We love our compacts. Being able to carry maximum utility on a smaller, reliable platform feels like its own type of luxury, one that everyone in town can get behind. You have a couple in mind, and both are great choices. But we're here to dissect your options to help you make the right choice. Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Hyundai Kona and the 2026 Kia Seltos. Read up before you swing by Hyundai of Bedford, your local Hyundai dealership for 2026 Hyundai vehicles near you!
2026 Hyundai Kona vs 2026 Kia Seltos
2026 Hyundai Kona vs 2026 Kia Seltos
To a lot of people, Hyundai and Kia are one and the same. That might feel true in some aspects, more particularly in their powertrains. Still, there are reasons why people in Bedford might choose the 2026 Hyundai Kona over the latest Seltos, like the availability of enhanced safety features or advanced tech. When one seemingly simple choice could lock you out of some great features, it's worth doing a double-take.
2026 Hyundai Kona | 2026 Nissan Kicks |
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Starting at $25,250 |
Starting at $21,830 |
Performance
The 2026 Hyundai Kona gets around Bedford nice and easy with 147 horsepower on its 2.0L standard engine. You can squeeze out 35 highway miles per gallon with this base powertrain for a ride you can rely on for your everyday drives throughout the city. Find yourself getting on the freeway a lot? You could use the extra boost provided by the available 1.6L turbocharged engine that puts out 190 HP. When your drives take you off-road, or you find yourself traversing slippery roads fairly frequently (it is Florida, after all), you can tack on HTRAC AWD for more grip and better control of your ride.
Kia offers much of the same in the new Seltos, sans the HTRAC AWD option. A standard 2.0L engine with 147 horsepower, and an available 1.6L turbocharged engine with 190 horsepower. You even get an 8-speed auto and a fuel rating of 34 highway MPG, similar to the Kona. With everything being a near carbon copy, the only difference might or might not be a dealbreaker, with that difference being the availability of Hyundai's acclaimed HTRAC AWD system.
Safety Features
Hyundai SmartSense comes standard in the 2026 Hyundai Kona in Bedford. Every one of these base driver-assist features is incredible, but as they also share a similar lineup to the Kia Seltos, we're more interested in the array of optional features. Our favorite upgrades, and some of the most popular among Cleveland drivers, include parking technologies. Parking Distance Warning in the front, side, and rear will let you know when you get too close to another car, with Contour Warning being a useful enhancement. Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist will start to apply the brakes if you get a little too close. Just to be extra sure, hop out of the car and fine-tune your park job with Remote Smart Parking Assist.
Kia doesn't strip you of your rightful safety features, but they don't get as fancy with it as Hyundai does. The latest Seltos comes with your standard Kia Drive Wise package, as Hyundai SmartSense is to the Kona. As for available upgrades, the Seltos does offer a couple, just not as many as Hyundai's offerings. Blind-Spot Detection is pretty helpful, and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist is nice to catch us when we're not at our most attentive. But in Cleveland, Hyundai's advanced parking technologies feel practically essential.
Interior
So you can zip around and park like a pro in the new Kona. What else? The 2026 Hyundai Kona is one of the most practical compact SUVs in Bedford, backed by convenient technology. A 12.3-inch infotainment screen (with wireless smartphone connectivity) comes standard as the foundation for every Kona, kept up to date with OTA software updates. Add a matching 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster for all-encompassing knowledge of your vehicle, and add the hands-free smart liftgate if you're the kind to always keep your hands busy (literally). The Kona is a testament to everyday practicality, and Hyundai didn't miss a spot.
Read more > What Interior & Tech Updates Were Made For The 2026 Hyundai Kona?
The Kia Seltos has some of the basics down, like an available smart liftgate or standard wireless smartphone connectivity. But what is it that you're connecting to? Compared to the Kona's standard 12.3-inch touchscreen, you would have to pay extra just to get a 10.25-inch display in the Kia Seltos. If you're looking for maximum value, especially in the tech department, the idea of paying more for screen size that still falls short might be a dealbreaker.
Bottom Line
For a value-packed SUV, our pick goes to the 2026 Hyundai Kona in Bedford for standard interior features and tech, plus a solid set of available upgrades that the Kia Seltos doesn't offer.
Take the 2026 Hyundai Kona for a Test Drive!
Your family deserves a fun, modern SUV. And you deserve a ride that fits perfectly into your daily routine. So why wait? Visit Hyundai of Bedford today for 2026 Hyundai vehicles in Bedford, like the 2026 Hyundai Kona! Call (440) 745-7469 for more details.
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Hyundai of Bedford
18300 Rockside Rd
Bedford, OH 44146
- Sales: 440-745-7469
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