Longer and wider than the mannequin it replaces, the all-new 2024 Hyundai Kona is a roomier and extra comfy city runabout than the mannequin it replaces.
Extra of every thing is definitely so as within the fiercely aggressive subcompact SUV phase, the place 17 fashions chase shopper {dollars}. We predict the Subaru Crosstrek or Mazda CX-30 are the category of this subject however appeared over regional gross sales developments and let these information our picks for the connected desk.
Hyundai developed the brand new Kona platform with an electrified powertrain first, according to the corporate’s accelerated electrification technique that may carry 11 new Hyundai EVs to market globally by 2030. The automobile is now 171.3 inches lengthy, 5.7 in. longer, with a wheelbase of 104.7 in., a 2.3 in. improve. At 71.9 inches, the Kona is an inch wider, which isn’t good for folks however OK for small vehicles.
In a gas-powered mannequin, such because the Restricted AWD mannequin we examined, that interprets into somewhat extra elbow and shoulder room up entrance and a rear that’s spacious sufficient for adults, a rarity for this phase.
Make no mistake, although, it is a automobile greatest suited to each day commutes. Although the longer wheelbase permits for a extra absorbent trip, the Kona’s modest cargo space and considerably noisy cabin – frequent to compact and smaller automobiles – don’t make for an amicable touring companion. Nicely, perhaps for 20-something drivers and even for younger households, however not for us geezers.
EV IN TRANSIT
We’ve got but to check an electrical model, which is able to begin at round $35,000 and is anticipated to have a variety of 260 miles. These are anticipated in showrooms quickly.
For now, two gasoline engines can be found.
A 2.0-liter 4-cylinder Atkinson engine that produces 147 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 132 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm, is paired with a constantly variable transmission. Preprogrammed shift factors make the CVT really feel like a geared transmission.
Our tester got here with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder direct-injected, turbocharged engine that generates 190 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 195 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,700-4,500 rpm. It {couples} to an eight-speed automated transmission. Although the rig suffered noticeable turbo-lag, as soon as it made up its thoughts, it was a sprightly performer in metropolis visitors.
On a favourite desolated stretch of curvy winding street, nonetheless, we shortly determined that the Kona was sprung extra for consolation than efficiency and determined a leisurely drive was the order of the day.
The EPA estimates the bottom engine will ship 29 mpg in mixed driving for 2WD fashions, 27 for AWD. Gas economic system on turbo fashions drops to 26 for 2WD and 24 for AWD. There was as soon as a time when that was seen as wonderful gas economic system, and one reckons that for folks driving F-150s and Suburbans, it nonetheless is.
Nonetheless, in 2023, when it’s starting to look that this local weather change is perhaps a factor, there are dozens of automobiles that supply 40 mpg or higher. For the week, our Kona tester delivered 23.8 mpg, and this isn’t spectacular in any respect.
By means of comparability, Lovely Blonde Bride’s Ford Escape hybrid plug-in, which fits 40 miles on an in a single day cost from a 100-volt outlet, continues to common greater than 400 miles per gallon. It’s comparable in worth however higher geared up than a top-of-line 2024 Kona EV.
On this transitional stage of the auto trade, caveat emptor applies greater than ever.
DIGITAL DOMINANCE
One place the place Hyundai and its subsidiary dominate is in electronics, and the brand new Kona has many examples of why.
Allow us to start with driver help expertise. Not like a number of American fashions now we have examined lately, the Kona flawlessly saved itself centered in its lane and a protected distance behind automobiles forward. An in-dash monitor offers a show displaying when radar detects a automobile forward or approaching from the rear in a blind spot.
Activate a flip sign – a rarity in Texarkana, one would possibly observe – and a display screen within the sprint supplies a digital camera view from the surface mirror. Fiddle with the windshield wiper management, and somewhat show instantly tells you what you have got chosen.
Go to park the factor, and a digital camera system supplies encompass views from a number of selectable views. In case of inattention, sensors supply warning sounds and visible cues to maintain one out of fender-benders.
An obtainable eight-speaker, Bose© premium sound system plus subwoofer delivers a wealthy and immersive listening expertise. Driver and passengers alike have entry to 2 USB-C chargers (together with one with information assist) and a 12V energy outlet within the entrance, in addition to two USB-C chargers within the rear and wi-fi machine charging functionality. Kona additionally gives obtainable Wi-Fi hotspot functionality.
Do you neglect to dim your brilliant lights? The Kona will do it for you and switch them again on when the coast is evident.
CABIN COMFY, BASIC
Although the cabin has a space-age vibe, it’s undercut by a profusion of cheap-feeling exhausting plastics.
Seats are comfy sufficient and a driver-centric entrance row is accentuated by a floating horizontal C-Pad with built-in, twin 12.3-inch panoramic show screens that affirm Kona’s high-tech character.
Ambient inside lighting choices are additionally obtainable that correspond to driving modes, acceleration, or to go well with the temper of the driving force.
Hyundai says it should quickly ship an over-the-air replace to permit for wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but it surely had not but reached our tester; neither did a USB-C charger, so we have been compelled to take heed to radio that week. Ouch.
BOTTOM LINE
Our solely actual knock on the brand new Kona is its mediocre gas economic system. We’re shocked that Hyundai doesn’t plan a hybrid (HEV) or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants. Each could be extra interesting to American shoppers, who reside in a land of lengthy distances and a nonetheless underdeveloped charging construction.
Then we remembered that Hyundai competes first within the Jap Hemisphere, the place adoption of EVs is happening six instances sooner than within the U.S.
Auto manufacturing, like politics, is pushed by native points.
2024 Kia Kona (Photograph courtesy of Kia)
2024 Kia Kona (Photograph courtesy of Kia)
2024 Kia Kona (Photograph courtesy of Kia)