Hyundai Kona review

The Hyundai Kona is the company’s bid to muscle in on the ‘cool small SUV’ market, but while it’s available in a range of colours that can make your eyes water, it still can’t quite match the feel-good factor you get in the funky-looking Citroen C3 Aircross.

That’s because the Hyundai’s interior design is a little ordinary compared with the Citroen’s, although you can specify some bright coloured trims on more expensive models to add a hint of wow factor. Unfortunately, that’s like adding a few drops of orange food colouring to a glass of water – it might look like a glass of Irn Bru but it’s still going to taste pretty dull.

If you’re considering a Kona, as well as the Citroen C3 Aircross, you might also want to check out a Kia Stonic, Nissan Juke, Renault Captur or SEAT Arona.

No matter how you jazz things up, though, more of a problem is the Kona’s practicality: it has a relatively small boot, and rear-seat knee room, while good, isn’t as generous as you’ll find in the C3. The Hyundai also misses out on the sliding and reclining rear seat that you get in the Citroen.

There are fewer complaints when it comes to the Hyundai’s infotainment. So long as you avoid entry-level S models you get a relatively large infotainment screen that can mirror the display of your phone – for satellite navigation – and a handy reversing camera. The latter makes up for the slight blind spot you get out the back of the car, but aside from that you get a good view out and the controls are light – making it a good car for town driving.

The Kona has relatively firm suspension for a small SUV. This means it feels a touch on the sporty side for this type of car. The flip side is you feel the bumps in the road a lot more than in a SEAT Arona which focuses more on comfort, which is really far more important to most people buying one.

The Kona’s exterior looks a bit like a granny wearing a multicoloured shell suit and hiking boots – it’s eye-catching and rugged but not hugely stylish

The range-topping 1.6-litre petrol model is the best to drive thanks to its more advanced suspension, but you’re better off with the 1.0-litre petrol version that’s easier on fuel and doesn’t sound so strained when you rev it. That said, it’s still noisy for a petrol engine.

Hyundai’s automatic gearbox is also slow to change down gears. It’s best to stick with the slick manual.

Top-of-the-range cars come with automatic emergency braking that can sense people and other cars – it will slam the brakes on hard if it detects an imminent collision.

Arguably the Hyundai’s biggest selling point – if you want years of hassle-free motoring – is its unlimited-mileage/five-year warranty. But the Hyundai Kona is hard to recommend when the Kia Stonic is basically the same car, is more stylish and has a longer seven-year warranty. There’s also a Hyundai Kona Electric and as an electric car, it’s a much better proposition. It is reviewed separately. If you don’t want to make the full switch to an EV, check out the Hyundai Kona Plug-in Hybrid.

Still, have a look at the latest Hyundai Kona deals to see how much you could save.

Common Hyundai Kona questions

Is the Hyundai Kona four-wheel-drive?

Only one model of Kona is available with four-wheel-drive: the top of the range 1.6 T-GDi Premium GT. Its 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine produces 177hp and 265Nm of torque, connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Performance is pretty strong, with a 0-60mph time of 7.9s and a top speed of 127mph. But you pay a fairly hefty penalty at the pumps, with fuel economy of just 34mpg. It’s not exactly cheap, either, but least it comes loaded to the gunwales with gadgets.

Hyundai Kona Design

The Hyundai Kona is distinctive in some ways, but very conventional at the same time. It follows the typical small SUV design textbook with a jacked-up supermini look, and shares design features such as the plastic cladding and roof rails with many alternative models. It tried to stand out with a range of vibrant paint colours and an unusual front-end that uses two smaller grilles above and below the main one, plus two sets of lights.

Hyundai Kona S

The Kona S is the entry-level model, and while all versions have body-coloured bumpers and door mirrors, this version is easy to spot by its 16-inch alloy wheels. There are also no roof rails on this model and the grille at the front is plain black.

Hyundai Kona SE design

The Kona SE has larger 17-inch alloy wheels and comes with roof rails, but has the same plain black grille as the S and the PLAY.

Hyundai Kona Play

The Kona PLAY has 18-inch alloy wheels and comes with metallic paint as standard but it’s otherwise the same as the SE model to look at – though you also get tinted windows on the back.

Hyundai Kona Premium, Premium SE and Premium GT

The Premium model is where there are a few noticeable changes. There’s painted Anthracite trim on the outside plus 18-inch alloys, roof rails and a rear skid plate in silver. There’s also a chrome surround for the grille at the front. All of the ‘Premium’ models including the Premium SE and Premium GT look the same on the outside, unless you can spot the GT’s LED rear lights.