Compare the2026 Nissan Leaf VS 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric

The Nissan Leaf has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Leaf has standard Secondary Collision Mitigation Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Leaf and the Kona Electric have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available front parking sensors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4189-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Nissan Leaf is safer than the Kona Electric:

	Leaf	Kona Electric
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	78	251
Neck Tension	156 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.83 in	1.1 in
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.57 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	469 lbs.	915 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	188	282
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	2.09 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.79 in	1.61 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	446 lbs.	759 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

There are over 22 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Leaf’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked third.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai With 7 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Hyundai.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 6 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

The Leaf S’ standard electric motor produces 41 more horsepower (174 vs. 133) and 66 lbs.-ft. more torque (254 vs. 188) than the Kona Electric SE’s standard electric motor. The Leaf S’ electric motor produces 66 lbs.-ft. more torque (254 vs. 188) than the Kona Electric SEL/Limited/N-Line’s standard electric motor. The Leaf +’s standard electric motor produces 13 more horsepower (214 vs. 201) and 73 lbs.-ft. more torque (261 vs. 188) than the Kona Electric SEL/Limited/N-Line’s standard electric motor.

As tested in Motor Trend the Leaf + is faster than the Kona Electric SEL/Limited/N-Line:

	Leaf	Kona Electric
Zero to 60 MPH	6.8 sec	7.1 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.1 MPH	93.2 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the Leaf gets better mileage than the Kona Electric:

			MPGe
Leaf
		S+ Electric Motor	131 city/111 hwy
		SV+ Electric Motor	122 city/105 hwy
Kona Electric
		SEL/Limited Electric Motor	129 city/103 hwy
		N-Line Electric Motor	113 city/93 hwy
		SE Electric Motor	131 city/105 hwy

The Leaf can travel longer on a full charge than the Kona Electric on a full charge:

			Miles
Leaf
		S+ Electric Motor	303 miles
		SV+ Electric Motor	288 miles
		Platinum+ Electric Motor	259 miles
Kona Electric
		SEL/Limited Electric Motor	261 miles
		N-Line Electric Motor	230 miles
		SE Electric Motor	200 miles

For better stopping power the Leaf’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Kona Electric:

	Leaf	Kona Electric
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12 inches

The Leaf’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Kona Electric are solid, not vented.

The Leaf’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Kona Electric’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Leaf has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Kona Electric.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Leaf’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Kona Electric (105.9 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

The Leaf Platinum+ handles at .81 G’s, while the Kona Electric Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Leaf Platinum+ executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Kona Electric Limited (27.2 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

When two different drivers share the Leaf Platinum+, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Leaf Platinum+’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Leaf Platinum+ has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction, infotainment and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Kona Electric doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Leaf’s driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Kona Electric’s standard driver’s power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

On a hot day the Leaf’s driver can lower the driver’s window from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Kona Electric can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Leaf’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Kona Electric’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Leaf Platinum+’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Leaf’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Kona Electric’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

When the Leaf Platinum+ is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Kona Electric’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Leaf and the Kona Electric offer available heated front seats. The Leaf Platinum+ also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Kona Electric.

The Nissan Leaf has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located for the driver. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Hyundai charges extra for Homelink® on the Kona Electric.