THAT UPSCALE FEEL
Hyundai’s Kona is affordable, but has features found on costlier CUVs
The unabated crossover craze continues with the launch of the Hyundai Kona. It’s a compact ride that takes a decidedly upscale approach to an entry-level car and it is set to tackle the likes of the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3 and Toyota CH-R. It has a strong outward visage, complete with front LED markers, and it arrives with more equipment than many higherpriced rides.
The Kona, which is hitting dealer lots now, is offered in seven trims: the Essential and Preferred units (available in both front- and all-wheel-drive derivatives), plus the all-wheel-drive Luxury, Trend and Ultimate.
The Kona’s cabin is very nicely crafted; the tester has a large touch-sensitive infotainment screen that’s Apple Car Play and Android Auto compatible, along with the usual power items, cruise control and heated front seats. The level of equipment rises as you climb the ladder to the point where the Ultimate arrives one way: full-zoot, zero-option. Everything from navigation and wireless phone charging to headup display and Hyundai’s Bluelink connectivity is standard. The latter allows remote engine start/stop and locking/unlocking, and it provides vehicle diagnostics through a smartphone app. It also tracks the vehicle on a map, so no more lost crossover in a mall parking lot!
Move rearward and there is enough room for a pair of adults; the central tunnel puts a crimp in the foot space for a middle rider. With the seats up, Kona has 544 litres of cargo space, and that number grows to 1,296 with the 60/40-split seats folded flat. Now that’s about par for the course; it’s more than the Mazda CX-3, but less than the Honda HR-V.
There are two powertrain choices. Most models — Essential, Preferred and Luxury — employ a 2.0-L four-cylinder engine that puts 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque at the driver’s disposal. It works with a six-speed automatic transmission and drives the front or all four wheels. It proved to be surprisingly peppy. It was brisk off the line and when merging with faster traffic it pulls to highway speeds in short order without screaming too loudly.
The second power unit is found in the Trend and Ultimate models. They get a better 1.6-L turbocharged four cylinder that delivers 175 hp and, more importantly, 195 lb-ft of torque at 1,500 rpm. It works with a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox and a good all-wheel-drive system.
Under normal driving conditions the AWD powers the front wheels, but can send up to 50 per cent of the power rearward when the need arises. And it’s smart; on hard acceleration it automatically sends roughly 30 per cent of the power rearward to prevent front-wheel slip. There’s also a lock mode for those trying times, which splits the power 50:50, front to rear, until the speed reaches 40 kilometres an hour. At this point it reverts to auto mode. Remarkably, in spite of the 1.6T’s power hike and ensuing performance, it has a posted average fueleconomy rating of 8.6 L/100 km, which is the same as the 2.0-L engine.
On the drive route the turbocharged engine worked well, pulling strongly off the line with just the merest hint of initial turbo lag. Once rolling, it pulled on through the mid-range very nicely. The combination produces a run to 100 km/ h of 8.1 seconds and the more important 80-120 km/ h passing move in 5.8 seconds. Both times are quick for the segment. The plus was a drive average fuel economy of 8.1 L/100 km.
A needed feature is Drive Mode Select, which not only tweaks the engine and transmission to sharpen the responses to input, it also puts more heft in the steering in Sport mode. The latter is a good thing because it’s a little light in the other modes. This and the suspension make the Kona feel light and alive when driven with purpose. While the suspension is on the taut side, it still delivers decent ride comfort, yet when pressed into a corner the amount of body roll was limited to a few degrees. The reaction to steering input also proved to be quick. No, you will not mistake the Kona 1.6T for a Euro hot hatch, but it does a pretty credible impersonation and certainly handles as well as any of its peers.
The good news is that all but the Essential model get rear sonic parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring with rear crosstraffic alert and lane-departure warning as standard equipment. The Luxury and Ultimate add lane-keep assist, autonomous braking with pedestrian detection and a drowsy-driver alert system, all part of Hyundai’s Smart Sense package. The Ultimate also includes auto high beams. Given the price point, this is more equipment than some much higher-end rides, such as the Audi Q3.
The Hyundai Kona ticks all the right boxes, especially in Trend 1.6T guise. It’s stylish, agile, suitably fast and it offers plenty of utility without giving up on the sporty side of life.
Pricing for the new Hyundai Kona starts at $20,999 for the Essential front driver and tops out at $31,799 for the 1.6T Ultimate AWD. The Kona 1.6T Trend AWD comes in at $27,274.