Hyundai Kona

The Hyundai Kona (현대 코나) is a subcompact crossover SUV produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai. The first-generation Kona debuted in June 2017 and the production version was revealed later that year. It is positioned between the Venue or Bayon and the Tucson in Hyundai crossover SUV line-up. The battery electric version called the Kona Electric (or Kona EV) was first launched in South Korea during the first half of 2018 and rolled out gradually worldwide afterwards.

Naming
The Kona is named after the western district of the island of Hawaiʻi. The company stated the name "reflects the lifestyle of modern customers", in line with its "progressive design" that it adopts. The Kona naming also continues Hyundai's tradition of naming crossover SUV models after famous travel destinations, including the Creta, Santa Fe, Tucson and Veracruz.

The vehicle is marketed in Portugal as the Hyundai Kauai, as Kona is too similar to cona, a slang word for the female genitalia in European Portuguese. It's also sold in Iceland where the word kona means woman in Icelandic. Like Kona, Kauai is a place in Hawaii. It is also Hawaiian for lady.

In China, the vehicle was sold as the Hyundai Encino.

First generation (OS; 2017)
The first-generation Kona was revealed in June 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. Positioned below the Tucson, it was the smallest crossover SUV in the Hyundai global line-up until that position was taken by the Venue in 2019. The first-generation Kona was built on a newly developed B-segment SUV platform derived from the Hyundai i30 platform which was designed to accommodate a range of powertrains, including fuel cell and electric variants. While it was developed as an urban-oriented crossover SUV, the first-generation Kona was available in front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive variants; the rear suspension is a torsion beam for the former and a dual-arm multi-link configuration for the latter.

For the North American market, the Kona was launched at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2017 and was available at Hyundai dealers in the first quarter of 2018 for the 2018 model year. Engine options offered are 2.0-litre 4-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine capable of 147 hp and 132 lbft, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Higher trims are powered with a 1.6-litre Gamma turbo engine paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission producing 175 hp and 195 lbft.

The Kona is either not sold or only sold in low volumes in markets where the larger but simpler Creta is offered, such as Latin America, India, and Russia. Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are the few countries that briefly sold the petrol-powered Kona before it was indirectly replaced by the Indonesian-built Creta in 2022. The Chinese market had both the Kona and Creta, named there the Encino and ix25 respectively.

Kona Electric
The Kona Electric is a battery electric version of the Kona. It is the second electric car from Hyundai after the Ioniq. Sales started in Korea and Europe in 2018, with a market debut in the United States in 2019.

Kona Electric was available in two battery capacities: 39.2 kWh and 64 kWh. The 'ultimate' trim features adaptive cruise control and along with lane centering means the vehicle meets the SAE standard for Level 2 driverless. The Kona EV has a range of 415 km with the 64 kWh battery. Real-world range tests conducted by What Car in early 2019 found that the Kona EV had the highest real-world range among electric cars for sale in the United Kingdom. In 2020 Hyundai Europe conducted a three day test at Lausitzring track in Germany and achieved ranges of up to 1026km with the 64 kWh model, an efficiency of 100 Wh/mile (6.23Kwh/100Km) at an average speed of 30km/h (19mph)

In March 2019, Hyundai launched the Kona Electric in Thailand. In July 2019, Hyundai launched an Electric Lite version as Kona Electric in India. In 2020, Hyundai started producing the Kona Electric in its European factory in the Czech Republic, where there are plans for an annual production of 30,000 vehicles. Kona Electric reached 100,000 global sales in June 2020.

Hyundai Encino EV was launched on the Chinese car market in November 2019. The electric motor of the Encino EV has an output of 201 hp and 310 Nm. The motor is powered by a 64.2 kWh battery with an NEDC range of 500 km.

In November 2021, the facelifted Hyundai Kona Electric was launched in Malaysia. With three variants, two battery packs are on offer - 39.2 kWh and 64 kWh - with battery ranges going from 303 km in the smaller pack and going up to 484 km in the larger pack.

In 2021, the Hyundai Kona Electric was the 6th best-selling electric vehicle in the UK having achieved a total of 7,199 registrations throughout the year.

Facelift
In September 2020, Hyundai unveiled a facelift version of the Kona, for the original SUV as well as the Kona Electric and N Line models. The facelift primarily had exterior aesthetic changes, alongside extra cargo capacity and rear seat legroom.

Kona N
Released at Hyundai N Day on 27 April 2021, the Kona N is Hyundai's first high-performance SUV under the Hyundai N division. A 2.0-litre turbocharged GDI engine features flat power that maintains maximum output from about 5,500 rpm. The engine is capable of an output up to 280 PS and maximum torque is about 289 lbft. The output can temporarily reach up to 290 PS when in the N Grin Shift mode.

In the front, an N logo and a dark chrome-colour Hyundai logo are attached to the grille. At the side and rear, a front lip spoiler, double-wing rear spoiler and side sill moulding offer added downforce, improving grip force and high-speed stability. The N-exclusive triangular third brake light gives a dynamic look. Inside, seats, steering wheel, gear knob and hand brake are tinted with Performance Blue while suede seats come with side bolsters. An N-dedicated colour Sonic Blue was added and N Grin Shift, N Power Shift, N Track Sense Shift and Variable Exhaust Valve System come as standard.

Powertrain
From launch, the first-generation Kona became available with a 1.0-litre, turbocharged direct injection petrol engine producing 118 hp, or a 1.6-litre turbocharged direct injection petrol engine producing 175 hp, with all-wheel-drive option available on selected models.

