Millennial Seoul food

HYUNDAI SAYS ITS NEW SUV IS AIMED AT YOUNG ACTIVE URBANS

Hyundai’s entry to the compact urban SUV market, the Kona, heralds the beginning of an new and expanded range of SUVs.

Although the Korean conglomerate acknowledges it is late to the fastest- growing segment of the motor industry in much of the world, including New Zealand, it says the Kona is the result of years of research and consultation with its customers.

Hyundai says the result is a bold and innovative SUV with industryleading safety and technology features that make it a safe but agile urban model that will appeal to the millennial generation.

The Kona will arrive in New Zealand showrooms late this year or early in 2018, and will come with sector- leading features such as a detailed heads- up windscreen display, collision avoidance technology and distinctive styling features.

Hyundai flew more than 100 motoring correspondents from 20 countries to Seoul this week for the global launch. A European launch is also scheduled this month.

The scale of the launch underlines the importance of the Kona to Hyundai’s global sales, because the compact SUV sector of the market is humming throughout the world.

Hyundai executives said the Kona was just the beginning of an expanded SUV range, to include a smaller A- SUV segment model, and a larger E- SUV segment model to join the current Tuscon and Santa Fe models.

The company is also working on electric versions of the Kona, aiming to have models with a range of around 390km on the world market before the end of next year.

The Kona was launched at the ultra- modern and futuristic Hyundai Motorstudio at Goyang, an hour’s drive from the centre of Seoul, on Tuesday.

Named after a region of the Big Island in Hawaii, the Kona was launched against a backdrop of massive screens showing pictures of rolling Hawaiian surf and sunshine, and pumping surroundsound music, all aimed at underlining its target millennial market.

This is a model aimed at young, active, urban sophisticates living in cosmopolitan cities such as New York and London.

Hyundai says its customers want a safe vehicle with agile handling that can be used during a busy weekday schedule, but is also practical for their weekend activities, whether that involves surfing or other active outdoor pursuits.

The Kona has striking front- end treatment, with what Hyundai