My month and well over 1 000km of driving in the Kona gave me a good idea of what the brand’s latest crossover is all about.
Kona revolution
Hyundai has progressed from a brand that once produced bland, conservative vehicles in terms of design, to a well-established and recognisable marque when it comes to its design language.
The Kona is certainly a big step for the South Korean automaker though. I remember seeing it at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2017 and thinking that it was likely to be the most outlandish Hyundai to land on local shores when it eventually arrives.
That moment arrived towards the of 2018 when the Kona was launched to the local motoring media, and subsequently secured itself a place as a finalist in the South African Car of the Year competition.
The styling
Up front, the Kona defies convention and has its daytime running lights placed above the headlamps, which are mounted lower on the front bumper while the gaping front grille makes for a distinctive front end design. In side profile, the 17-inch alloy wheels are offset nicely by the plastic cladding on the lower door sills, while a swooping character line and sloping roof give the car a typical crossover silhouette.
At the rear, the wheel arch cladding extends to the rear fog lamps and indicators, while the taillights are mounted higher up towards the rear window, which also features some plastic cladding around its edges.
Interior
The inside of the Kona is certainly the most colourful and funky Hyundai interiors that I’ve experienced, with red accents (lime for the Acid Yellow exterior paint) surrounding the air vents and red stitching on the part leather/cloth seats. In addition to the splash of colour, there’s a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system at the top of the centre console which features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth and USB.
Other niceties include climate control, a multi-function steering wheel with cruise control, electric windows all round, Hill Descent Control, a reverse camera and parking sensors. Besides the features, practicality in the Kona is perhaps where it falls a bit short. Sure, it’s a compact crossover, but it’s no bigger than a C-segment hatchback in terms of occupant space.
Its boot measures a decidedly mediocre 361-litres, despite the fact that it can be extended slightly by removing the false floor, but to criticise the Kona for being less practical than let’s say, its Creta or Tucson stablemates would be missing the point of the car, which is to provide a stylish vehicle with a slightly raised ride height and a hatchback-like driving experience.
Driving Kona
Under the bonnet of my test unit was the new-for-South Africa 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol motor with 88kW/172Nm, which is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Once on the move, the engine and gearbox are really rather lovely to operate, but turbo lag and the desire for an automatic ‘box during traffic situations did crop up quite often during my tenure.
Hyundai claims a fuel consumption figure of 6.8-litres/100km, which I found hard to replicate, with my best being 7.2-litres/100km and a realistic average of eight-litres/100km being achieved. Aside from the consumption, the general refinement and handling proved more than acceptable, as it felt quite premium.
Verdict
A month with the new Kona convinced me that Hyundai is on to a winner with this small crossover. For those looking at something more youthful and modern than a Creta and more fun to drive than a Tucson, the Kona might just be the sweet spot. Let’s just hope that more derivatives arrive as currently, you’ll have to settle for a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated motor if you’re after an automatic Kona.
Pricing
Kona 1.0T Executive R379 900