Special editions
In 2019, Hyundai released a special Iron Man edition Kona (co-branded with Marvel) to promote Avengers: Endgame. The limited edition Kona was finished in matte gray with red accents and features blue daytime running lights, Stark Industries graphics, an Iron Man-themed instrument cluster, arc reactor imagery, and Tony Stark's signature on the dashboard. In the UK, 300 of the version were planned to be available.
 * Kona Iron Man Special Edition

Safety
The first-generation Kona body is made from 51% advanced high strength steel with 'hot stamping' and adhesives for added rigidity. Standard safety equipment in some countries includes six airbags, lane keeping assist and a driver attention monitor. Other features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot detection and a rear cross traffic alert.

The 2018 Kona was awarded "Top Safety Pick+" by the American IIHS.

Second generation (SX2; 2023)
The second-generation Kona was revealed in December 2022. It is available with petrol, hybrid and battery electric models, while diesel engine options are no longer offered.

According to Hyundai, the second-generation Kona was first designed as a battery electric vehicle before being adapted for other variants. Compared to the previous generation, the vehicle has a significantly larger footprint with around 150 mm additional length (depending on the variant) and a 60 mm longer wheelbase. As the result, the rear legroom is 31 mm larger at 925 mm. With the second-row seat folded, the vehicle has 466 l of boot space (VDA standard) or 723 l (SAE standard). The drag coefficient is rated 0.27.

The front clip is decorated by thin horizontal lamps, and the wheel arch cladding design of the side parts is integrated with the front and rear lamps.

Kona Electric
The second-generation Kona Electric is available since launch. The variant is distinguished with pixelated front and rear thin light bars and blocked front grille, while a Parametric Pixel design feature has been applied to the front and bottom of the rear bumper.

The Kona Electric is built with a 400 V electrical architecture, which impairs its DC fast charging times comparing to other Hyundai EVs built on the more recent 800V architecture. Hyundai claims a 10-80% state of charge can be accomplished in 41 minutes, against the 18 minutes it claims for some of their 800V models. It also includes vehicle-to-load (V2L) support, with different maximum outputs depending on the market.

Two battery capacities are offered, which are 48.4 kWh (Standard Range) and 65.4 kWh (Long Range) powering a front-mounted electric motor.

The Kona Electric N-Line was revealed on 17 January 2024.

North America
The Kona made its North American debut in September 2023 as a 2024MY. Three powertrain options are available: 2.0-litre MPi petrol, 1.6-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol, and the Electric version.

Europe
The Kona made its European debut in April 2023. Five powertrain options are available: 1.0-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol, 1.6-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol, 1.6-litre Hybrid petrol and an Electric version with two battery options. An AWD option is available for the 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol engine. For the European market, the Kona Electric is assembled in Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech plant in Nošovice, Czech Republic, and the other non-electric Kona variants are imported from South Korea.

Australia
The Kona was launched in Australia on 7 July 2023, in four trim levels: Base, Premium, N Line and N Line Premium. At launch, three powertrain options available: a 2.0-litre MPi petrol, a 1.6-litre Hybrid petrol and 1.6-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol; the latter powertrain comes with all wheel drive system as standard. A powertrain is available for the Kona for the first time for Australia, with the option of the N Line Package.

In January 2024, the Kona Electric debuted in Australia with three variants.

Singapore
The Kona was launched in Singapore on 8 August 2023, in a sole variant powered by a 1.6-litre Hybrid petrol.

Middle East
The Kona was launched in the Middle East on 10 August 2023. It is available in three powertrains; 1.6-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol engine, 2.0-litre MPi petrol engine, and 1.6-litre hybrid petrol engine.

New Zealand
The Kona was launched in New Zealand on 21 November 2023, in two trim levels: Active and Limited. A sportier N-Line styling package is available for the first time in New Zealand, it comes as option on the former trim but it is standard on the latter trim. At launch, three powertrain options available: a 2.0-litre MPi petrol, a 1.6-litre Hybrid petrol and 1.6-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol; the latter powertrain comes with HTRAC all wheel drive system as standard.

Indonesia
The Kona was introduced in Indonesia on 15 February 2024 at the 30th Indonesia International Motor Show. Only one powertrain will be available: an Electric version with two battery options. For the ASEAN market, it will be assembled at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Cikarang plant in Cikarang, West Java. It will be the first EV built in Indonesia to use the locally-produced battery. The first trial units were rolled out in 3 June 2024, during the establishment of Hyundai LG Indonesia (HLI) Green Power's EV battery plant in Karawang, West Java, while mass production started in 16 July 2024. It was launched and went on sale in July 2024 at the 31st Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. At launch, it is offered in two variant levels: Prime and Signature. Each variant is available in two powertrain options: Standard Range and Long Range.

Brunei
The Kona was launched in Brunei on 17 May 2024, in a sole N Line variant powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

Recall
In April 2024, Hyundai Australia recalled over 1,700 Kona cars equipped with the 1.6-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol engine, as they pose a potential fire hazard. The issue relates to a manufacturing defect, the bracket that retains the Engine Control Unit (ECU) could interfere with the vehicle wiring in the event of a collision, causing a short circuit results in a vehicle fire. Konas that were built from the 2023 model year were affected by the recall.

Awards
At the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, both the electric and non-electric versions were announced as the winners of the 2019 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, the first for a subcompact crossover SUV in its award history.

U.S. News & World Report ranked the Hyundai Kona at No. 1 (tied with the Kia Soul and Mazda CX-30) on its list of Best Subcompact SUVs for 2022, giving it a score of 8.4 out of 10.

In 2023, Hyundai Kona won the 'Car of the Year' prize at the Auto Express New Car Awards.