What’s New: Hyundai’s
roomier and larger Kona is new inside and out, offering tech features and a variety
of powertrains.
Where Tested? We spent a few hours testing the vehicle in Charleston, South Carolina. Gadsden's Wharf, which is located in downtown Charleston, is the site where an estimated 40 percent of all American enslaved Africans arrived in the U.S. The International African American Museum, which opened in July 2023 and is the second largest African American museum in the country, overlooks the wharf and houses all of this history.
Seating: 4 and (5 is a tight squeeze)
Gasoline Trims Available:
SE- non
turbo engine
SEL-
non turbo engine
Limited
– turbo engine
N-Line –
turbo engine
The base subcompact Kona is priced under $30,000.
This is
the first Hyundai to be outfitted with their next-gen audio system. The
standard 12.3-inch touchscreen is larger and has a faster CPU processing.
The Kona
has a safety, maintenance, convenience, remote connect and multimedia
navigation complimentary services, when compared to its segment competitors.
A high
level of convenience features ranging from a dual automatic climate control system
to heated/ventilated front seats to a heated steering wheel to rear air vents to
60/40 rear spilt seats.
The Kona
has improved noise, vehicle and performance by offering 19-inch tires, floor
under pad, reinforcing sealing at wind entry points and reducing the muffler
noise.
The subcompact is available
in a front wheel drive and an all-wheel drive configuration.
The
horsepower ranges from 147-to-190 horsepower.
Outside
of its Kia sibling, Hyundai continues to offer one of the best new car
warranties in the industry.
It will be available as an EV too!
What It Lacked:
In one
of the vehicles we tested, there seems to be an issue with the navigation
system working as designed, when we paired our smartphone. However, it performed in designed in another test vehicle.
With
most new vehicles being out of reach of most customers, because of affordability,
how can Hyundai create a well-equipped Kona SEL trim under $30,000?
We don’t
like the shift by wire gear selector. The design of the gear selector seems out of step with its targeted profile.
Two gasoline powertrains are currently available. However, the Kona EV won’t be
arriving in showrooms until mid to late December.
Drivability:
We only spent a few hours behind the wheel of the all-new Kona. During the short stint, we had to be reminded we were driving a subcompact. What that means is that we have to adjust our expectations in terms of performance. The vehicles tested were not designed for hot rodding or making sudden acceleration moves when wanting to dart across traffic or the like. The engines are designed for normal driving, although it felt a little sluggish upon accelerating.
With that said, we look forward to spending more time behind the wheel when we have access to the vehicle for our weekly test drive.
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