PUTTING ‘SPORT’ IN SUV
How the Hyundai Kona aims to make crossovers fun to drive
The domain of performance SUVs has largely been left to the top end of town. But they’re muscling down to the affordable SUV segment, including the updated Hyundai Kona. A new N Line is the hero of the refreshed small SUV.
The Kona is the first of Hyundai’s five SUVs to get the N treatment, building off the motorsport-inspired excitement of the i30 N pocket rocket.
While it’s only an N Line – “Line” focused on aesthetics over pace – it will expand to a fullblown Kona N within months.
Hyundai Australia CEO Jun Heo says N is “very important” in building brand image.
Even with the N Line’s 146kW 1.6-litre turbo the five-seater is well endowed.
Visually, too, the N Line steps up. A unique grille is flanked by a slotted air intake and more aggressive bumper, plus there are side skirts. Inside there’s red stitching and more sculpted seats.
Other Konas get better safety and now mate an unchanged 110kW/180Nm 2.0-litre engine (renamed SmartStream) to a CVT auto driving the front wheels.
Even the cheapest Kona comes with autonomous emergency braking with camera and radar, the latter incorporating active cruise control.
Wireless phone charging, rear USB and 16inch alloys make the circa $2000 rise to $30,203 drive-away easier to digest. There’s Android Auto while Apple CarPlay is now wireless on the 8.0-inch screen.
Some $1600 for tinted windows, partial leather, 17-inch alloys, a rear arm rest, classier steering wheel and seatback pockets is tempting in the step to the Active.
The Elite is another $3500 and gets smart key, blind spot and exit warning and rear cross traffic alert. Harman Kardon audio adds serious punch, although the 10.25-inch infotainment screen with embedded navigation does away with the wireless CarPlay functionality.
The Highlander ($41,945) gets 18s, digital instrument cluster, sunroof, head-up, ambient lighting, ventilated front seats and heated front and rear seats. Then there are the N Lines ($40,194 or $46,477 Premium), each of which gets the more powerful engine, a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive. The basic N Line mimics the Elite equipment and the Premium the Highlander.
Even non-N Line Konas get a sharper look with bolder bumpers, silver highlights and revised lights.
The refreshed Kona also improved noise suppression and even in the base car the ambience has improved with textured dash patterns and soft door material. Dig deeper and some plastics lack tactility and the button blanks surrounding the gear selector are a reminder you’re missing something.
Those blanks are filled in as you step through the range and different finishes lift the aesthetic.
No changes to interior space because the body is unchanged.
With a higher seat base and tight knee space the back seats are best left to smaller folk. There are also no air vents although a USB port is handy.
The boot is relatively shallow although a foam shelf underneath hides smaller odds and ends. There’s also a space saver tyre and 60/40 split folding back seat.
The 2.0-litre engine steps away smartly with the CVT quick to respond and the transmission keeps things bubbling away nicely, with rev adjustments between seven pre-selected gears if you keep the throttle planted and call for maximum acceleration.
Fuel use has dropped to 6.2 litres per 100km
– 14 per cent less – although for the 1.6T the added grunt has stepped it up slightly to 6.9L/100km. The 2.0 has some harshness if you tap into all 110kW.
It’s a shame because there’ve been genuine improvements to refinement elsewhere. The Kona better quells tyre noise.
The 1.6 turbo is a nicer engine because of the additional mid-rev muscle, while the AWD system adds confidence. It’s also smoother and quieter, the flutter of the turbo’s wastegate an unexpected dollop of performance character. Less impressive is the first-to-second gear change under hard acceleration, with jolting seemingly added to ramp up the sporty flavour.
No changes to the suspension, which finds a balance between control with comfort.
As with the previous 1.6T, the N Line gets a more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension system in lieu of torsion beam.
As well as housing the AWD system, it adds composure over mid-corner bumps and the slightly tauter suspension tune doesn’t wildly adversely affect comfort.
Grippier Continental tyres fitted to Konas with 18-inch wheels adds to the superior cornering finesse of the N Line.
The latest updates not only bring a more modern look but boost everyday liveability.
While the N story will be completed later in 2021, for now the N Line adds a dose of excitement.
VERDICT
Grown up small SUV now mounts a more convincing case with sportier N Line models, at a cost.