tick over the increasingly common repair kit option and you’ll be able to tow a 1.3-tonne braked trailer (600kg unbraked).

The Model S is a rare car in this class in that it has an almost completely flat floor, meaning rear seat passengers don't have to negotiate a transmission tunnel. The two motors run physically independently of each other so there's no crankshaft to get in the way.

The floor is thicker than a normal car, it's like a big skateboard underneath. That means your knees are up higher, which might cause numb bum on a long trip. The rear seats are comfortable enough, but middle seat occupants might feel like the outboard passengers are falling into them.

With all that torque, when you do load it up, the extra kilos barely make a dent on the performance.

The view out isn't too bad given the rising window line, and if you've got the big two piece sunroof (without cover, irritatingly... ), it's quite airy out back. And hot (with the sunroof), but you do get rear air-con vents.

The boot is an eminently sensible 744 litres with the seats up and 1795 with the seats down, although the floor doesn't fold flat. While it's a big boot, it's relatively shallow so your suitcases go in on their sides. Up in the front boot (or froot) there's another 150 litres, so you can pack a lot in to the Model S. And with all that torque, when you do load it up, the extra kilos barely make a dent on the performance.

Tesla is basically a technology company - well, a battery company - that makes cars, so the features and options reflect that. It's a gadget-laden five-door hatch powered exclusively by electricity and seemingly full of things that will drain the batteries quickly.

If you view the car's price purely through its standard features list and the cost of options, you're missing the point. If it had a 3.0-litre turbo six, there's no way you'd pay this kind of money for the Model S. But it doesn't have that, it has a bleeding edge battery pack and propulsion system.

The Model S can be had for as little as $118,652 for the 60 offering 400km range, rear-wheel drive, and 5.8s 0-100km/h (but move quickly, Tesla has just axed this model), or as much as this P100D which starts at $250,582.

Standard are a seven-speaker stereo, leather-like trim, 19-inch alloys, reversing camera, 17.0-inch touchscreen, keyless entry and start, forward collision warning, digital dashboard, electric front seats, sat nav, auto LED headlights, auto wipers, internet connectivity via included SIM card, power mirrors and windows and air suspension.

Our P100D came with 21-inch grey 'Turbine' wheels ($6800), panoramic roof ($2300) multi-coat pearl paint (white, $2300) and carbon-fibre interior trim bits for $1500, as well as a carbon lip spoiler for another $1500.

We also had the 11-speaker audio upgrade (with neodymium magnets, don't you know) for $3800 and the 'Subzero Weather Package' (seat heaters, heated steering wheel, wiper blade defrosters and washer nozzle heaters) and on-board high-power charger (speeds up charging with the 'Tesla Wall Connector', $2300).

There was also 'Enhanced Autopilot' ($7600) and 'Full Self-Driving Capability' ($4600). The former is meant for highway running, and comes with four cameras (up from one) and 12 ultrasonic sensors around the car, as well as upgraded processing power to run it all.

The full self-driving is meant for around town. The idea is you punch in a destination, or speak to the computer or passive-aggressively stay silent, which triggers the car to check your calendar and take you to the address in the appointment. Part of the extra cost of that is yet more cameras (up to eight), more sensors, and more number-crunching power.

A 'Premium Upgrades' package adds the overkill of a 'Bioweapon Defense (sic) Mode' that knocks out 99.97 per cent of exhaust particulates and other contaminants.

We would love to tell you how all that worked, but being Tesla 'Hardware 2', it's not ready yet. While these features are being fleet-tested by 1000 cars in the US, your car will run it all in "shadow mode" for data and behaviour validation. One day you'll go to your car and a software update will be ready to download and install the functionality.

Unusually, you can retrofit both of these features for about $1500 more (each) than if you order them up-front. That's very cool and Tesla is probably the only car company in the world that will let you do it.

The 17.0-inch screen's software is regularly updated, like a mobile phone's. Also like a mobile is the sometimes less successful update, in this case the slightly bewildering and difficult-to-use music interface that is very keen for you to make a selection with voice commands, but not ones that go through your phone.

