The upcoming SUV Hyundai Kona has now been revealed, but it might or might not come to India.
Hyundai has taken the wraps off the new SUV Kona that has been built to rival the Nissan Juke. The Kona in all respects is a new offering from the Korean automaker with new styling elements, new design and new technology including a Head-Up Display.
Hyundai positions the Kona below the Tucson and expects that this new crossover will help expand its customer base especially in Europe. The Kona will go on sale in Korea next month, followed by North America and Europe and Hyundai initially will be offering 2 choices of turbocharged petrol engines, while a 1.6-litre diesel is expected to join the fray in mid-2018. Interestingly, Hyundai has named the Kona too after a travel destination like the Santa Fe and Tucson. Kona happens to be a coastal region in Hawaii.
A 1.0-litre T-GDI petrol motor producing a 120 HP and 172 Nm of torque and a 1.6-litre petrol motor producing a 176 HP and 264 Nm of torque will be available at launch. While the 1.0-litre petrol motor comes with a 6-speed manual transmission, the 1.6-litre petrol will be offered with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and All Wheel Drive. The diesel’s arrival in the European markets is not yet confirmed, but we expect it to go on sale sometime in 2018.
The design on the Kona is what we have never seen on a Hyundai till date. With the sleek and thin strip of headlamps, big round LED DRLs, the cascading grille and the bulges on the bonnet give this crossover a ‘do not mess with me’ look. I’m pretty impressed from how the Kona looks head on. The wraparound cladding at the rear houses the blinkers and reversing lights which makes the rear distinctive, also the tail lamps are thin and sleek LED units.
The Kona comes with 16-inch standard wheels, but Hyundai is also offering 17-inch and 18-inch alloys as optional. Measuring 4165 mm in length, 1800 mm in width and 1550 mm in height, the Kona is slightly shorter and lower but 35 mm wider than its rival the Nissan Juke. Also the SUV sits on a wheelbase which is 70 mm longer than the Juke at 2600 mm.
Suspension duties on the Kona are via McPherson struts at the front while the rear comes with a coupled torsion beam for the 2WD and a multi-link system for the 4WD trims. Hyundai is also offering traction control on the 4WD model.
Interiors are premium and boast of a less busy design. Hyundai is offering a 5-inch TFT screen as standard and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system as optional. The automaker for the first time is offering a Display Audio system that features connected services, including smartphone syncing using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and a Head-Up Display which the company says has class leading luminescence.
The Hyundai Kona also comes with a host of driver assistance features like autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, rear-cross traffic alert and blind spot detection.
2017 Hyundai Kona
– The Kona will go on sale in Korea next month
– A first in a Hyundai, the Kona comes with a Head-Up Display
– The Kona will be initially offered with a 1.0-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines
