The All-New Hyundai Kona Looks Great
Hyundai Motor has unveiled the latest vehicle in its expanding line-up of stylish SUVs, the Hyundai Kona compact SUV. With a strong, impactful design and uncompromised individuality, the Kona is designed to appeal to modern customers with active lifestyles.
The Kona joins Tucson, Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport in a growing line-up of Hyundai Motor SUVs, as the company continues to widen customer choice in the segment. At the world premiere of its new B-segment SUV, Hyundai Motor reaffirmed its promise to deliver SUVs that feature a progressive design with high interior refinement and spaciousness.
The Hyundai Kona will go on sale in Korea in June 2017, followed by North America and Europe.
Uncompromised individuality and purposeful character
The Hyundai Kona is a brand-new challenger in the B-SUV segment, with uncompromised individuality and innovative features. The Kona’s bold, daring image hints at the future design direction of Hyundai Motor’s next generation of SUV models and creates a unique proposition in the compact SUV segment.
Hyundai Kona stands out from the crowd with high contrast design elements and striking style. Its masculine protective, ‘armour’, combines powerfully with the futuristic LED lighting to create a high-tech look. Despite its unique appearance, the Kona doesn’t sacrifice sophistication and is highly capable – a combination designed to appeal to the Millennial demographic.
Unique and stylish exterior design
The Kona’s stand-out design is reinforced by the car’s voluminous, aggressive body styling, that emphasizes the car’s well-proportioned, dynamic silhouette. Its low and wide stance complements the car’s stylish profile, with the long wheel base and short overhangs ensuring sporty, nimble handling, in addition to delivering superior driving stability at high speed.
‘Composite lamps’ enhance the Kona’s high-tech and mechanical appearance. The slim daytime running lights (DRL) incorporate turn signals and are positioned in a ‘stack’, separate to the LED headlights.
The Hyundai Kona’s front is powerful, as its ‘armor’ shows its readiness for extreme activities. The compact SUV also adopts Hyundai Motor’s new family identity, the Cascading Grille, featuring a sporty mesh pattern, flanked by exceptional wing-type fenders that dominate the front design.
The visual relationship between the composite lamps, Hyundai’s signature Cascading Grille and the unique armor design results in a totally distinct character, which is important in the increasingly competitive B-SUV segment.
Spacious interior delivers comfort and convenience
The unique features of the exterior continue inside, with a strong horizontal character line creating a wide and spacious feel. Even with its compact dimensions and low roof line, the Kona delivers best-in-class interior space.
The sleek and simple layout interior contrasts with the bold, adventurous exterior design. The AVN (Audio, Visual, Navigation) monitor incorporates Hyundai Motor’s advanced infotainment features. The monitor appears to float on the dashboard, contributing to the sense of openness.
The mechanical air vents and functional button arrangement reflect the high-tech functionality of the exterior. The AVN and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) controls are surrounded by soft, fluid details that contribute to a sensuous experience and enhance the comfort-focused environment.
The all-new compact platform has been developed to provide customers with a true SUV experience. SUV-level ground clearance and an elevated seating position ensure better visibility for drivers and increases comfort on long journeys.
Kona offers occupants generous interior space by optimising the underfloor layout, including the 4WD drivetrain and exhaust system, to reduce central tunnel intrusion. The suspension component layout is optimised at the rear, allowing for a lower floor and seating position to deliver class-leading levels of headroom and ease of access for rear occupants.
Designers also optimised interior space to maximise luggage storage capabilities, reflecting the requirements of customers with active lifestyles. The split-folding rear seats fold flat, with a two-level loading floor that allows easy access for a bicycle or golf club storage.
All-new platform delivers exceptional power and performance
With an all-new compact SUV platform developed for the Kona, Hyundai Motor looks to set new performance standards for the compact SUV segment. The powertrain layout is optimized to create a compact platform capable of incorporating the car’s four-wheel-drive system while maintaining interior space.
The Hyundai Kona blends exceptional fuel efficiency with a fun urban driving experience, delivering power and performance levels that are not often found in vehicles in its segment. The range of small-displacement turbo-charged petrol engines and diesel powertrains deliver a dynamic driving experience for nimble, easy motoring.
The new Kona is offered with a combination of gasoline and diesel engines of various power outputs – dependent on the market.
A 2.0-liter MPI Atkinson engine produces 149PS, with a 0-100km/h time of 10 seconds and a top speed of 194km/h. Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, the engine delivers maximum torque of 179 NM (13.8 kgf · m) at 4500rpm.
The Gamma 1.6T-GDI engine boasts 177PS, a 0-100km/h time of 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 210km/h. The engine delivers maximum torque of 265NM (27kgf · m) from 1,500 to 4,500rpm and is mated to Hyundai’s efficient and responsive seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (7DCT).
In addition to the 1.6T-GDI engine, customers in Europe can also opt for Hyundai’s downsized 1.0 T-GDI turbocharged three-cylinder engine with six-speed manual transmission. This turbo-charged powerplant is optimized for efficiency and produces 120PS, a 0-100km/h time of 12 seconds, top speed of 181km/h and maximum torque of 172NM (17.5kgf · m) from 1,500 to 4000 rpm.
About the Author
Subhash Nair Written work on dsf.my. @subhashtag on instagram. Autophiles Malaysia on Youtube.
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