Hyundai's new, entry- level crossover, the Kona, is the snubnosed revolver of small SUVs.
Compact but powerful, cute but efficient, the Kona is designed for active millennials looking for value and an industry- best warranty.
For young urban professionals, the Kona's 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty might represent a decade's worth of worry-free driving. When you are paying off college loans, that's a sweet insurance policy against unplanned expenses.
A check of Hyundai dealerships within 100 miles of Chattanooga shows an ample supply of Konas in almost every direction. Close to home, Long Hyundai this week had nine Konas in digital inventory including one Ultimate model much like our tester (but without all-wheel-drive).
FAST FACTS
* Model: 2018 Hyundai Kona Ultimate AWD* Exterior color: Thunder Gray* Interior color: Black/Lime* Engine: 1.6-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged* Horsepower: 175* Transmission: seven-speed automatic* Fuel economy 29 mpg highway, 26 mpg city* Local Dealer: Long Hyundai* Price (as tested): $29,805
More Info
Online: In the market for a new vehicle? To access more than 100 of Mark Kennedy’s local Test Drive columns visit www.timesfreepress.com/testdrive.
Our tester is a top-of-the-line Kona Ultimate AWD with a ton of modern electronic gizmos and a turbocharged engine. It has an MSRP of $29,805. There are four trims: A base SE model starts at $19,000, an SEL lists for $20,650 and a Limited-trim Kona is priced at $26,900. Only the Limited and Ultimate Konas have the turbo engine, the bottom trims get a 147-horsepower, normally-aspirated four-cylinder engine.
View other Test Drive stories by Mark Kennedy
Looking for a used or new car?
The compact crossover segment has become one of the most crowded in the automotive market. The new-for-2018 Kona, we think, most closely resembles a Subaru Crosstrek. In fact, we'd say it looks like a Crosstrek balled-up into a fist. Other competitors are the Honda HR-V, the Mazda CX-3 and Jeep Renegade and the Fiat 500X.
STYLING AND FEATURES
The Kona is one of those cars that I liked much more than expected. I'll admit to having SUV fatigue, and I'm still smarting about the astonishing news that Ford is about to essentially stop making sedans to concentrate on trucks and sport-utility vehicles.
The tyranny of the crossover design is omnipresent in today's auto fleet. That said, many of the new crossover vehicles, such as the Kona, are really just tall cars with a little extra ground clearance and a bit of plastic cladding thrown in for icing.
Looking at it head-on, the Kona features a thin strip of LED lights at each corner of the hood and a cascading, chrome-framed grille design. The prominent nose design, coupled with short rear over-hangs, give the Kona a front-loaded look. Deep character lines in the side panels add visual interest, and the rear is rounded and tucked. The wheel-arch cladding is masked by the Thunder Gray paint on out tester. On lighter colors it stands out. Like, REALLY stands out.
Inside, our tester is mostly black, but with lime accents. It looks like somebody took a Sharpie highlighter pen and traced around the edges of the seats, the shifter and the air vents. There's even lime stitching on the steering wheel. It looks modern and fun, to my eye, but some people in my family think it looks a little loopy.
Our tester from the manufacturer has virtually every high-end feature available on the Kona, pushing its price to nearly $30,000. Safety tech includes blind-spot monitoring, forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping assist and a parking distance warning signal.
Other nice features folded into the price are a power sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, leather seats and an 8-inch color touch-screen that floats above the dash. There's a head-up display that projects the vehicle's speed onto a transparent plastic square that deploys above the steering wheel. Frankly, it feels like over-kill since it only lets you to lift your gaze a few degrees.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Spirited driving is where the Kona really shines. The turbo turns the small SUV into a rocket ship, with loads of instant torque that can be unleashed during your daily commutes.
All-wheel-drive is also a nice touch for the region, and a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission ticks through shifts with quiet precision. There are no paddle shifters, but our Kona tester from the manufacturer powered up steep mountain roads like a champ.
Combined city/highway fuel economy is 27 miles per gallon. There is about 45 cubic feet of storage space available with the back seats folded down.
BOTTOM LINE
Distinctive styling, brisk performance and a gold-standard warranty are the main selling points of the new Kona. If that sounds like your checklist, check it out.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.