The 2021 Hyundai Kona wears like statement jewellery and drives like a bargain.
It’s a small crossover SUV with economy-car roots, but the 2021 Kona has fancy hardware, from all-wheel drive to a dual-clutch transmission to an all-electric companion—and it’s all wrapped in a shape that demands you notice it.
The Kona is a lot to look at. All the clever crossover-SUV styling tricks show up here, from floating-roof cues to highlighter highlights to stacked headlights. It’s better and more soothing inside, where a more routine layout of controls and a now-usual touchscreen interface take the wheel.
Selecting the right Kona for performance takes some hoop-jumping. Base cars get a middling 147-horsepower inline-4 and a smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic; we’d take the latter with the optional and way more perky 175-hp turbo-4 instead of the shifty 7-speed dual-clutch that’s supplied.The Kona drives better with available all-wheel drive, which comes with an independent rear suspension that makes the most of its short wheelbase. It’s perky, entertaining on back roads, and easy to needle through city streets.
Four or five people can fit in the Kona, but the second-row seat’s snug for large adults even if only two come along for the ride. Flip down the back seat and the Kona can hold 1296,9-litres of cargo.
Every Kona comes with automatic emergency braking, and the IIHS and the NHTSA give the crossover sterling crash-test scores. Base cars have a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility; our sweet spot is the Kona SEL, which gets keyless start, 17-inch wheels, heated front seats, satellite radio, and blind-spot monitors. The Kona’s killer app? A 5-year/100,000km warranty..
Styling
It’s a party on the outside, business inside the Kona.
Have you seen a crossover-SUV styling cue you like? Chances are it’s in place on the 2021 Hyundai Kona, a busy-looking crossover that wears a lot of flash in its quest for attention. It’s less complicated inside, for which we give thanks—but we still give a 4 overall for the look.
The cabin reads differently, like a familiar book. The controls are laid out in a logical way, with pods of controls and vents framed in a lot of black and grey. The Kona’s central touchscreen lightens up the mood—we’re still waiting for a crackling-fireplace wallpaper for the screen. It’s not quite sober, but not nearly so radical as the body; the Kona interior seems almost to belong to a different car altogether.
Performance
The Kona handles well, but its powertrains need more refinement.
The petrol-powered Hyundai Kona can handle winding roads, but its engines and transmissions lag.
Base Kona crossovers adopt a 2.0-litre inline-4 that churns out 109kW. It’s teamed with a 6-speed automatic that sends power to the front wheels. If that sounds like an economy car, it is—and the Kona seems sluggish in this configuration. All-wheel drive helps with traction in wet weather, but it adds weight and cost too, so we’d avoid it in this configuration.
In handling the Kona fares much better. The independent suspension on all-wheel-drive versions delivers deft handling (front-drive models have a twist-beam rear that’s a little less planted) and good ride comfort for a car that rides on a short wheelbase. Steering feel builds heft when the Kona’s drive modes flip into Sport, and the ride degrades a bit when the larger 18-inch wheels are fitted, so finding the best Kona performance is a needle-threading exercise. With all-wheel drive, the Kona has 6.7 inches of ground clearance, so visions of Moab would be better replaced by visions of a close-in parking spot at the mall on a rainy weekend morning.
The best way to know if the Kona’s handling is suited to your driving style and needs is to book a test drive at Group 1 Hyundai.
Comfort & Quality
The Kona’s smaller than a Tucson—and not much bigger than a Venue.
Hyundai slots the Kona crossover between its Tucson and Venue utility vehicles, but it’s closer in size to the value-packed Venue—and that makes it more suitable for two adults and occasional passengers rather than four people on long hauls.
We think it’s a 6 for comfort, thanks to its spacious cargo hold.
The Kona’s front seats have good bolstering and range of adjustment; they sit relatively high, which sells this crossover SUV to people who might think a Kia Soul is too low. The cloth seats can be upgraded to leather in the top trim.
While the seats themselves are fine, the Kona’s cabin is snug, and rear seats are limited in shoulder and knee room for adults. Headroom works better, thanks to the Kona’s bubble-roof design.
The rear seats fold down to boost the Kona’s cargo space from 544-litres to 1297=litres. Better than some lower-riding hatchbacks, the Kona has a wide hatch and a low load floor, which makes for an easier cargo loading experience.
The Kona interior comes in grey or black.
Safety
The Kona comes standard with great crash-test scores.
Crash-test scores put the Kona near the top of its small-SUV niche.
The NHTSA pegs the Kona at five stars overall, with a sole four-star score for rollover risk. The IIHS gives it “Good” scores in all its crash tests and a Top Safety Pick award.
All Hyundai Kona crossovers come with automatic emergency braking. Blind-spot monitors become available on the SEL, while Ultimate Konas get a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, and active lane control.
KONA Base Model Features
Hyundai fits all Kona crossovers with lots of features and covers them with the same great warranty, but the SEL offers the best value.
Base Kona SE crossovers have power features, cloth upholstery, 16-inch wheels, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and automatic emergency braking.
Hyundai’s 5-year/100,000 km bumper-to-bumper warranty covers the Kona, and it expands to 10 years/160,000 km for the powertrain. Hyundai also includes three years of free maintenance on all its 2021 models.
Article source: https://hyundaidrivers.wordpress.com/2021/08/28/all-around-2021-hyundai-kona-review/
