After a plethora of teaser images and videos, Hyundai unveiled the long-awaited Kona compact SUV in June. It followed just days after the similar-sized Stonic concept from its subordinate Kia as the Hyundai group plans global assault in the crossover space. The Kona SUV is said to have a “progressive appearance” and the grille gets flanked by separate lighting units similar to the Jeep Cherokee. Most importantly, the positioning of LED Daytime Running Lights above the LED headlights make the front fascia very occupied.
The separated lighting system is stated to “deliver a confident, progressive appearance with sleek and sharp shapes.” Also present are the tall seating position and four-wheel drive system as optional for international markets. Hyundai is relying heavily on Kona to elevate the brand to the top position as the leading Asian automotive brand in Europe by 2021.
It has been added to the existing SUV portfolio that comprises of Grand Santa Fe, Santa Fe and Tucson. The South Korean brand also stated that the Kona is developed with emphasis on “driving dynamics” which would translate into setting new “performance” standards in the volume dishing compact SUV space.
The SUV looks tall with short overhangs and the bodywork is built to accommodate ample interior space while being sporty with sloping roofline. The South Korean auto major introduced the model first into its home market before greeting foreign customers as it is a global SUV mainly focussing developed markets. It has made its North American debut at the 2017 LA Auto Show with a 2.0L petrol and a 1.6L diesel engine before going on sale in Q1 2018 in the US.
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With futuristic adaptation of Hyundai’s Fluidic design language, cascading grille assembly with LED headlamps and aggressive bodywork have accompanied with a bold front fascia. Moreover, it crucially gives plenty of indication into how the Carlino concept based subcompact SUV for India might look like. It is expected to arrive by H1 2019 and since the Kona name could be utilised overseas, it might well step in to our market as well.
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A tiny 1.0-litre turbo petrol might be used for the developing markets. In foreign markets, the Kona will compete against the likes of Nissan Juke (now replaced by Kicks in US), Peugeot 2008, Fiat 500X, Renault Captur, Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR, Mazda CX-3, Citroen C3 Picasso, etc.
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The segment-first optional smartphone wireless charging feature is accompanied by a combiner Head-Up Display (HUD) showing info like speed, navigation instructions, Lane Departure Warning messages and audio data on a retractable glass behind gauge cluster. The brimmed up safety list has active systems like Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), High Beam Assist (HBA) and Driver Attention Warning (DAW). The radar system in the Kona assists Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW) while Rear Cross-Traffic Collison Warning (RCCW) detects if any vehicle gets in the path of reversing.
Hyundai says the 4WD drivetrain, exhaust, suspension components and underfloor layout have been optimised to reduce the intrusion of central tunnel that plagues interior space and lower the seating position for better COG (Centre Of Gravity). The Kona features flat folding split rear seats with two level loading floor which is said to be good enough for a bicycle or a golf club items.
Sticking by the stringent emission norms, the European customers will get access to a smaller 1.0-litre T-GDI three-pot turbo petrol motor mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. It develops 118 hp and 172 Nm peak torque that would help achieve a 0-100 kmph time of 12 seconds and 181 kmph max. speed. A 1.6-litre frugal diesel is also presented for select countries Europe.
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Hyundai is trying to lure the attention of tech savvy buyers clearly as the infotainment system between 5 and 8 inch sizes comprises of Apple CarPlay, HD radio, rear camera, Android Auto, 4G telematics and so on. In recent months, the speculation of the appearance of electric Kona for the Indian market has surfaced thick and fast as well.
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