That is the access level to the second-generation Hyundai Kona small SUV vary which went on sale in June this 12 months.

The all-new Kona addresses a key factor with the former style: dimension. It’s larger and roomier in all dimensions, making it extra helpful for extra other people.

It brings a pointy ‘mini Tucson’ design with loads of shapely sheet steel (and plastic wheel-arch cladding) and slimline horizontal lights at each ends.

Even the bottom Kona 2.0-litre petrol pushed right here sports activities an EV-like entrance finish design, flashy wheels, and a state-of-the-art inner show. It’s any other style vary given an upmarket push.

There is not any scarcity of competition within the bustling small SUV marketplace however the brand new Kona sits proper on the pointy finish. Right here’s why.

How a lot does the Hyundai Kona price?

The bottom Kona pushed this is priced at $32,000 earlier than on-road prices, or about $36,000 drive-away relying for your state of place of dwelling. That’s about $5000 greater than the previous base Kona, and in step with the previous Kona Elite. 

Whilst the access worth is so much upper than earlier than, in wider context it stays beautiful smartly priced at kind of $36,000 drive-away.

The Mazda CX-30 vary opens at round $35,000 drive-away, the Toyota Corolla Go opens at $41,000, and the Nissan Qashqai at round $37,400. It additionally fits the second-from-base Kia Seltos Game ($35,390).

Hyundai has saved the variability easy for the Kona, with simply the 2 specification variants and one choices package deal – to be had with 3 engine alternatives.

2023 Hyundai Kona vary

• Kona FWD: $32,000
• Kona FWD N Line: $36,000
• Kona Top rate FWD: $39,500
• Kona Top rate FWD N Line: $42,500

• Kona Hybrid: $36,000
• Kona Hybrid N Line: $40,000
• Kona Top rate Hybrid: $43,500
• Kona Top rate Hybrid N Line: $46,500

• Kona Turbo AWD N Line: $40,000
• Kona Top rate Turbo AWD N Line: $46,500

Checklist costs, together with GST however neither state taxes or broker fees.

What’s the Hyundai Kona like at the within?

The important thing level to remove is the brand new Kona’s stepped forward inner area. This style is a considerable 145mm longer general and 60mm longer between the wheels than the previous one, with considerably extra back-seat headroom and legroom.

Even the bottom Kona has a proximity sensing key that allows you to free up the automobile with out taking the fob out of your pocket or bag, plus auto-unfolding aspect mirrors. You’ll additionally use Hyundai’s telephone app to remotely get right of entry to and even remotely get started the automobile when you desire.

The seats are trimmed in fundamental cloth and modify manually, however they provide a just right quantity of aspect and thigh bolstering. The similar cloth is used at the doorways and sprint to get a divorce the slabs of laborious and quite cheap-feeling plastics.

Common are compatible and end feels very forged and necessary touchpoints such because the guidance wheel, tools shifter and centre console lid are trimmed in a nicer leather-like subject matter to raise the atmosphere.

The bottom petrol style makes use of a standard tools shifter flanked by way of blanked-out button slots, however all different Kona variants have a sleek Ioniq 6-style shift-by-wire dial at the guidance column – freeing extra centre tunnel garage.

There’s a just right quantity of garage scattered about regardless, together with a big centre console and cupholder mixture within the centre tunnel, a rubberised charging pad beneath the AC controls, and an open phase above the glovebox.

Hyundai has now not travelled down the trail such a lot of different manufacturers have taken, particularly the usage of touchscreens or haptic pads for each serve as. There are buttons and dials for easy local weather keep an eye on operation and display menu shortcuts, flanked in tasteful trim that resembles brushed aluminium.

The guidance wheel has curler dials and buttons on every spoke to get right of entry to purposes similar to lane lend a hand, radar cruise keep an eye on, and audio purposes – together with voice controls that piggyback your software’s AI. There’s additionally somewhat software at the guidance column that displays for indicators of driving force distraction.

The elemental virtual software cluster displays velocity, the rev counter and shuttle information, and adjustments colors contingent at the using mode you’ve decided on. It’s restricted in the case of capability however the {hardware} blends well with the centre touchscreen in a trendy unmarried lengthy housing.

The infotainment within the Kona is likely one of the easiest inexpensive methods available on the market. The 12.3-inch panorama touchscreen options fast processing that means simple swiping, and the menu layouts and person interface designs really feel bang up-to-date.

My wi-fi Android Auto re-paired abruptly each time, making streaming and navigating a continuing revel in, whilst the reversing digicam has a pleasing crisp solution. Even the elemental sound gadget within the base style stunned me, bringing out the complexity and layering in a few of my favorite tunes.

