Hyundai Kona vs Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Hyundai Kona Discontinued model
Hyundai Kona in South Africa

Hyundai Kona

1.0T DCT Executive Petrol 7-Speed DCT Discontinued model
ZAR 565,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 88 kW 🔧 172 Nm ⛽ 15.5 km/l
VS
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport in South Africa

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Exceed 1.5L CVT Petrol CVT Current
ZAR 499,990 ex-showroom
⚡ 77 kW 🔧 141 Nm ⛽ 16.1 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Hyundai Kona vs Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: the short answer

Kona and Outlander Sport are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context Kona: last listed from ZAR 459,900 · Outlander Sport: current from ZAR 449,990

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Kona Outlander Sport
Maximum Power Kona88 kW @ 5500 rpm Outlander Sport77 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque Kona172 Nm @ 1500 rpm Outlander Sport141 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Engine Size Kona998 cc Outlander Sport1499 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Kona15.5 km/l Outlander Sport16.1 km/l
Ground Clearance Kona165 mm Outlander Sport193 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Independent editorial assessment

Hagalu editorial ratings

When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.

Hyundai Kona

1.0T DCT Executive

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Exceed 1.5L CVT

Hagalu editorial rating
4.3/5

Desk research · Exact variant

Editorial assessment, not a customer rating. Not road-tested for this review.

Read the review and score breakdown

Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

Kona

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Performance

Outlander Sport

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

Kona

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Outlander Sport

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec Kona Outlander Sport
Model Introduced Year 2018 2025
Generation Second generation Kona on Hyundai's K2 GEN platform; the design is more conservative than the first gen but better resolved First South African Outlander Sport generation, Mitsubishi Xforce architecture
Facelift History Second generation launched globally in 2023 and brought to SA; softened styling compared to the sharper first gen, improved interior quality and tech Introduced locally in January 2025 and replaced ASX.
Facelift Launched Since 2023 Current specification
Body Style SUV SUV
Production Status discontinued active
Segment SUV Compact SUV
Tare Mass Kg 1460 kg -
Vehicle Type SUV Passenger vehicle
Facelift Version Ending Not confirmed Current
Model Year Not confirmed 2026
Spec Kona Outlander Sport
Length 4355 mm 4390 mm
Width 1825 mm 1810 mm
Height 1570 mm 1660 mm
Wheelbase 2660 mm 2650 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 165 mm 193 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) Not Officially Disclosed 195 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 50 l 42 l
Boot/Cargo Space 466 l 480 l
Kerb Weight 1460 kg 1250 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) Not Officially Disclosed 1730 kg
Payload Capacity Not Officially Disclosed 480 kg
Towing Capacity Not Officially Disclosed 0 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius Not Officially Disclosed 5.2 m
Front Headroom Not Officially Disclosed 950 mm
Rear Headroom Not Officially Disclosed 880 mm
Front Legroom Not Officially Disclosed 1050 mm
Rear Legroom Not Officially Disclosed 370 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Kona and Outlander Sport comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Kona 40 vs Outlander Sport 30.

Efficiency index: Kona 62 vs Outlander Sport 62.

Safety-equipment index: Kona 84 vs Outlander Sport 73.

Practicality index: Kona 67 vs Outlander Sport 67.

Ownership-cover index: Kona 65 vs Outlander Sport not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Kona leads by 6 points

Kona and Outlander Sport are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 63 /100
Lead 6 points
Data 90% source coverage
63
#1 Evidence leader

Kona

90% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 84 Check Performance 40
Performance 40
Efficiency 62
Safety 84
Practicality 67
Ownership 65
Leads by 6 points
57
#2

Outlander Sport

79% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 73 Check Performance 30
Performance 30
Efficiency 62
Safety 73
Practicality 67
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Kona +10 Efficiency Level Safety Kona +11 Practicality Level

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Kona

Performance 40/100
Efficiency 62/100
Safety 84/100
Practicality 67/100
Ownership 65/100

Outlander Sport

Performance 30/100
Efficiency 62/100
Safety 73/100
Practicality 67/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Hyundai Kona leads the specification evidence index with 63 pts vs 57 pts for Outlander Sport

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Kona leads. However, Outlander Sport may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Kona vs Outlander Sport questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.