Named after a region on the island of Hawai’i, the Hyundai Kona is a subcompact crossover with bold styling and an economical, efficient powertrain.
Like Hyundai’s other SUVs such as the Tucson and Santa Fe, the Kona is a great choice for people who want something that stands out from the rest of the oversaturated subcompact SUV and crossover market while still bringing some excellent driveability and specs to the table.
2024 - Present Hyundai Kona (2nd Generation)
For the second generation of the Kona, Hyundai completely redesigned the exterior, giving it a head-turning, bold new look. The 2024 Kona features a rugged, boxy aesthetic that is completely different from the original look and very different from other compact SUVs from competitors like Kia, Toyota, and Mazda.
The engine options for this new generation include a 2.0-liter four-cylinder internal combustion engine putting out 147 horsepower and a turbo 1.6-liter four-cylinder putting out 190 horsepower through an eight-cylinder automatic transmission. If you opt for the Kona EV, you can choose from a long-range 133-horsepower motor or a 201-horsepower all-electric powertrain.
The Kona models available in this second generation include the SE, SEL, Kona N Line, and Limited trim levels. The Limited version is expected to have some high-end luxury features but they have yet to be revealed by the automaker.
The wheelbase of the new generation Kona is longer and the whole vehicle is much wider, which allows for a lot more room in the cabin compared to previous model years. The rear seats have more legroom and everything is much more streamlined and futuristic-looking, which is a big upgrade from the analog style of Konas from the past.
The all-new Kona comes with two 12.3-inch displays behind glass on the dashboard. One is the digital gauge cluster while the other is the infotainment system with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also comes with a fairly large suite of standard safety features including blind-spot monitoring, automated emergency braking, and lane-departure warning. Optional features will most likely include adaptive cruise control and a self-parking feature as well as driver monitoring.
2018 - 2023 Hyundai Kona (1st Generation)
The first generation Hyundai Kona hit the U.S. car market for the 2018 model year. This version was available with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder putting out 147 horsepower with the SE and SEL trim levels and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder putting out 175 horsepower with the higher-end Limited and Ultimate models.
FWD was standard but AWD was also available as an option with all the variants. The interior featured some of the same bold styling as the exterior with analog gauges and a leather-wrapped steering wheel but it wasn’t quite as spacious as other SUVs on the market like the Kia Soul.
The next year, they introduced the Hyundai Kona Electric, which came with a 201-horsepower electric motor with a 64.0-kWh battery pack running through the front wheels with no all-wheel drive option. This electric vehicle had a longer range than other competitors like the Chevrolet Bolt EV. The gas version also received some new safety features like automated emergency braking and lane-keeping assist.
For the 2020 model year, Hyundai added a new trim level, the Kona SEL, which received many of the higher-end features of the upper levels like a 4.2-inch display that supplemented the analog gauges on top of the 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The turbo gas engine was also paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for quicker, more responsive shifting.
While there weren’t many changes to the 2021 Kona, the 2022 Hyundai Kona received a facelift and came out like a whole new car. Both the interior and exterior received a refresh with even more unique styling and bold design.
The exterior got a whole new lighting setup and a wider, more aggressive grille as well as completely new wheel designs. The touchscreen infotainment display was also enlarged from 7 inches to 8 inches and could be upgraded to 10.3 inches if you wanted a little more digital real estate.
The base engine for this version of the Hyundai Kona had a zero-to-60 time of 9.2 seconds, which isn’t exactly exciting, especially for a relatively small SUV. However, if you decided to go with the turbocharged four-cylinder at the dealership, the acceleration was quite a bit better with a time of just over 7 seconds.
Hyundai also added the N-Line trim level in 2022, which, along with the Limited trim, had a new turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder putting out 195 horsepower. It also featured some new tech features like a larger infotainment screen and some extra safety features like blind-spot monitoring.
For the 2023 model year, the Kona got many new standard driver-assistance features, which were previously only available in the higher trim levels, like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Hyundai’s safe exit warning system, which is meant to protect people exiting the vehicle from dangers like other cars or bicycles that might be passing.
