Hyundai Kona Highlander AWD 2018 review

It’s fun. Like, really fun. It’s not often you get into a family car and even think about the word fun, so straight off the bat, that’s a good thing. I can feel the engine under the accelerator raring to go, and I almost feel a bit like I’m in a rally car. Not that I’ve ever been in a rally car, but I imagine this is kind of what it’s like. It’s racy.

This particular Kona has a 1.6L turbo-petrol engine, there's a burst of power when I put my foot down and whoops! I’ve overtaken that annoying driver, whee!

The turbocharged engine lets me overtake easily.

It’s not a very quiet drive - you can hear the engine while in the cabin - but I think that’s a part of the experience. It’s also not the smoothest drive, with a fair amount of bouncy stop-starting because the engine is just dying to take off. But again, that’s part of it. This is a car you can actually drive. Not just glide smoothly from A to B. You drive there. And that’s a little bit exciting.

The size makes everything easier. It’s small enough to fit into tight parking spots and has a turning circle of 10.6m so U-turns and three-point turns are a breeze. It’s not too high off the ground, so the children are easily able to climb in.

Easy access for the kids up the back.

There are two cupholders in the front, two in the back, plus a bottle holder in each door. The Kona Highlander has keyless entry so you don’t need to fish for your keys in the bottom of your bag which has countless positives (ladies, you know what I’m talking about).

There’s a spot to throw your phone in the front centre console which will also charge it if you have an Android device. Storage wise, it’s fairly standard with a centre bin, a glove box and a sunglasses holder.

It’s missing an air vent for the back seat, which I think is an oversight, even though it’s a small car and they have probably deemed air vents in the back unnecessary. Industry wide, there are no air vents in the back of small SUVs. Neither the CX-3, the CH-R nor the Nissan Qashqai come with air vents. But my kids really appreciate their own air vents in cars. Because, air. Also, Australian summer.

I found the Kona a really easy car to hop into and it worked into my life well - I spend a lot of time looking for parks outside school and squeezing into various car spots, and the Kona actually made my life easier.

Up front there's a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which means when I plug my phone in, the Apple icons appear on the 7.0-inch multimedia screen and I immediately know how to use it. Even if you’re not a CarPlay fan, you can sync your phone with the standard tech in the car and easily connect via Bluetooth. The whole system is easy to use even if you’re not used to the technology. It also has a digital radio.

Racy, sporty, cool. Doesn't look like a family SUV.

It’s racy, it’s sporty, it’s cool. It’s got an edge to the design which makes you feel great driving around in it. It definitely does not look like a family SUV, more like a cool little rally car. That could be because of the two tone - I’m not a huge fan - but in all charcoal, the car is sleek. It makes me feel like it’s my car, not the kid’s car. For once!

Inside, there are leather appointed seats which are heated in the front, and are also really comfortable, plus a leather steering wheel that feels nice under the hands. I think this is one of the most important things because you’re in that car #everydamnday and you want it to feel good while you’re driving.

It comes with a head-up display on the windscreen which means I can see my speed without having to shift my eye-line.

Plenty of room up front.

There’s nothing particularly flash going on with the interior design, even though I’m in the top-of-the-range Highlander. The centre console area is fairly standard, but if you’re daring, you can get the stitching in a fluoro yellow rather than in the standard white, which certainly ups the ante.

The Hyundai Kona retails for $36,000. It’s also fairly fuel efficient for a family car, with Hyundai claiming 6.7L per 100km on the combined cycle and it comes with Hyundai’s standard five year/unlimited km warranty.