The Kona additionally introduced with over-the-air (OTA) instrument replace capacity, permitting faraway instrument and firmware updates for key methods with out the wish to discuss with a workshop. Maximum EVs have this however the majority of petrol cars at this worth level don’t.

It’s additionally a breeze to hyperlink to the Hyundai Bluelink app by way of QR code, which lets you remotely test your automobile’s standing and site, and lock/free up’ remotely get started and remotely exchange the local weather keep an eye on. In time be expecting apps to keep an eye on ever extra capability, that means the Kona is future-proofed to a definite level.

In brief, whilst the fabrics and trims in right here very a lot really feel ‘base style’, the format and the generation used are each bit consultant of the most efficient of 2023.

One space the place the previous Kona was once beautiful reasonable was once inner area. However this style is rather slightly higher than the previous automobile and has somewhat sized aspect home windows to let extra gentle in.

I’m 194cm and had useable legroom and headroom at the back of my using place, making this a serviceable moment circle of relatives automobile or rideshare possibility. The again seats be offering a better quantity of reclining as smartly.

Rear-seat occupants get air vents and two USB-C ports (4 within the cabin general), in addition to seize handles and LED lightning. There’s alternatively rather a distinguished driveline hump working longitudinally down the inner flooring, proscribing the centre place’s usability.

The boot is bigger than earlier than at 407L (up 33L) and the again seats fold down for longer pieces. The ground is rather shallow and lever however there’s a hidden phase underneath with a space-saver spare wheel.

What’s beneath the bonnet?

The Kona will sooner or later be one of the crucial simplest cars bought as a petroleum, a hybrid and an EV, when the variability is done.

The bottom engine suited for our check automobile is a straightforward 2.0-litre petrol working the potency centered Atkinson cycle, like maximum hybrids. It makes 110kW of energy and a meagre 180Nm of torque, powering the entrance wheels thru a CVT computerized.

Claimed combined-cycle gasoline intake is 6.6 litres each 100km, and it may well run on 91 RON or E10 gasoline.

However the Kona additionally comes with the choice of a 104kW and 265Nm petrol-electric 1.6-litre hybrid that slashes claimed gasoline economic system to three.9L/100km; or a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol with 146kW and 265Nm, an eight-speed computerized, and on-demand all-wheel pressure.

Obviously those alternatives are higher engines in the case of, respectively; potency and function. In addition they command upper costs. It’s horses for lessons.

How does the Hyundai Kona pressure

The 110kW and 180Nm 2.0-litre engine lacks low-down torque, that means it may well get thrashy when you suggested pressing acceleration – earlier than the CVT simmers the engine velocity down at cruise.

For common commuting even though it’s fully effective, with good enough low-speed reaction and the facility to maintain in visitors and sit down at 110km/h with none drama.

Gas potency is okay, with my using loop returning a median of seven.3 litres each 100km, which is acceptably on the subject of the declare.

The Kona FWD 2.0 is aimed toward commuters who actually don’t care about efficiency, with the turbo AWD there for efficiency lovers.

The hybrid in the meantime guarantees to slash gasoline use and its 32kW electrical motor will bolster low-speed acceleration and refinement. For an extra $4000 it moves me as price it, given it’ll most likely dangle onto its resale worth higher as smartly.

The Kona’s new underpinnings, stiffer frame and added insulation lend a hand beef up noise, vibration and harshness from the engine and tyres, lending a extra top class really feel from the driving force’s seat.

The bottom style makes use of a humble rear torsion beam suspension setup while the hybrid and turbo use a multi-link format, reflecting its city center of attention.

However I used to be rather inspired with the whole music, which concerned Australian enter into this system. The motor-driven guidance is easily weighted, the frame keep an eye on and dealing with just right in opposition to cornering forces, and it each absorbs bumps and recovers from undulations well.

In comparison to one of the vital extra cheap-and-cheerful SUVs in the market from China, there’s a veneer of high quality and added tuning obvious within the Hyundai.

What do you get?

