So far the Korean’s have fielded two B segment crossovers to battle this highly competitive market. Kia’s Seltos is bigger than the X50 but we still await the pricing. Today though, Hyundai has officially launched their Kona. Here are 12 things you should know about the Kona.
1. It comes with 3 variants
There’s the Kona 2.0, 2.0 Active and the 1.6 turbo. There’s a total of 6 color variants available.
2. Mid Range in space
Its wider than the Honda HR-V (+ 8mm), sports a longer wheelbase than the Mazda CX-30 (+30mm) and bigger boot than the X50 (+31 liters). The Turbo variant is heavier than the X50 though (+44kg)
3. 2 engine variants
The Kona comes with an NA 2.0 engine and a turbocharged 1.6 liter engine. The former produces 149PS and 180Nm. The turbo engine puts out 177PS and 265Nm, which is more torque than the X50
4. 2 type of gearboxes with Drive Modes
The 2 liter engines are driven by a 6 speed automatic gearbox, while the turbo engine uses a 7 speed DCT gearbox, just like the X50. All variants get 3 drive modes, Comfort, Eco and Sport.
5. LED Headlamps on two vairants
The basic Kona 2.0 gets projector halogen headlamps. The other two variants get Bi-function LED’s. LED DRL’s are standard across the range
6. Two wheel and tyre combinations
Likewise the base car comes with 17 inch alloys and 215/55/17 tyres. The 18 inch rims that come for the Active and Turbo get 235/45/18 inch rims.
7. 7 inch touchscreen across the range
Which also comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The instrument cluster comes with either a 3.5 inch Mono TFT LCD (Kona 2.0) and 4.2 inch Color TFT LCD (Kona 2.0 Active & 1.6 Turbo)
8. Electrically operated driver seat
Which have 8 way adjustability for the top two specs. The entry level car comes with manual adjustment. The entry level car’s furnished in fabric, while the 2.0 Active gets leather and cloth combination. The top spec Turbo gets full leather.
9. Two tone interior trims.
The Active and Turbo variants get a combination of either red or lime green stitching and seat belts. Those kind of color combo’s usually seen in exotics like some 911 variants.
10. Hyundai Smart Sense for the Turbo spec car
Which includes Lane Keeping Assist, Smart Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, and Forward Collsion Avoidance Assist. The Active spec cars make do with only Blind Spot warning and Rear Cross Traffic Collision Warning
11. All cars come with 6 airbags
And unlike the rest of the field (bar the Mazda CX-30) which has an ASEAN NCAP rating, the Kona scores 5 stars in the ANCAP test. All variants also come standard with ABS, ESC, VSM, EBD and Traction control. And there are 2 ISOFIX mounts in the back.
12. Wireless charger and Head up display
While the Active and Turbo variants get both toys, the wireless charging system for compatible phones reserved for the Turbo variant only. There are 2 USB ports in total for all cars and the top two variants get auto wipers.
The Kona Is priced from RM123,888 to RM151,888, which puts it in line with the Honda HR-V. Every variant gets an RM8000 rebate introductory fee for now. That brings the price for the entry 2.0 car at RM115,888, the 2.0 Active for RM130,888 and the 1.6 Turbo at RM143,888. All cars come with a 5 year / 300,000km warranty. What are your thoughts about this X50 / HR-V rivalling option from Hyundai? Share your thoughts in the comments!
