Toyota BZ4X vs Hyundai Kona

What's the difference?

Is the bZ4X Touring the right Toyota for this moment in time or too little too late for the brand to play catch-up to its EV rivals?

The good news for Toyota is that it isn’t too late, at all. The Touring expands the appeal of the bZ4X, metaphorically and literally, and certainly the sales trajectory in 2026 suggests buyers are warming to Toyota’s electric future.

However, it remains a more expensive proposition for its size and the Touring doesn’t really make it stand out amongst the crowd that includes the popular BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y. It’s unfamiliar territory for Toyota, but it didn’t become the automotive juggernaut it is by giving up, so there is every reason to think the bZ4X duo will chip away at the EV sales leaders.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

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. 

What stands out about the design of the bZ4X Touring is the fact it is a bZ4X. Unlike Subaru, which opted to position its bZ4X twins, the Solterra and Trailseeker, as separate models, Toyota has stuck with the single nameplate and a very similar look.

At the front the Touring looks almost identical to the SUV and it’s only at the back where things deviate notably. Toyota has stretched the Touring by 140mm and redesigned it to have a more vertical tailgate.

To further differentiate between the two bZ4X offerings, the Touring gets unique 20-inch alloy wheels, as well as front and rear skid plates, roof rails (which can take up to 80kg of weight), matt finished wheel arches, a contrasting bonnet insert plus a rear window wiper.

Inside the design is carried over unchanged, which means the same interior that has Toyota elements but also some Subaru influence and a bit of EV differentiation. So it doesn’t look exactly like what you expect from Toyota, but it’s still clearly in the Toyota family.

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.

One of the most notable examples of this is the set-up of the steering wheel and instrument display. The digital display screen is set far back on the dash and the wheel has a small diameter so you look over it rather than through the rim; similar to Peugeot’s polarising ergonomics. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it is a stand out feature of the interior. 

Thankfully, while there is a 14-inch multimedia touchscreen, unlike so many other modern EVs there are plenty of physical buttons and dials, too. Not to sound like an old man, but these are simply better in my opinion as they are easier to use, especially on the move.

In terms of space, the Touring feels roomy for a mid-size SUV, but not as spacious as some of its rivals. In the second row headroom is good and there is enough knee and foot room for two adults to sit in relative comfort.

The rear seat occupants are well catered for with their own air-conditioning, heated outboard seats and two USB-C ports.

The biggest practicality boost for the Touring is the boot volume. By stretching the length, Toyota has added another 151 litres of cargo space, so the total volume is now 603 litres, which is a generous amount of room for a mid-size SUV and ideal for those looking to load up with luggage for a road trip.

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).

When you’re sitting on top of the sales pyramid, everyone wants a piece of you and it feels like Hyundai has priced and specified the Kona to match the market with some special touches thrown in here and there.

At $39,950, before on-road costs ($44,738, drive-away), the Hybrid Elite’s standard equipment list is generous.

Aside from the safety and performance tech covered further down, big ticket items include leather-appointed seats and steering wheel, heated and power-adjustable front seats (10-way driver / eight-way passenger), 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, tail-lights and DRLs, keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control and auto rain-sensing wipers.

There’s also dual-zone climate control, digital radio, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, six-speaker audio, a 12.3-inch multimedia screen and 4.2-inch instrument cluster, rear privacy glass and more. 

A sneaky power tailgate and/or ventilated front seats would be nice at this price-point, but they’re by no means mandatory for the class. 

Similarly priced hybrid rivals like the Haval Jolion Ultra Hybrid ($38,990, drive-away), Honda HR-V e:HEV L ($42,900, drive-away), Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid L ($39,590, before on-road costs) and Toyota Corolla Cross GXL Hybrid ($41,190, before on-road costs) are broadly aligned with the above features list but none of them put the Kona Hybrid Elite in the shade.

One of the biggest differences between the regular bZ4X and the Touring is the single powertrain option. While the standard bZ4X can be had at a cheaper price with a single-motor, front-wheel drive set-up, the Touring is exclusively available with the dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain.

This is good for 280kW of power, which is very punchy for a Toyota mid-size SUV, and is enough for it to take just 4.4 second to sprint from 0-100km/h, which is downright rapid.

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 bZ4X Touring is fitted with a 74.7kWh battery, which is enough for a claimed range of 488km. That’s a reasonable distance, on par with the BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5 and MGS6 but isn’t class-leading. It also probably looks a bit short on paper as Toyota is pushing this as "purpose-built for long distance touring."

However, the Touring wins some points back with its 1500W inverter that provides vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging, which not all models in this segment offer.

Charging maxes out at 150kW DC and 22kW AC, but Toyota says with the DC charger it can take just 28 minutes to recharge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent.

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.

While the dual-motor powertrain provides serious performance when you put your foot down, that’s not really the point of a mid-size electric SUV aimed at family buyers. Sure, it’s a nice-to-have, but it shouldn’t define the driving experience of the bZ4X Touring.

Not surprisingly, it’s very similar to drive to the standard bZ4X and that’s no bad thing. The steering is quick and direct and coupled with the performance it means the Touring does feel a step above the average petrol- or diesel-powered SUV in terms of responsiveness.

The ride is pretty good for such a heavy vehicle. It doesn’t ride like a magic carpet but nor is it harsh and uncomfortable. It will crash over the occasional sharper bump, but overall Toyota has done a nice job on the chassis tuning to keep a family buyer happy.

What isn’t so good is the amount of noise that leaks into the cabin. During our drive on the open road we couldn’t help but notice the significant amount of tyre roar and wind noise at speeds above 70km/h.

But what stands out most about the driving experience in many respects is the regenerative braking, which is much more subtle than rival EVs. It lacks the one-pedal driving character of other EVs and that makes for an easier transition for those coming to electric motoring for the first time. On the flip side, it means less energy recovered at times, which means the bZ4X could be more efficient.

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 Kona scored four from a possible five ANCAP stars in 2023, with particularly strong results in Adult Occupant Protection (80 per cent) and Child Occupant Protection (84 per cent).

It features a full portfolio of crash-avoidance tech, including AEB with forward collision warning as well as cyclist, pedestrian and motorcycle detection, plus car-to-car junction, crossing and head-on detection. Phew!  

On top of that, there’s lane-keeping and lane-following assist, blind-spot monitoring, driver-attention warning, rear cross-traffic alert and collision avoidance, ‘Remote Smart Parking Assist’, ‘Safe Exit Warning’, driver fatigue detection, tyre pressure monitoring and more.

If, despite all that, a crash is unavoidable there are seven airbags fitted, including a front centre bag to minimise head clash injuries between driver and co-pilot in a side collision. 

There’s also multi-collision brake (to reduce the chances of subsequent impacts after an initial crash), auto collision notification and an emergency call (SOS) function.

For baby capsules or child seats there are three top-tether points for child seats across the second row with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

All in all, a comprehensive safety offer that matches or betters the Kona’s class competitors.

A key selling point for any Toyota, but especially one with new(-ish) technology, is that with 270 dealers around the country, Toyota has one of the biggest footprints.

The Touring is covered by Toyota’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is fine but is increasingly looking off-the-pace compared to a growing list of rivals with seven or more years of coverage.

On the plus side the bZ4X delivers on the promise of cheaper EV servicing, with intervals every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first) with each visit capped at $190 for the first five years.

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.