Our base Kona comes with the next usual options:

External

• 18-inch wheels
• House-saver spare
• Proximity sensing key fob
• Energy-folding aspect mirrors
• Roof rails
• LED headlights
• LED daylight hours working lighting
• LED rear lights

Inner

• Push-button get started
• Virtual software cluster
• Twin-zone local weather keep an eye on
• Manually adjustable material seats
• Over-the-air updates
• Smartphone app services and products
• Faraway get started capability
• 12.3-inch centre touchscreen
• AM/FM/DAB+ receivers
• Wi-fi Apple CarPlay
• Wi-fi Android Auto
• Sounds of Nature presets
• Six-speaker audio gadget
• Wi-fi charger and four USB-C ports

The Kona Top rate provides the next extras:

• 3-D surround-view cameras
• Faraway parking lend a hand by way of key fob
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Projector beam LED headlights
• Privateness glass
• Powered tailgate
• Auto-dimming rear reflect
• Ambient inner lights colors
• 12.3-inch software cluster improve
• Attached satellite-navigation
• 8-speaker Bose audio gadget
• Leather-based-trimmed seats
• Powered entrance seats with driving force’s reminiscence
• Heated and cooled seats, heated again seats
• Heated guidance wheel
• Shift-by-wire tools shifter on guidance column

The N Line choices package deal is to be had on each fashions for $3000-$4000 and provides:

• 19-inch wheels (18-inch on Hybrid variants)
• Frame-coloured cladding
• N Line entrance bumper, aspect skirts, wing-type spoiler, rear bumper
• Gloss black reflect caps and N Line aluminium badging
• Twin projector beam LED headlights
• ‘Seamless Horizon’ centre LED positioning gentle
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Shift-by-wire and paddle shifters
• Leather-based and Alcantara seats
• Auto-dimming rear-view reflect
• 12.3-inch software cluster improve
• N Line guidance wheel
• Black headlining & pillar trims
• Leather-based-appointed dashboard tray
• ‘Darkish Steel’ sprint highlights

Colors around the wider vary come with:

• Atlas White forged
• Mirage Inexperienced forged
• Ecotronic Gray mica ($595 further)
• Final Purple metal ($595 further)
• Denim Blue mica ($595 further)
• Abyss Black mica ($595 further)

Unique to N Line variants are 3 brash further external colors known as Cyber Gray, Neoteric Yellow, and Soultronic Orange.

Is the Hyundai Kona secure?

The revised Kona doesn’t these days have an ANCAP protection score, nevertheless it indubitably comes smartly provided with energetic and passive security features together with:

• Blind-spot collision avoidance lend a hand
• Digital camera-based driving force drowsiness track
• Self reliant emergency braking
• Lane-keeping lend a hand (line and road-edge)
• Rear cross-traffic avoidance lend a hand
• Protected Go out Caution (door opening alert)
• Radar-guided adaptive cruise keep an eye on
• Entrance and rear sensors, reversing digicam
• Entrance, centre, aspect and curtain airbags
• ISOFIX x 2 and top-tethers x 3
• Automated collision notification and SOS serve as
• Faraway automobile updates and geo-fencing carrier

The Kona Top rate provides the next:

• Blind-spot digicam show in cluster
• Opposite AEB gadget
• 3-D surround-view cameras
• Faraway keep an eye on parking lend a hand by way of fob

Hyundai claims the brand new Kona’s frame is stiffer and more potent, which will have to lend a hand with affects. The entire methods labored actually smartly, particularly the way in which the Kona can steer itself thru corners and reflect the rate of the automobile forward on highways.

Word that the road-sign digicam track gadget pings you with a chime each time you inadvertently exceed the rate prohibit, which is to hand, albeit somewhat disturbing.

How a lot does the Hyundai Kona price to run?

Hyundai supplies a five-year and limitless kilometre guaranty with ongoing roadside lend a hand added upon every annual broker carrier.

The bottom Kona 2.0 FWD’s servicing durations are each 365 days or 15,000km, with clear pricing: $399 for every of the primary 5 services and products.

The hybrid has the similar durations while the turbo AWD style has shorter 10,000km durations.

CarExpert’s Take

Within the bustling small SUV marketplace, the brand new Kona has carved out a spot close to the highest.

Even the bottom style’s design is crowd pleasing, its inner applied sciences and connectivity are benchmark, it provides extra space than the pokey previous style, and offers superb experience and dealing with for the common person.

Downsides come with the weedy base engine, unavoidable worth hikes, and a few cheap-feeling inner plastics. I’d individually opt for the hybrid on general steadiness, regardless of the added price.

Consumers after one thing that unlocks soft-road adventures will have to opt for a Subaru Crosstrek, patrons who prioritise a luxurious inner really feel may wish to take a look at the Mazda CX-30, and cut price hunters will have to take a look at a Haval Jolion.

However those that need the most efficient tech, the best design, and are ready to pay for a extra rounded using revel in will have to pass kick the tyres in this Kona – it’s an actual step up over the vastly well-liked previous style.

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