Photo: Hyundai
As if the VelosterRaptor N wasn’t enough showboating for Hyundai, the South Korean brand has teamed up with Rockstar Performance Garage to create the Kona Ultimate Concept. What started out as a Kona Ultimate Turbo AWD is now a SEMA-bound exhibit, complete with Roadwire alligator-skinned seats to polarize opinion as much as possible.
What’s even more curious about the one-off build is the tire-wheel combination, coming in the guise of 30-inch Mickey Thompson off-road racing tires and 16-inch Motegi rally wheels. Suspension upgrades from King, Race Chip engine tuning, a Magnaflow exhaust system, and Scosche mounts are a few other noteworthy additions to the lil’ crossover.
The modifications don’t end there, though. As you can tell from the design of the front bumper and grille, Hyundai and Rockstar Performance Garage also made a case for Baja Design LED lighting, Bulletliner bodywork coating, and R1 Concepts brake rotors and pads. The finishing touch is the K&N billet intake, helping the engine breathe easier than before.
Neither company has published performance figures, but given the list of modifications presented in the previous paragraphs, don’t expect this Kona to deliver more than 225 horsepower at the crankshaft. The Ultimate retails at $27,750 excluding destination charge, and the 1.6-liter Turbo GDI four-cylinder engine delivers 175 horsepower out of the box. Switching from front- to all-wheel drive adds $1,400 to the Kona’s retail price.
The truth of the matter is, even the entry-level trim is adequate as a daily driver at $20,100 excluding freight. The Kona SE comes with 147 horsepower, a six-speed automatic transmission, 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, LED daytime running lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, and Forward-Collision Avoidance Assist completely as standard.
As one of the more value-oriented propositions in the segment, does it come as a surprise the Kona is putting a dent in the market share of the Honda HR-V and Jeep Renegade? 47,090 units were sold in the United States from February 2018 until the end of the year, and so far in 2019, sales volumes are better for every month including October.
The modifications don’t end there, though. As you can tell from the design of the front bumper and grille, Hyundai and Rockstar Performance Garage also made a case for Baja Design LED lighting, Bulletliner bodywork coating, and R1 Concepts brake rotors and pads. The finishing touch is the K&N billet intake, helping the engine breathe easier than before.
Neither company has published performance figures, but given the list of modifications presented in the previous paragraphs, don’t expect this Kona to deliver more than 225 horsepower at the crankshaft. The Ultimate retails at $27,750 excluding destination charge, and the 1.6-liter Turbo GDI four-cylinder engine delivers 175 horsepower out of the box. Switching from front- to all-wheel drive adds $1,400 to the Kona’s retail price.
The truth of the matter is, even the entry-level trim is adequate as a daily driver at $20,100 excluding freight. The Kona SE comes with 147 horsepower, a six-speed automatic transmission, 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, LED daytime running lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, and Forward-Collision Avoidance Assist completely as standard.
As one of the more value-oriented propositions in the segment, does it come as a surprise the Kona is putting a dent in the market share of the Honda HR-V and Jeep Renegade? 47,090 units were sold in the United States from February 2018 until the end of the year, and so far in 2019, sales volumes are better for every month including October.
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