Hyundai Kona

The Hyundai Kona shares much of its interior design theme with the rest of the Hyundai offerings, which is high on quality and comfort and convenience features.

The three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel along with an instrument console with a small 4.2-inch MID screen in between looks neither too fancy nor too conventional. However, what looks trendy is the free-standing 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which gets complete smartphone connectivity and navigation system.

The centre console looks simple with rounded and stretched theme for the AC vents, below which are placed the controls of automatic climate control. What looks quite interesting is the colour coded interior theme with contrast surrounds for AC vents and transmission tunnel, adding some zing to the cabin.

The Hyundai Kona is equipped with contemporary features like an 8-speaker Krell sound system, dual-zone automatic climate control, Android Auto and Apple Carplay, leather upholstery, push-button start with keyless entry, cruise control and many more. And while space is adequate for five people, the limited headroom and shoulder room at the rear might be a small matter of concern for taller passengers.

It was the Kona with which Hyundai debuted its all-new design philosophy, which is an aggressive form of the erstwhile fluidic design theme.

The front stance of the Hyundai Kona has been adorned with a cascading grille with a horizontal grille strip at the top of it, giving it a two-part grille effect. The slim LED daytime running lamps positioned upwards to look distinctive along with the lower positioned projector headlamps which get thick surrounding of body cladding around it. This body cladding job extends to the bottom of the front bumper towards the fog lamps which are positioned slightly inwards.

The side profile of the Hyundai Kona has the traditional crossover stance of a sloping bonnet and rugged-looking lower portion with body cladding flowing throughout the side profile. The flared haunches above both the wheel arches along with the sharp character line flowing sideways and roof rails enhance its sporty character. To increase its style quotient, the Kona has been equipped with machined alloy wheels and a dual-tone roof.

At the rear, the offset design theme for the lamps continues with a slim LED tail lamp positioned just below the rear windscreen, and another tail lamp assembly placed slightly bottom just below the rear bumper, which here too gets body cladding surrounds.

The Hyundai Kona feels quite sturdy yet easy to drive, thanks to the finely balanced suspension setup and the standard front-wheel-drive layout. The suspension is neither too stiff nor too supple, which makes it a good balance for both on and mild off-road conditions. The steering setup is light and a more weighted approach at higher speeds will be appreciated.

For Kona, Hyundai has retained both of its petrol engine options from the Elantra sedan. The naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol motor produces 149 PS of power and 180 Nm of torque and is paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission. On the other hand, the more sophisticated 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol motor, which is coupled to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, pumps out 177 PS of power and 265 Nm of torque.

For the Kona, Hyundai has brought a decent long list of safety features, comprising of six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, tire pressure monitoring system, electronic stability program, hill start assist, blind-spot detection and lane departure warning system.

The very distinctive and extrovert exterior look combined with the finely laid out interiors makes the Hyundai Kona a great vehicle when it comes to design. The Kona is a great car to drive over all kinds of surfaces, with the potent powertrain options complementing it in a fine manner.