Hyundai Kona – Fun, funky and worth the wait

– By Rod Fuller –

Hyundai has been the late comer to this segment of the small SUV market and is up against some stiff competition in the sector with the Honda HR-V, Subaru XV, Toyota CH-R and the new Mazda CX-3 all jostling for your hard earned. But has the wait been worthwhile?

Kona comes in four variants (take a breath), Active, Active with Safety Pack, Elite and Highlander. Two petrol engine and transmission combinations are available in all variants, a 2.0 litre four cylinder 16V (110kW/180Nm) engine with a six speed automatic 2WD transmission and a 1.6 litre turbocharged 16V (130kW/265Nm) engine with a seven speed DCT with sequential manual mode and AWD transmission. The AWD also has a 50/50 front and rear lock mode in case the road is getting a bit rougher.

Kona dares to be different and it works. The car is very attractively styled with a funky, and kind of quirky style, that is sure to attract both younger customers and those who just want to be different. The Kona isn’t unique on the road, although its styling does make it stand out, especially with its twin level headlight design which works really well on the Kona and nicely complements its style. With nine different colour choices plus the option of contrasting roof colour and body cladding there are over 150 different styling combinations, so you can be assured to find one that suits you.

On the inside Kona shows its i30/i20 heritage as it all looks quite familiar across the instrument panel and dashboard. This is a good thing, with all the displays easily read and controls at your fingertips.

A seven inch display for all the infotainment functions and reverse camera display is standard across the range as well as Apple Car Play/Android Auto. Hyundai has however deleted Sat Nav from the Kona range, trusting that most people won’t notice and use a map app on their smart phone instead, which will probably be the case.

Two 12V outlets and an USB connection are provided in the front along with a wireless charging pad (Highlander only). In the back seats though it is a tech free zone, no 12V outlet or USB connection or even rear air vents provided. So remember to charge the kids devices in advance of setting off on a longer trip.

For a small SUV Kona is big on space, with a surprising amount of head/leg room for all passengers (even in the back) and ample cargo capacity. Boot space is 361 litres with the back seats up and 1143 litres with the back seats down. There is even underfloor storage in the boot, as well as other small compartments to store smaller items.

Safety features abound on the Kona with six airbags and Electronic Stability Control standard across the range and a five star ANCAP rating. Hyundai Smart Sense is available on the Active Safety, Elite and Highlander variants, which offers Blind Spot Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Inattention Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Forward Collision Warning/Avoidance Assist.

For this review I had the opportunity the drive two variants of the Kona from opposite ends of the spectrum. The 2.0lt 2WD Active and the 1.6lt turbo AWD Highlander.

Both cars benefit tremendously from Hyundai’s Australian engineers input into suspension and chassis tuning for Aussie bound Kona’s. Both cars felt at ease and very capable on the road with the right balance of sporty performance vs comfort being achieved.

The 2.0lt engine in the Active was quite responsive and well matched with the six speed auto box. As you would expect the more powerful 1.6lt turbo Highlander was punchier in its performance and the extra gear in the transmission helped it nudge out its sibling in the fuel economy stakes as well (2.0lt – 7.2k/100km vs 1.6T 6.7/100km on combined cycle), but I did find at times that the seven speed DCT was a bit ‘clunky’ especially at slow and start off speeds.

Pricing of the Kona is well tuned to the market with 2WD Active starting in the $26-$28K range and the top of the line Highlander AWD nearing $40K.

The Highlander has all the niceties, head up display, 18 inch wheels (235/45R18 Hankook tyres), leather seats (heated and ventilated in the front) with contrasting colour stitching and console accents to add to the funkiness and even a heated steering wheel. But misses out on dual zone climate control and a sunroof (which features in other Hyundai Highlander models), which for the price I thought would have been included.

But has it been worth the wait for Hyundai’s Kona to enter the small SUV market? Yes it is has. The Kona will be a strong contender in this class, with no doubt many happy customers. It is fun the drive and its stand out design and colour choices only add to the fun.

What does it look like as a Novated Lease?

This data is from the 2018 Novated Leasing Guide produced by Fleet Auto News.