Hyundai Kona cars

The style of the car

The Hyundai Kona is a distinctive five-door compact SUV that offers enough space for five adults. A high driving position gives you an excellent view of the road ahead, which is handy when parking and driving in the city. It’s available in some very distinctive colours, including Acid Yellow and Tangerine Comet, along with contrasting dark roofs. While many small SUVs blend in with the crowd, the Hyundai Kona stands out from it.

How it drives

The Kona is easy to drive in town thanks to its light steering and a good view out. It’s also relaxing on long journeys thanks to its smooth ride and the fact that you don’t get much noise inside at speed. The petrol and diesel engines are smooth and responsive, while the petrol-electric hybrid model can travel short distances using electric power alone. The pure electric model gives you fast acceleration and can manage up to 300 miles between charges, which is farther than most electric rivals. Models with four-wheel drive provide extra security in slippery conditions and are handy if you often tow a small trailer or caravan.

The interior

The Kona is about the same size as rivals such as the Peugeot 2008, Nissan Juke and Seat Arona. Like those cars it’s a compact five-door, five-seater that’s roomy enough for a small family. You get 361 litres of boot space in the entry-level Kona, but this drops to 334 litres in other models, including the Kona Electric. Either way, that’s about the same as you get in hatchbacks such as the Ford Focus and it’s enough for three medium-size suitcases. All models are well equipped, with air con, Bluetooth connectivity and electric windows. SE models and above have a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Running costs and reliability

The Kona costs less to buy than many five-seat compact SUVs, yet has more standard equipment and is backed by Hyundai’s five-year unlimited mileage warranty. The engines are very efficient and suited to both city driving and motorway use. The hybrid has an official average of  56.5mpg, while the electric version will save you a lot of money in tax. Insurance costs can be low, especially on 1.0-litre models. Hyundai’s good reputation for reliability is backed up by its ratings in customer satisfaction surveys. Safety organisation Euro NCAP awarded the Kona a maximum five-star rating in 2017.

How the Hyundai Kona compares with similar cars

The Kona is Hyundai’s smallest SUV. It’s more compact than the Hyundai Tucson and a lot shorter than the seven-seat Hyundai Santa Fe. It’s well equipped compared with most other compact SUVs and unlike rivals such as the Nissan Juke and Seat Arona, it’s available with both hybrid and pure electric power.