Hyundai has unveiled the updated Kona, a midsize crossover with distinctive looks, a lively engine, and a South African starting price of R449,900.
This Kona’s exterior has been slightly tweaked, with a comprehensive standard feature-set fitted inside the cabin.
The updated Kona is now available in South Africa, with the sporty N-Line styling package also on offer for the first time.
What’s new
The Kona’s updated grille is wider than the one on the model it is replacing, with around 20mm being added to the front and rear, too.
At the back, updated bumpers are fitted along with redesigned tail lights, while a range of new alloy wheels lend a refreshing look to the sides.
Two specification levels will then be available at launch: the Executive and N-Line.
Compared to the outgoing generation, the Executive trim has been noticeably improved – with climate control, artificial leather seats, a multifunction steering wheel, rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, a wireless charging pad, and an 8-inch infotainment display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
This is in addition to cruise control, hill assist and hold, daytime running lights, and driver, passenger, and side airbags.
It also scores a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
Cargo capacity for this Kona comes in at a maximum of 544 litres in five-seater mode, and can be expanded to 1,296 litres with the rear seats down.
N-Line
The new N-Line package for the Kona is a styling-oriented option, with athletic bumpers and wheels setting it apart from the Executive trim.
The interior makes it equally apparent that you are sitting in a special edition, as it features exclusive badging and a range of unique features not found on the rest of the range.
This includes keyless start, a 10.25-inch customisable digital instrument cluster, a performance drive mode, adaptive cruise control, forward-collision avoidance assistant, lane keep and following assist, safe exit assist, and blind-spot collision avoidance assistant.
Hyundai said that the fully-fledged, high-performance Kona N is also coming in 2022, with a more powerful engine and eight-speed DCT automatic transmission.
Engines
The Hyundai Kona range is powered by two engine options.
A 2.0-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol motor delivering 110kW and 179Nm, or a 1.6-litre, turbo-petrol engine generating 146kW and 265Nm are on offer.
The motors pair with either an intelligent variable automatic transmission or a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission – and send power to the front wheels.
Combined fuel consumption for the 2.0-litre unit comes in at 6.5l/100km, while the turbocharged motor achieves a rate of 7.5l/100km.
The Kona models sprint to 100km/h in 9.7 seconds and 7.7 seconds respectively, while supporting a maximum braked towing capacity of 1,100kg.
Price
The South African model line-up for the updated Hyundai Kona range is as follows:
- Hyundai Kona 2.0 Executive AT – R449,900
- Hyundai Kona 1.6 TGDI Executive DCT – R499,900
- Hyundai Kona 1.6 TGDI N-Line DCT – R579,900
Each model comes with a 5-year/150,000km warranty with an additional 2-year/50,000km powertrain warranty, a 5-year/75,000km service plan, and 7-year/150,000km roadside assistance.
Hyundai Kona
Keyword: New Hyundai Kona – Pricing and details