2018 Hyundai Kona 1.6T
Hyundai's Kona is their first entry into the compact crossover market. They're a bit beyond the competition with releasing a vehicle so this week we take a look to see if its worth the wait.
Disclosure: Hyundai Canada & JS Auto provided me with the 2018 Hyundai Kona for a week to test drive, and photograph. All photos in this blog post was taken by me.
ACCELERATION: 9/10
175 HP @ 5500 / 195 lb.-ft. @ 1500-4500
1.6L (1591cc) DOHC Inline 4-cylinder
7-speed EcoShift Dual Clutch Transmission
6.6 seconds 0-100 km/hr
BRAKING: 8.5/10
Great braking scores thanks to its wide tires!
HANDLING: 9/10
Does an excellent job of road handling and sticks to the road in the AWD version we have that comes with an independent rear suspension.
RIDE: 7.85/10
The trade off for having such good handling is of course, a much stiffer suspension. When you go off road it can feel rather bumpy
ECONOMY: 8.5/10
26/29/27 - City/Highway/Combined
For a vehicle that is one of the fastest in the segment, the fuel economy scores are impressive!
CABIN NOISE: 7/10
Average amount of cabin sound for a CUV under $30,000. The noise might be reduced in lower trims that have smaller wheel bases.
EXTERIOR: 7.5/10
In such a popular market, the Kona is designed in a way that stands out. I ended up liking how it looked as time went out but this is all up to personal taste.
SAFETY|SECURITY|TECH: 7.5/10
Blind-Spot Detection
Lane Change Assist
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
Parking Distance Warning - Reverse
Lane Keeping Assist System
4 km/h bumpers
Driver Attention Assist
High Beam Assist
Body side reinforcements
Electronic stability control (ESC) w/ traction control system (TCS)
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Brake assist and Electronic brake force distribution (EBD)
Vehicle stability management (VSM)
Front crumple zone
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) w/ Pedestrian Detection
Steering wheel locks when key is removed
Electronic Shift Lock System and Ignition Key Interlock
Anti-theft system integrated with remote keyless entry and panic alarm
INTERIOR FOR DRIVER: 8/10
Very comfortable leather seats with a good amount adjustments for a vehicle in this segment
Ergonomically the button placements are logical and intuitive to get use to
Most vehicles in the sub compact crossover market use a ton of cheap materials but the Kona feels pretty good!
The interior has a lot of hard plastics which is normal in this class. I think this is fine in the base trim but the highest end trim is $10,000 more but the materials don't improve much.
INTERIOR FOR PASSENGERS: 7/10
Rear seats offer one of the lowest leg and head room in the segment.
Overall size of the rear seats are more fitted for children rather than taller adults.
INTERIOR STORAGE: 7.5/10
Storage room is average for vehicles in this segment
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM: 8.5/10
Hyundai's infotainment system is one of the easiest to use although it may not look super modern with its graphics.
Supports Apple Car Play and Android Auto
OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE 2018 HYUNDAI Kona:
Hyundai is a bit late to the compact SUV market but they've definitely done their homework and studied what's worked and hasn't for the other brands. The interior feels nice for a sub compact SUV in this class and the 1.6L Turbo engine beats out the 0-100 times in it's competition.
It is both fun to drive, excellent handling, and very functional as a utility vehicle. Unlike some competitors which were really fun to drive but not practical as a utility car like the CX3, or a very functional vehicle but boring to drive like the HRV. The vehicle stands out on the road.
Personally, I think Hyundai’s Kona is a really successful compact that checks a lot of boxes. Props to Hyundai on making me put the Kona at the top of the list in its segment. I would get the AWD 1.6L Turbo which comes with independent rear suspensions. This is at the top of my list for subcompact crossovers under $30,000. I do think the Kona is going be a winner.