Hyundai Kona 2024 review: Long-term | Part 1

It's possible a long-term dispatch has never been quite so important as this one. Okay, that might be slightly over-egging the small-SUV-shaped pudding, but it is mighty important if you're considering a new Hyundai Kona.

Why? Because Kona choice now abounds. You can have an all-electric Kona, a hybrid version, or a plain-old petrol-powered model like the one I'm driving here. But which one is the best? 

I'm in not a bad place to answer that having spent considerable wheel time in all three versions. And we'll get to the answer by the end of this journey, I promise.

For now, though, let's deep-dive into my particular chariot, which, happily, is also the cheapest Kona money can buy.

The petrol-powered Kona arrives in two trim levels, kicking off with the self-titled Kona, the vehicle we're testing here, yours for $32,000, before on-road costs.

The range then steps up to the Kona Premium, which raises the price to $39,500.

That's a fair bit more (around $5K) than the old entry-level Kona cost, but you do get more for your money.

Our car arrives with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights as well as dual-zone climate control and a 12.3-inch central display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And the active safety offering is strong, too.

There's a six-speaker stereo, a second, smaller screen for the driver, and while the manual-move seats are something called 'Premium Cloth' (which feels a lot like regular cloth), the steering wheel and shifter are wrapped in leather. 

The boot is manual-open, but there is a wireless charge pad, and USB connection points abound, front and rear.

Most of that is in line, or close enough to it, with the Kona's key competitors, though. So for mine, the thing that you'll notice first, and appreciate the most over time, is the not-so-small SUV's size.

At 4350mm in length, 1825mm in width and 1585mm in height, and with a 2660mm wheelbase, the Kona stretches the small-SUV friendship.

For reference, the Hyundai Tucson is 4630mm long and 1865mm wide, so we're not talking lightyears between the two models.

That space is most keenly felt in the back seat. I'm only 175cm, and I've got tons of legroom. And even CarsGuide Deputy Editor James Cleary, who stretches 183cm, reports "ample headroom", which is not something you can say in all small SUVs.

There's also more room in the boot, with the Kona delivering 407L with the rear seats in place, and a flexible 1241L with the 60/40 split second row folded flat. 

In real terms, I can tell you that I can drop the one of rear seats, push a six-foot surfboard through the gap, then fill the boot and surrounds with bags, pillows and assorted adventure paraphernalia before heading down the coast for a week, with no problems. Oh, and there's a corgi taking up one of the back seats in that scenario, too.

Powering this cheapest of the Kona models is a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine sending 110kW and 180Nm to the front wheels via a CVT auto.

And so we hit the first Kona hurdle. I'm super impressed by the ride and handling balance, and the steering, but it does feel a little under-powered and noisy, once you leave the city.

Around town, there's no stress at all, with the Kona feeling just potent enough to have you zipping through suburban streets, and away from traffic lights.

But hit the open road (like on a trip down the coast, for example) and you do long for more grunt, or even just a quieter gearbox, when overtaking.

It's not a deal-breaker, and not something I overly noticed at launch, but the combination of a hard-working engine and a droning (though less droning than other CVTs) transmission can be grating over really long distances.

Happily, though, the Kona is a treat to look at, no matter which one you choose. Unusually, this model was designed as an electric vehicle first, with that future-facing EV blueprint then used to inspire the petrol and hybrid models.

The result is a vehicle that looks modern, without looking like its trying too hard, and I'm particularly partial to the light bar that spans the width of the bonnet, and the general swept-back nature of its cool-but-not-too-cool design.

To be honest, the Kona has so far slipped into our little urban life pretty easily. Small enough to make city parking a breeze, but big enough to accommodate bigger adventures, and with a little 47-litre fuel tank that costs less than $100 to fill up with 91RON, no matter how wild the fuel prices have become.

But is it the pick of the Kona bunch? We'll find out soon enough.

Acquired: [October, 2023]

Distance travelled this month: 1993km

Odometer: 7363km

Average fuel consumption this month: 8.2L/100km