2018 Nissan Kicks vs. 2018 Hyundai Kona

The battle of the crossovers is seriously starting to heat up - and for buyers, there's never been a better time to find that perfect fit for your lifestyle.

Packing an impressive amount of sound, style, sophistication, and substance into a small frame, today's crossovers make the minivans and luxury sedans of yesteryear look like dinosaurs crunching along highways at a frustratingly slow pace. Now, crossovers offer that nimble, skillful driving experience, combining efficiency and sporty reliability with plenty of room and built-in tech to enjoy the ride.

But when it comes to choosing the best crossover option for 2018, there are only two competitors who really stand out from the crowd: the 2018 Nissan Kicks, and the 2018 Hyundai Kona. 

The big question on everyone's mind for this new year should be simple, but might take a closer look - which is better? As it turns out, the difference may come to two hugely-important factors in any buyer's decision: style, and safety.

Boasting a sleek, sporty, and lightweight frame built to give off an aggressive vibe out on the road, the Hyundai Kona is one impressive and all-new option for drivers looking to keep things simple. Decked out with some impressive tech - including a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment center with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a heads-up display and available wireless charging, the Kona is no slouch on the tech side either.

But few new crossovers can compare to the enviable style of the new Nissan Kicks. Sporting six bold colors - including the option for a two-tone roof color to robustly accent the impressive outline - the Kicks is simply built to turn heads. Add in the impressive premium BOSE speakers available right in the driver's headrest and similar connectivity to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through the touchscreen navigation and it seems like there's a clear winner in the style department: the 2018 Nissan Kicks.

At the end of the day, both the 2018 Nissan Kicks and the 2018 Hyundai Kona feature many of the same intelligent and impressive safety features modern drivers have come to expect. Available on both the Kicks and the Kona are advanced airbag systems, as well as preventative safety systems designed to stop accidents before they happen. These include forward collision avoidance with sensors to detect sudden stops of the vehicle in front of you, a rear cross traffic alert to make pulling out of tight spaces easier, and a blind spot warning to let you know you're covered out on the fast-lane of the highway.

Where the Kicks really pulls away and above the Kona on safety is in the available Intelligent Around-View Monitor, which gives you a virtually-360-degree birds-eye view of your vehicle as you pull in and out of difficult spots, helping to more easily guide you in and out of everything from tight garages to parallel spots on busy streets. With this added feature, we've got to give safety to the 2018 Nissan Kicks.

While both models will ultimately leave you satisfied for miles to come, the Nissan Kicks simply beats the Kona out on a few key categories to make it our winner among crossovers for 2018.