Hyundai’s new Kona arrives with bold design and multiple powertrain options

Hyundai has taken a bold new approach with its latest Kona, giving its compact SUV an eye-catching design while including a range of efficient powertrain options in the process.

Like its predecessor, the compact SUV will be available with fully electric, hybrid and regular internal combustion engine options, each utilising the same basic architecture but incorporating a different exterior design.

Now 150mm longer and 25mm wider than its predecessor, the Kona was designed as an electric vehicle first before being adapted for petrol and hybrid versions. It’s why all get a futuristic exterior look, including a smoothed-out front end and a full-width front light bar, which is pixelated on the EV version.

But there are differences. The EV version, for instance, gets pixel graphics on the grille and rear bumper, while the petrol and hybrid variants adopt a more rugged look with a chunky bumper and skid plate design alongside black wheel arch cladding. The sporty-looking N Line, meanwhile, incorporates black side mirrors and roof, as well as a more aggressive front and rear design and 19-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, the Kona’s interior mirrors the latest Hyundai models, and features two 12.3-inch dual displays, while a shift-by-wire gear selector on the wheel column means there’s space for odds and ends in the central tunnel. In the back, there’s a bench seat which has been designed with ‘maximum usability, comfort and convenience’ according to Hyundai, while the boot space has been ‘maximised’, though no official capacity has been announced.

Hyundai has said that ‘more details’ surrounding the Kona will be revealed ‘in the coming months’.