Hyundai teases new baby-suv model

Hyundai is continuing to tease its all-new Kona SUV to the media and public, ahead of the model’s official launch later this month.

Kona is what Hyundai calls a ‘‘sub-compact SUV’’. It will sit above the i20 Cross (a model with which it shares its basic platform) but below the Tucson.

The Korean maker also calls it a ‘‘true SUV’’ – meaning, presumably, that it’s a standalone model rather than an i20-style spinoff of a standard passenger car.

The Kona is a certainty for Hyundai New Zealand. Expect to see it here near the end of this year.

Kona showcases a new design direction for Hyundai, with a ‘‘cascading grille’’ and sharper body lines than its current crop of SUVS.

The quirky styling, including daytime running lights set above the headlights, will set the Kona apart from its Tucson and Santa Fe siblings. But it’ll also fit right in with look-at-me rivals like the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3 and Toyota C-HR.

No detail has been shared about the mechanical package, but don’t expect to see the i20 Cross’s disappointing 1.4-litre four/fourspeed automatic combination repeated. Our guess would be a direct-injection petrol with the maker’s dual-clutch transmission, a possible diesel option and a plugin model eventually joining the ranks, following on from Hyundai’s multi-faceted Ioniq EV lineup.

Hyundai has confirmed that the new model will be available with a choice of front-drive or allwheel drive.

A Hyundai first is the Kona’s head-up display, which projects important driving information directly into the line of sight of the driver.

The 8-inch projected image has a luminance of 10,000 candela per square metre.

The Kona badge continues Hyundai’s love of American place names for its SUVS: it’s a district on the big island of Hawaii.