Hyundai Kona | |
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Hyundai | |
aka | Hyundai Kauai (Portugal) Hyundai Encino (China) |
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The Hyundai Kona (Korean: 현대 코나) is a subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment) produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai.
The Kona debuted in June 2017 and the production version was revealed later that year. It is positioned between the Venue or Bayon and the Tucson in Hyundai crossover SUV line-up. The electric version called the Kona Electric (or Kona EV) was first launched in South Korea during the first half of 2018 and rolled out gradually worldwide afterwards.
Naming[]
The Kona is named after the western district of the island of Hawaiʻi. The company stated the name "reflects the lifestyle of modern customers", in line with its "progressive design" that it adopts. The Kona naming also continues Hyundai’s tradition of naming crossover SUV models after famous travel destinations, including the Creta, Santa Fe, Tucson and Veracruz.
The car is sold in Portugal as the Hyundai Kauai, as Kona is too similar to cona, a slang word for something inappropriate in Portuguese. Like Kona, Kauai is a place in Hawaii. It is also Hawaiian for lady. In Spain, however, the car keeps its original name, although in Galician—language intimately related to Portuguese, spoken in the northwestern end of Spain—the word cona has the same connotation.
Overview[]
The Kona was revealed in June 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. Positioned below the Tucson, it was the smallest crossover SUV in the Hyundai global line-up until that position was taken by the Venue in 2019. The Kona is built on a newly developed B-segment SUV platform derived from the Hyundai i30 platform which is designed to accommodate a range of powertrains, including fuel cell and electric variants. While it is developed as an urban-oriented crossover SUV, the Kona is available in front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive variants; the rear suspension is a torsion beam for the former and a dual-arm multi-link configuration for the latter.
For the North American market, the Kona was launched at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2017 and was available at Hyundai dealers in the first quarter of 2018 for the 2018 model year. Engine options offered are 2.0-liter 4-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine capable of 147 hp (149 PS; 110 kW) and 132 lb⋅ft (179 N⋅m; 18.2 kg⋅m), paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Higher trims are powered with a 1.6-liter Gamma turbo engine paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission producing 175 hp (177 PS; 130 kW) and 195 lb⋅ft (264 N⋅m; 27.0 kg⋅m).
Generally, the Kona is not intended to be sold (or only sold in low volumes) in markets where the larger but simpler Creta is offered, which include Latin America, India, and Russia. Indonesia is one of the few countries that briefly sold the petrol-powered Kona, along with the Kona Electric, before the former was indirectly replaced by the locally-built Creta in 2022, with the latter remaining on sale. The Chinese market had both the Kona and Creta, named there the Encino and ix25 respectively.
Pre-facelift[]
Kona Electric[]
The Kona Electric is a battery electric version of the Kona. It is the second electric car from Hyundai after the Ioniq. Sales started in Korea and Europe in 2018, with a market debut in the United States in 2019.
Kona Electric is available in two battery capacities: 39.2 kWh and 64 kWh. The 'ultimate' trim features adaptive cruise control and along with lane centering means the vehicle meets the SAE standard for Level 2 driverless. The Kona EV has a range of 415 km (258 mi) with the 64 kWh battery. Real-world range tests conducted by What Car in early 2019 found that the Kona EV had the highest real-world range among electric cars for sale in the United Kingdom.
On 26 March 2019, Hyundai launched the Kona Electric in Thailand. On 9 July 2019, Hyundai launched an Electric Lite version as Kona Electric in India. In 2020, Hyundai started producing the Kona Electric in its European factory in the Czech Republic, where there are plans for an annual production of 30,000 vehicles. The Kona Electric reached 100,000 global sales in June 2020.
Hyundai Encino EV was launched on the Chinese car market in November 2019. The electric motor of the Encino EV has an output of 201 hp (204 PS; 150 kW) and 310 N⋅m (31.6 kg⋅m; 229 lb⋅ft). The motor is powered by a 64.2 kWh battery with a NEDC range of 500 km (310 mi).
In November 2021, the facelifted Hyundai Kona Electric was launched in Malaysia. With three variants, two battery packs are on offer - 39.2 kWh and 64 kWh - with battery ranges going from 303 km in the smaller pack and going up to 484 km in the larger pack.
Facelift[]
In September 2020, Hyundai unveiled a facelift version of the Kona, for the original SUV as well as the Kona Electric and N Line models. The facelift primarily had exterior aesthetic changes, alongside extra cargo capacity and rear seat legroom.
Base and N-line[]
Electric[]
Kona N[]
Released at Hyundai N Day on 27 April 2021, the Kona N is Hyundai’s first high-performance SUV under the HyundaiN division. A 2.0-liter turbocharged GDI engine features flat power that maintains maximum output from about 5,500 rpm.The engine is capable of an output up to 280 PS (276 hp; 206 kW) and maximum torque is about 289 lb⋅ft (392 N⋅m; 40.0 kg⋅m). The output can temporarily reach up to 290 PS (286 hp; 213 kW) when in the N Grin Shift mode.
In the front, an N logo and a dark chrome-color Hyundai logo are attached to the grille. At the side and rear, a front lip spoiler, double-wing rear spoiler and side sill moulding offer added downforce, improving grip force and high-speed stability. The N-exclusive triangular third brake light gives a dynamic look. Inside, seats, steering wheel, gear knob and hand brake are tinted with Performance Blue while suede seats come with side bolsters. An N-dedicated color Sonic Blue was added and N Grin Shift, N Power Shift, N Track Sense Shift and Variable Exhaust Valve System come as standard.
Design & Development[]
As with every Hyundai N vehicle, the initial design work occurred at Hyundai’s European Design Center in Rüsselsheim, Germany. However, the engineering and final development occurred in Hyundai’s global R&D center in Namyang, Korea.
While initial design sketches take place on paper, Hyundai uses a “Virtual Seat Buck” to allow both designers and engineers to work closely in tandem. What was once the job of a clay model, the Virtual Seat Buck allows the sketches to be turned into three-dimensional renderings. These renderings are viewed by both the engineering and design team for easy collaboration. The system also made use of VR technology to have both teams “walk” around the virtual Kona N to discuss any changes. The system allows design iterations to be completed rapidly and speeds up the development process.
The Kona N altered the standard Kona’s profile by adding a sizeable double-wing spoiler, an enlarged exhaust pipe, larger front air intakes, and a big diffuser. The plastic cladding in base model became body colored in Kona N, emphasizing the width of the exterior.
Gallery[]
Special editions[]
Kona Iron Man Special Edition[]
In 2019, Hyundai released a special Iron Man edition Kona (co-branded with Marvel) to promote Avengers: Endgame. The limited edition Kona was finished in matte gray with red accents and features blue daytime running lights, Stark Industries graphics, an Iron Man-themed instrument cluster, arc reactor imagery, and Tony Stark's signature on the dashboard. In the UK, 300 of the version were planned to be available.
Safety[]
The Hyundai Kona body is made from 51% advanced high strength steel with 'hot stamping' and adhesives for added rigidity.[50] Standard safety equipment includes six airbags, lane keeping assist and a driver attention monitor. Other features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot detection and a rear cross traffic alert.