The all-new Hyundai Kona is facing the winds of electric vehicle change head-on, with an EV-led design headlined by seamless horizon lighting and signature separated headlights, with Active Air Flaps in place of a conventional grille. In addition, this small SUV is now available in a new hybrid variant, and I recently drove it in the Premium spec.
The new-generation Kona is 30mm taller and 145mm longer than the model it replaces, with a 60mm longer wheelbase. It maximises space utilisation through new design features in both rows of seats and in the cargo area. The spacious, versatile cabin is headlined by ‘Floating’ horizontal dash and standard 12.3-inch multimedia system among an array of leading-edge tech.
The Kona Hybrid is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine with a battery electric system (with a Permanent magnet synchronous motor) to deliver robust performance with a claimed figure of 3.9L/100km for the combined cycle fuel economy and it’s compatible with 91 RON (ULP) and E10 petrol. The petrol/electric Hybrid drives the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The combined maximum output is 104kW of power and 265Nm of torque and the powertrain provides a smooth transition between the electric and petrol power units. The Kona Hybrid has a 1,300kg braked towing capacity.
The Kona Hybrid only has a 38-litre fuel tank with a poor fuel filler design that kept clicking off the fuel pump as I was trying to fill it, so I had to dribble the fuel in to stop it from doing this, so I could fill the tank. I suspect the person who fuelled up the Kona before me was not as patient as I was and as such my calculated fuel use was most likely incorrect, at 11.5L/100km? The on-board computer indicated that my fuel use was 5.5L/100km, which is much closer to the claimed combined fuel use figure.
There are three drive modes available Eco, Normal, and Sport and I spent the week in Eco mode. The ride of the Kona did not give me confidence on one particularly twisty road and it felt light around the corners and the brakes had a strange feel, possibly due to the active hydraulic booster for the regenerative braking. The smart regenerative braking lets the Kona Hybrid recover braking energy that would be lost in a conventional vehicle, which it uses to recharge the high-voltage 1.32kWh Lithium-ion Polymer battery.
The Kona Hybrid Premium has keyless entry, the type that still needs you to push the button on the front door handles, and keyless start, so the key fob can remain in your handbag at all times. On the interior this Premium spec Kona Hybrid has Obsidian Black genuine leather appointed finish on the seats, door trim inserts, dashboard tray, door arm rests, and the centre console armrest and I liked the brushed alloy effect dashboard trim. It also gets a BOSE eight speaker premium audio with media sources including AM radio, FM/DAB+ radio, Sounds of Nature, Bluetooth, USB music, USB video, and smartphones.
Headlining the driver-oriented, high-tech layout is the seamless integration of the standard 12.3-inch multimedia display with wireless Android Auto that worked well for me. The additional 12.3-inch cluster is found in upper variants, but one problem with this was that I could not find the option for a digital speedo readout on the driver’s dash anywhere in the menu options. The column-type Shift by Wire selector frees up more space in the centre console and contributes to the cabin’s light, open feel.
Convenience, safety and security of Bluelink connected car services is standard in all-new Kona, with Over-The-Air (OTA) update capability. The connected car services allow you to activate remote functions such as setting geo-fencing, valet, speed/time alerts and notification limits, door lock/unlock, window open/close, hazard warning lights, horn, and remote climate control including windscreen defog and heated rear window/side mirrors operation. Other remote services for navigation operations include sending your destination to your car, and find my car. You can even check your vehicle status and notifications including locking status and the climate control status, so no need to walk back to your car to double-check if you have locked it.
Both front seats have power adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height front and rear and the option for a full relax mode. The driver’s seat also gets two-way lumbar and two memory positions. I did note that the interior of this Kona, including the seats, was wearing well after 16,000km on the odometer with no signs of wear on the trim. The front seats are also heated and cooled, but the cooling barely made an impact on a hot day and its operation was noisy. The dual zone climate control is operated with physical buttons, something that I prefer over touchscreen controls.
The large-capacity open-type console design features flip out style cup holders that can be pushed back out of the way to create one large storage space in the console and there’s open storage area under the arm rest that may even fit your handbag. The drink bottle storage cubbies in the front doors are a good size and suitable for large water bottles. At the front of the centre console is a wireless charge pad for compatible devices at front of centre console with two USB-C ports and one 12V socket above it, but with my phone plugged in it didn’t fit into this cubby nicely.
I found that the rear seats had a good amount of head and leg room with an adequate amount of under thigh support, with the outer rear seats being heated. For younger passengers there are two ISOfix/three rear tether child seat restraint points. The centre seat folds down as an arm rest and has two rigid cup holders in it, while the drink bottle storage in rear door cubbies is suitable for medium sized drink bottles. Rear passengers get two central rear air vents with individual direction and close controls and below the vents there are two USB-C ports and a cubby to put a phone in.
The Premium Kona variants have a power tailgate with an open/close button on the boot, key fob and in the cabin. The boot space is a good size and fitted the weekly shop, and it has four plastic tie down points, three hooks and one light and under the boot floor there’s a temporary use spare tyre. If more space is required the rear seats have a 60:40 split fold mechanism with the release on the seat shoulders.
The Hyundai Kona has a 4-star ANCAP (2023) safety rating with an Adult Occupant Protection score of 80% and a Child Occupant Protection score of 84%. Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.
An extensive suite of Hyundai SmartSense advanced active safety and driver assistance features come standard in Kona, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist powered two-wheeler detection (stationary and moving motorcycles), which is a segment first, and adaptive cruise control. Premium variants add Parking Collision Avoidance Assist-Reverse, Blind Spot View Monitor, which is displayed in the driver’s dash when you indicate and Surround View Monitor including the 3D Surround View with walk-around function and front and rear parking sensors. For convenience you also get auto lights and high beam assist and auto wipers, but only the lights indicate on dash when you change their setting.
The Hyundai Kona is fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), a lane support system (LSS) with lane keep assist (LKA) and emergency lane keeping (ELK) functionality, and blind spot monitoring. ANCAP tests of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD performance with collisions avoided or mitigated in all test scenarios, including in the AEB Junction scenario where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when turning across or into the path of an oncoming vehicle. ANCAP tests of the AEB Head-On functionality showed MARGINAL performance. The standard AEB system does not react when crossing the path of another vehicle. ANCAP tests of LSS functionality showed GOOD performance in lane keep assist scenarios, and ADEQUATE performance in the more critical ELK scenarios. The overall Safety Assist score for the Kona is 62%.
All that and the reassurance of Hyundai’s 5 Year/Unlimited km vehicle warranty and 8 Year/160,000km high-voltage battery warranty providing customers with the care they need, when they need it. The Kona Hybrid requires a service every 15,000km or once a year, whichever comes first and upfront service plans can be purchased for three, four or five years costing $1,377, $1,976 and $2,575 respectively. When servicing with Hyundai, customers also receive ongoing Roadside Support and a Sat Nav Update Plan for up to 10 years.
Offering EV looks with the convenience of a hybrid engine, the all-new Hyundai Kona Hybrid is a viable small SUV option for urban dwellers. The starting price for the Hyundai Kona Hybrid Premium is $43,500 plus dealer delivery and on-road costs and that’s also the as tested price for this Mirage Green Kona. You can Build and Price your Kona online or visit your preferred Hyundai dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| Clever cup holders and drink bottle storage | Lack of confidence in handling |
| Physical buttons for the climate controls | Feel of the brakes |
| Rear seat space and features | Design of the fuel filler |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.