A 'Premium Upgrades' package adds the overkill of a 'Bioweapon Defense (sic) Mode' that knocks out 99.97 per cent of exhaust particulates and other contaminants, using two activated carbon air filters for other nasties like NO2 and hydrocarbon exhaust fumes.

LED turning lights and fog lights, real leather on the armrests, steering wheel and lower dashboard (if you also have leather seating), nappa leather and Alcantara on the dashboard, soft LED interior lighting, power tailgate and backlit door handles for $5300. Thankfully, the silly self-opening front doors in the Model X's pack aren't in this little lot.

Grand total? $297,792. On the road in, say, NSW... $313,013. Youch.

The Kona Hybrid is powered by a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine working in concert with a single electric motor, both driving the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The all-alloy engine features dual variable valve timing and direct-injection to produce 77kW at 5700rpm and 144Nm at 4000rpm, the permanent magnet synchronous motor chipping in with 32kW/170Nm for a total combined outputs of 104kW/265Nm.

That power output is in the middle of the small hybrid SUV pack and torque is at the higher end. 

Kerb weight is a fraction over 1.5 tonnes and you can expect 0-100km/h acceleration in the high 10-second range with a top speed around 170km/h.

The P100D ships with two electric motors fed by a huge battery pack which triples as the bulk of the chassis and a super-strong crash structure. It's also shared with the Model X SUV.

Combined power output is 568kW with more of it out the back rather than up front. Torque is quoted at 1000Nm, but it's likely more than that. Claimed 0-100km/h time is a mildly unbelievable 2.7 seconds, with a further two-tenths to be shaved off when you press and hold Ludicrous Mode and accept a warning that you'll wear the car out faster if you use it.

With 'Ludicrous Mode' comes not just software but a higher capacity fuse that allows more power to be drawn from the batteries for longer to provide the searing acceleration.

Hyundai’s official fuel consumption figure for the Kona Hybrid Elite, on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is a miserly 3.9L/100km, the 1.6L engine emitting 89g/km of CO2 in the process.

Minimum fuel requirement is 91 RON ‘standard’ unleaded and with a 38-litre tank theoretical range is around 975km.

On test, over several hundred kays taking in city, suburban and freeway running, we saw an average of around 4.4L/100km, which is impressive and a big contributor to the car’s appeal.

Using our real-world test number, the range figure comes in at a still handy 860-plus km.

Zippo. Obviously with the new rules for Tesla Superchargers, it's not as cheap to own and run a Tesla as it was before (from January 2017, all new orders don't get free juice after the first 400kWh), but if you charge it at home (and can get away with it), it'll probably be cheaper than using Tesla's chargers. If you look, there's a company offering $1 per day charging for electric cars.

If I'd charged the car to 100 percent rather than the 80 percent recommended by Tesla for most charges (past that mark, the charge rate drops and the software has to slow to a trickle, doling out the electrons to the different cells), I would have managed just over 400km on the charge.

The first things that come to mind when it comes to driving the Kona Hybrid are comfort, quietness and lack of stress.

From an ergonomic point of view the dash and cabin layout make life easy. There are physical controls for key functions like heating and ventilation, as well as audio and drive modes. Not a fan of the hard driver’s door armrest, though.

The engine is quiet and the transition between combustion and electric power is seamless. It’s fun to watch the (available) graphic screen in the driver’s display illustrating where drive is coming from at any given moment. Without it you’d be hard-pressed to know.

Acceleration is more than adequate and the powertrain’s bias towards electric propulsion means take-offs are ultra-smooth. 

Suspension is by MacPherson-type struts at the front with a multi-link rear set-up and ride quality is outstanding. Despite the Kona Hybrid’s relatively large 18-inch rims, bumps and ruts don’t cause major disruption and the Kumho Ecsta PS71 tyres (215/55) are exceptionally quiet.

Steering accuracy and road feel are both good and drive mode switches between ‘Normal’, ‘Eco’ and ‘Sport’ are noticeable, the latter dialling up urgency and dynamic response.

That said, we found ourselves in Eco most of the time, without any penalty in terms of throttle response or cruising ability.

Torque vectoring helps keep everything buttoned down if you decide to press on through your favourite set of corners, the front seats remain comfy on longer drives while keeping you securely located and the ‘shift-by-wire’ electronic gearshift is slick.

