Photo: Hyundai / edited
Hyundai's very popular subcompact crossover has entered a new generation this year. Codenamed SX2 and twinned with the Kia Niro, the Kona is now available to configure in the United Kingdom, where the base specification is two grand pricier than the previous gen.
The most affordable Kona from the first generation is 23,650 pounds sterling or dollars at current exchange rates. For the all-new model, Hyundai lists an on-the-road price of £25,725 ($29,410). The hybrid is also pricier, now retailing at £30,025 ($37,340) versus £26,335 ($32,750). Pricing information for the all-electric variant will be announced later this year. For future reference, the Kona Electric presently costs £32,450 ($40,350) in this part of the world. To our knowledge, the Kona N – sadly – isn't going to return.
Hyundai executive technical advisor and former Hyundai N boss Albert Biermann made it clear that upcoming emission standards and the rising popularity of electric vehicles in Europe sealed the fate of the Kona N. Many all-electric vehicles are pretty quick to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour), which also makes the Kona N a bit irrelevant in the eyes of people who don't understand a vehicle beyond the specifications sheet.
No fewer than 12 purely internal combustion-engined variants of the all-new Kona are available in the United Kingdom at press time, of which six come with a manual transmission. These are joined by four hybrid variants that rock a dual-clutch box rather than a continuously variable transmission as is the case with most HEVs.
In regard to standard goodies, the list kicks off with a 1.0-liter turbo three-pot lump that cranks out a respectable 120 ps (118 hp) and 172 Nm (127 pound-feet). Upgrading to the optional seven-speed DCT elevates the peak torque rating to 200 Nm (148 pound-feet), although said torque peaks 500 revolutions per minute later at 2k versus 1.5k revolutions per minute.
There is no all-wheel drive option to speak of, meaning that you'll find a torsion beam out back. The hybrid does feature a more refined multi-link setup, which is shared with the all-electric model. The Kona is also available with a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder mill that packs the same kind of power and torque with either the six-speed manual transmission or 7-speed DCT. It makes 198 ps (195 hp) and 265 Nm (196 pound-feet).
Advance is what the base trim level is called, and British customers are presented with quite a lot of stuff completely as standard. 17-inch alloys for purely internal combustion variants and 18s for hybrid variants, front and rear skid plates, height adjustment for the front seats, dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and windshield wipers, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror are only a few of these features. Cruise control for the manual, smart cruise control for the dual-clutch tranny, parking sensors fore and aft, keyless entry, a rearview camera, two 12.3-inch screens, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto pretty much seal the deal. Not bad at all for the most basic of specifications available, innit?
Hyundai executive technical advisor and former Hyundai N boss Albert Biermann made it clear that upcoming emission standards and the rising popularity of electric vehicles in Europe sealed the fate of the Kona N. Many all-electric vehicles are pretty quick to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour), which also makes the Kona N a bit irrelevant in the eyes of people who don't understand a vehicle beyond the specifications sheet.
No fewer than 12 purely internal combustion-engined variants of the all-new Kona are available in the United Kingdom at press time, of which six come with a manual transmission. These are joined by four hybrid variants that rock a dual-clutch box rather than a continuously variable transmission as is the case with most HEVs.
In regard to standard goodies, the list kicks off with a 1.0-liter turbo three-pot lump that cranks out a respectable 120 ps (118 hp) and 172 Nm (127 pound-feet). Upgrading to the optional seven-speed DCT elevates the peak torque rating to 200 Nm (148 pound-feet), although said torque peaks 500 revolutions per minute later at 2k versus 1.5k revolutions per minute.
There is no all-wheel drive option to speak of, meaning that you'll find a torsion beam out back. The hybrid does feature a more refined multi-link setup, which is shared with the all-electric model. The Kona is also available with a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder mill that packs the same kind of power and torque with either the six-speed manual transmission or 7-speed DCT. It makes 198 ps (195 hp) and 265 Nm (196 pound-feet).
Advance is what the base trim level is called, and British customers are presented with quite a lot of stuff completely as standard. 17-inch alloys for purely internal combustion variants and 18s for hybrid variants, front and rear skid plates, height adjustment for the front seats, dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and windshield wipers, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror are only a few of these features. Cruise control for the manual, smart cruise control for the dual-clutch tranny, parking sensors fore and aft, keyless entry, a rearview camera, two 12.3-inch screens, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto pretty much seal the deal. Not bad at all for the most basic of specifications available, innit?
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