2018 Hyundai KONA
Written by Marco Carvajal
What is the new Kona? An original, modern compact CUV, with a unique cool, adventurous exterior design with a starting price of $19,000.
Even with its compact dimensions and low roof line, the Kona’s interior feels spacious and comfortable. Don’t think that because it is small it comes with less features, the 4 different trims of the Kona are full of standard features that could be optional and more expensive in other CUVs.
Introduction
2017 was the year of birth for the Urban Compact CUV for Active Lifestyles, the first ever made, the 2018 Hyundai Kona. Available for purchase since 2018 in the United States
The name KONA comes from a coastal district in Hawaii, in the idyllic west-coast region of the Big Island. The Kona region in Hawaii attracts endurance triathletes and thrill-seeking travelers.
Hyundai took this energetic image of Hawaii’s Kona area to associate it with the new innovative and functional design of this active-lifestyle CUV.
This new model of the Korean company is expanding the segment of compact crossovers in the US, with current Hyundai crossovers like the Tucson and Santa Fe.
The Kona is designed to attract young people, which explain many stylistic decisions that Hyundai made on this interesting new car. The appearance of this new car is Hyundai’s first step in the SUV-B segment, what means very small SUVs, usually built with less cargo and passenger space, and smaller engines resulting in better fuel economy.
The new Hyundai Kona is a 5-passenger crossover designed for people with an active lifestyle, keeping pace with modern technology. The Kona provides comfort, safety and entertainment for all passengers on board.
“With the Kona, we have created a stylish and highly functional compact SUV, perfectly suited to the needs of customers who pursue challenging, action-filled lifestyles,” said Euisun Chung, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Company. “We aim to set new standards for the compact SUV segment, with appealing design, cutting-edge connectivity and class leading safety features.”
Engine
Kona future owners have a choice of two engines, the SE and SEL models are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder inline engine with 147 HP and 132 Torque @ 4500 RPM. Then theLimited and Ultimate models use a stronger engine with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbocharged with 175 HP and 195 torque @ 1500-4500 RPM.
The 2.0-liter four-cylinder inline engine for SE and SEL packages get a 6-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC, while the 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbocharged for Limited and Ultimate comes with a 7-speed EcoShift Dual Clutch transmission.
Prices and Versions
The Kona is available in 4 trim levels, the SE, SEL, Limited and Ultimate.
I think that the Kona has very smart pricing. The starting price of $19,500 is very attractive for new car buyers, even if you want to go for the top of the line, the Ultimate version, the price of $27,400 sounds like a bargain, especially considering all the standard features included.
The entire Kona line comes with standard front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive as optional at extra charge of $1,300 approximately.
| Model | Version | Base Price MSRP (FWD) |
| 2018 Hyundai KONA | SE | $19,500 |
| 2018 Hyundai KONA | SEL | $21,150 |
| 2018 Hyundai KONA | Limited | $24,700 |
| 2018 Hyundai KONA | Ultimate | $27,400 |
Exterior
My first impression is that the mew Kona’s exterior is bright, and sporty, but mostly very original. The interesting exterior design reminds me of some of the vintage cars from 5 decades ago but re-made into a completely modern design. The Kona’s body exterior is very different from other Hyundai models.
Some of the exterior details of the Kona, include narrow slots of navigation lights, located above the main headlights, LED fog lights, radiator grille cascade, a bumper that looks solid and strong, large 16-18 inch wheels and a cup-shaped roof line.
A nice details is that Hyundai is letting car owners explore their creativity by having several playful color variations that allow you to customize the appearance of your own Kona.
Interior
The Kona was built at the common platform with the Hyundai i20 and i30
The Kona crossover has a nice interior with a high-quality materials and a lot of equipment and features like climate control, a high-tech instrument panel and convenient multifunctional steering wheel, front heated seats, a modern multimedia system.
The interior of the Kona is spacious for its segment, I drive very comfortable and my passengers have enjoyed the ride a lot.
Safety & Security
In terms of Safety, as you enter the Kona you can feel Hyundai’s aspirations to improve the safety on board. The Kona comes with several features like: Autonomous Emergency Braking system, Driver Attention Alert, Smart Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detector, intelligent Assistant with Rear-Cross Traffic Alert maneuvering to see all objects 180 degrees behind the car, Assistant for High Beam Assist and more.
Keeping with modern safety technologies, we find the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), with the help of the front camera and a radar to detect and prevent collisions or minimize the consequences by autonomous braking. There are also 3 systems that use the front camera to enhance safety and convenience.
Among many safety features included in the Kona, the Driver Attention Warning System prevent driver-related danger, for example it detects driver fatigue or negligent driving.
The Lane Keep Assist function recognizes road markings and takes care of driving if necessary. Also available are the Blind Spot Collision Warning Systems (BCW) and the Rear Cross Traffic Collision Warning (RCCW).
Conclusion
My recommendation is that it’s worth giving a change to the new Kona. It is a car that deserves a test drive, especially for its innovative and original design, its economical price but including many functions and the support of Hyundai.