Physical brakes are ventilated discs at the front with solid rotors at the rear and they operate with reassuring smoothness. An active hydraulic booster controls regenerative braking, adjustable through three levels. Warning: the most aggressive setting makes the car annoyingly ‘shunty’ at slower speeds.  

Driver-assist safety tech makes its presence felt occasionally, but never to a disturbing degree… with one exception.

Despite the ability to program a steering wheel button to short-cut directly to the appropriate screen, the need to cancel an incessant and sometimes inaccurate overspeed warning every time you start the car is a pain.

A tidy 10.6m turning circle helps in slow-speed manoeuvres as do front, side and rear parking distance warnings and a high-quality reversing camera.

The Kona Hybrid is as good or better than anything in the class when it comes to the drive experience.

The first time I drove a Model S, I enjoyed the acceleration and the silence of the electric motor (this was back in the Dark Ages when even the P90 only had one motor). And that has remained, with the air suspension providing a firm but comfortable ride despite the P100D's 21-inch rims and very low profile tyres. Electric motoring in any electric car is addictive.

Much progress has been made (yes, I'm getting to the acceleration, stay with me) in the way it drives. The earlier cars felt too computer gamey, with little feel through the wheel or the seat of your pants. The steering is better, especially in Sport mode, but not a lot gets through the air suspension, so it takes a while to build confidence in the chassis.

One passenger became quite emotional, almost crying. And not just because they were stuck in a car with me.

On the freeway (look, you can read ahead if you must) it's amazingly quiet, with just a bit of a rustling around the mirrors. Well, of course it's quiet, it's electric. For chassis and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) squashers, not having the marvellous engine noise means much harder work to dull the other noises you just don't hear when there's an internal combustion engine.

And there's the acceleration. As the driver, you obviously know it's quick. Mash the throttle and the response is instant, the horizon closing in on you like you're attached by a very stretched and immensely strong bungee strap that's just been released. The way cars disappear in your rear vision mirror is hilarious.

It's more fun as a passenger, though. The Model X elicited whooping and laughing, but the P100D's extra 0.6s-worth of acceleration over the P90D, delivered with a truckload more G-force, equals silence. One woman said she was glad I'd caught her before dinner rather than after, before bursting forth with a range of expletives. One passenger became quite emotional, almost crying. And not just because they were stuck in a car with me.

The Model S comes with six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, three ISOFIX points, rollover sensors, emergency power disconnect. Additionally, when the software arrives, you'll have full AEB (ours was limited), self-driving and an ultra-clever active cruise that'll change lanes and overtake if the car you're following falls below your set speed.

The Model S scored five ANCAP stars, the maximum available, in April 2015 via the sharing arrangement with EuroNCAP.

The Kona is covered by Hyundai’s seven-year/unlimited-km warranty (upgraded from five years mid-last year), which is ahead of the mainstream five-year warranty pack.

Roadside assistance is complimentary for the first year, with the deal extended for another 12 months every time the car is serviced at an authorised Hyundai dealer. 

Speaking of which, scheduled servicing is recommended every 12 months/10,000km, which is a little lower than the (15,000km) norm for the category. After a complimentary check up at six weeks/1500km, the first seven services (in line with Hyundai’s ‘Lifetime Service Plan Pricing’) come in at $3782, for an average of $540 per workshop visit.

That’s on the high side considering an equivalent Toyota Corolla Cross (in line with ‘Toyota Service Advantage’ pricing) will set you back an average of $354 per service over the same period.

Hyundai has a network of 185 dealers covering every Australian capital, state and territory.

Tesla offers a four-year/80,000km warranty with a parallel eight year/unlimited kilometre warranty for the battery and drive units. Roadside assist applies for the four year warranty period.

Tesla offers two maintenance plans, three and four years in length. The three year plan costs $2100 and the four year $3175. Paying for the services individually over the same period will cost $2300 and $3425 respectively. That includes a wheel alignment (if needed), but it isn't particularly cheap when compared with 'normal' luxury cars.

Your first 400kW/h of recharging is free using Tesla's supercharger network, so that would be four full charges from empty (which you wouldn't do, obviously), or about 1600km worth. After that, it's 35c per kWh or $35 for a full charge.