Kia Seltos vs Hyundai Kona: MPG, Fuel Cost, Recalls and Safety
The 2025 Kia Seltos and Hyundai Kona tie on EPA's best combined rating at 31 mpg.
Kia Seltos
31mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT
Hyundai Kona
31mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT · no start-stop
NHTSA lists 0 recalls for the 2025 Seltos and 1 recall for the Kona.
Side by side
| 2025 model year | Seltos | Kona |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy (EPA) | ||
Best combined rating | 31 mpg 2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT | 31 mpg 2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT · no start-stop |
Best gas rating Gas engines only; hybrids and diesels excluded | 31 mpg | 31 mpg |
Hybrid or plug-in available | No | No |
AWD or 4WD available | Yes | Yes |
Lowest annual fuel cost 15,000 miles at EPA fuel prices | $2,100 | $2,100 |
5-year fuel cost vs average new vehicle Cheapest-to-fuel version (EPA) | Saves $1,000 | Saves $1,000 |
| Safety (NHTSA) | ||
Safety recalls, 2025 model year Counts depend on sales and time on sale | 0 | 1 |
Owner complaints, 2025 model year Filed with NHTSA so far | 13 | 28 |
NHTSA overall crash rating Range across tested versions | 5 stars (clearly better) | 4 stars |
Rollover risk Range across tested versions; lower is better | 15.1% to 16.9% | 15.1% to 15.9% |
Marks the clearly better figure. Small gaps (under 2 mpg or 5%, $100 a year in fuel) and overlapping crash-test ranges are not marked, and recall and complaint counts are not scored because they depend on how many were sold.
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version of each, every model year since 2018. The Seltos rated higher in 1 and the Kona in 3 of the 6 years both were sold; they tied in 2.
- Kia Seltos
- Hyundai Kona
2025: Kia Seltos 31 mpg · Hyundai Kona 31 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Kia Seltos | Hyundai Kona |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | – | 30 |
| 2019 | – | 30 |
| 2020 | – | 30 |
| 2021 | 31 | 30 |
| 2022 | 31 | 32 |
| 2023 | 31 | 32 |
| 2024 | 31 | 31 |
| 2025 | 31 | 31 |
| 2026 | 29 | 31 |
Recalls by model year
Safety recalls NHTSA lists for each model year. Counts depend on how many were sold and how long each model year has been on the road.
- Kia Seltos (left bar)
- Hyundai Kona (right bar)
2026: Kia Seltos 0 recalls · Hyundai Kona 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Kia Seltos | Hyundai Kona |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | – | 0 |
| 2019 | – | 1 |
| 2020 | – | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 | 4 |
| 2025 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 | 0 | 3 |
More on each model
- 2025 Kia Seltos MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Kia Seltos by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
- 2025 Hyundai Kona MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Hyundai Kona by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
Questions
Which gets better gas mileage, the Seltos or the Kona?
Neither, for 2025. The best version of each is rated 31 mpg combined.
How do they compare in NHTSA crash tests?
The 2025 Seltos is rated 5 stars overall and the Kona is rated 4 stars overall. Rollover risk is 15.1% to 16.9% for the Seltos and 15.1% to 15.9% for the Kona.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026, and EPA fuel prices.
- NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
We compare the best-rated version of each model unless a row says otherwise. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.