Kona rocks the boat

Grant Edwards

HYUNDAI plans to capitalise on the erupting popularity of sports utility vehicles with its aptly named Kona.

The baby SUV is named for and inspired by the volcanic coastal region of Hawaii’s big island.

Pricing, which should start from about $25,000, is in turn inspired by cutthroat competition in the segment.

The Kona will join the hippest of parties where the Mazda CX-3, Mitsubishi ASX and Honda HR-V were recently joined by Toyota’s funky C-HR.

Due in October, the Kona will stride on to the dancefloor like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, dressed to turn heads and shed the conservative styling of mainstream Hyundais.

Bright colour options inside and out, along with alternative roof hues, add much-needed flair.

Two four-cylinder petrol engines, one a turbo, will be available from launch and both come exclusively with automatic transmissions.

Chasing buyers both youthful and those young at heart, the squat and stubby high-riding five-door hatch is not just a play for new buyers but an indication of where Hyundai is headed.

Senior vice-president of Hyundai Design Center Luc Donckerwolke said the “emotional and expressive” design would become commonplace in future models.

In the pipeline are two more SUVs, one smaller than the Kona and the other a match for the Toyota LandCruiser, minus the off-road prowess.

These are about two years away and for now Hyundai Australia can’t get its hands on the Kona fast enough.

Hyundai Australia boss Scott Grant says, “There are a lot of opportunities in the SUV market with different body styles and different types of demographic customers … it adds another element of variety to our product range.”

Supply constraints will limit initial Kona sales.

As for future SUV models, Grant says “we’ll take it all”.

“A smaller entry-level one would be terrific,” he says, “and I think that gives us real options for the i20 or i10 (a model not currently available in Australia) space. We have an Accent in play that is ageing so we are considering options.

“We see a new Santa Fe on the horizon for next year ... something above and beyond that would be terrific as well.”

Shorter than its key rivals, the Kona is wider than all but the Mitsubishi ASX.

Its plastic clad wheel arches give a more muscular look, which Donckerwolke says is inspired by protective gear worn by ice hockey players and skateboarders.

The cabin is conservative with only splashes of colour around the vents and seat trims. Hyundai is weighing up customisation options.

Both engine options are familiar — the Elantra has used the 2.0-litre version while Tucson has used the 1.6-litre turbo. There’s no manual transmission.

In a brief drive at Hyundai’s Namyang test track, the Kona handled undulations, corrugations and cobblestones with composure.

The turbocharged version feels zesty off the line but sounded a little thrashy as the revs climbed to the higher reaches. Cornering at speed brought on some float and vagueness — expect this to be ironed out by local Australian tuning. At high speed, there was minor wind intrusion around the doors and windows.

Instruments and operations are simple, with a colour screen in the centre on the dash. There are cup-holders in the console and in front of the gear selector are two 12V plugs, USB and auxiliary ports, aiding the functional set-up.

Standard gear is likely to include Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, cruise control, rear camera and alloy wheels.

Boot space suits small bags only but the rear seats fold 60-40 for a flat loading space.

Rear legroom is reasonable for a car of this size.

Safety kit should include autonomous emergency braking, auto high-beam, driver fatigue check and lanekeeping.

All the key elements are

there for success: good looks, value, safety and usable performance.

Hyundai can add an Xfactor with the bright paint jobs (green, red and orange) with alternative roof colours.

If the business case includes personality, Kona will rock the party.