Review and Test Drive: Hyundai Kona 1.0 T-GDI 120 CV, eye-catching and distinctive

It has been years since a new model stirred up so much controversy over its name in Spain. It is not the first, but this Hyundai Kona has inspired several articles about its unusual name and its meaning in Galician. Unlike the Portuguese market, where it is called Kauai, the people responsible for the brand in Spain thought malosera (it’s no bad thing) and kept the name of this peculiar SUV, which takes its name from an island.

But the name is not the only eye-catching thing about the Kona: its design can be described with all kinds of adjectives, but there is no doubt about its striking personality. It is an original SUV that draws attention. With all this as background, the Highmotor test team has taken the wheel of an interesting Hyundai Kona with a 1.0 T-GDI petrol engine producing 120 CV. Is it worthy of the expectation it generates? Keep reading and we’ll clear up your doubts.

Exterior Design: a very personal SUV

On the outside, the Kona reminds me of an old advert for a Swedish model that said something like “hate it or love it”. The Kona certainly generates opinions of all kinds, thanks to its carefree, youthful and very personal design. The front is the first thing that surprises, with the huge grille and the headlights divided into three sections and, as if that were not enough, the main lights are surrounded by a plastic moulding that contrasts with the body colour. The lights are halogen, except for the LED daytime running lights located at the top.

On the sides, the details that define the SUV character stand out, such as the lower mouldings or the rising line of the windows, with the rear ones being smaller. The wheel arches, in plastic, again contrast with the body, and the tyres on our unit were size 205/60 R16.

At the rear, the lights are again divided into two groups, with some placed high (as with the daytime lights at the front) and others lower down, surrounded by a black plastic moulding that again contrasts with the body colour (which, on our unit, was anything but discreet). A positive detail is the ground clearance.

Interior design: harmonious European design with finishes not usual for Hyundai

The dashboard design follows the lines the Korean manufacturer has accustomed us to. The influence of European taste in the design is evident: all the controls are neatly and elegantly distributed, harmonious, uncluttered and well fitted.

The quality of the plastics surprised us, however. All of them feel hard to the touch, something that does not happen in other models from the brand, and given the Kona’s segment, it should at least include some soft-touch plastic in the most visible and central areas of the dashboard. The simplicity is also apparent in the instrumentation, although it is complete in terms of information. The screen is the star of the central area, a touchscreen that works correctly.

The driving position is comfortable, slightly high, but with good visibility overall. The driver’s seat, however, has no lumbar adjustment, while in its favour is the ease of access to the front seats.

The rear seats are spacious (the predominant feeling in the cabin), with easy access, thanks also to the good opening angle of the doors (important for older people, for example). There is more than enough room for the feet, and likewise for the head, even for tall people. The negative note is the absence of rear air vents.

Boot is adequate, with a capacity of 361 litres, slightly raised due to the double floor with very practical compartments.

Engine and performance: 1.0 T-GDI three-cylinder with 120 CV

The Hyundai Kona is only available with petrol engines, that is, there is currently no diesel engine available. Specifically, there is the 1.0 T-GDI with 120 CV and the 1.6 T-GDI with 177 CV (the latter available with all-wheel drive). The one we tested, the 1.0, is a three-cylinder only engine that left us with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it is very performance-oriented and, thanks to the six-speed manual gearbox, we can make the most of every one of its horses; on the other, it is an engine that lacks refinement.

As soon as you start it, the sensation when setting off is strange, as if it is about to stall. This is common in three-cylinder engines, but in this particular one it is much more noticeable. On the other hand, its operation is not as smooth as it should be (compared with a four-cylinder engine the difference is considerable). On the positive side, its ability to rev and move the Kona with enviable ease stands out, especially around 3,000 rpm, where this SUV shows its most aggressive side.

Handling: agility and lightness

Another area where the dynamics of this Kona pleasantly surprised us: it is a very light car, which is noticeable behind the wheel, and extremely agile. Add to that the performance-oriented engine and the Kona handles better than many compact cars on twisty roads, remaining stable and with an enviable cornering ability despite its height.

On the road it is comfortable and stable even at high speeds. Soundproofing could be improved, however, as quite a lot of road noise gets through. The braking system performs its job perfectly, while the steering is accurate and quite assisted.

Our unit was a 4×2, so we did not test the off-road capability of the Kona. Except in very specific conditions where traction may be needed, this 4×2 version combined with good ground clearance is more than sufficient for driving on tracks off the asphalt, and it includes hill descent control.

Fuel consumption

According to our measurements, on the road it can reach 5.4 litres per 100 km, although the usual figure was 5.9 litres per 100 km. In town the figure rises to 7.3 litres per 100 km on our usual route around Vigo. Finally, on the motorway, thanks to sixth gear and driving carefully, good consumption can be achieved, with averages of 5.9 litres per 100 km.

Equipment

Starting with the safety equipment, even the base trim includes multiple airbags, tyre pressure monitoring, stability control, driver fatigue detection, emergency brake signal, active head restraints, among other features. In Euro NCAP crash tests it earned five stars, with a score of 87% for adult occupant protection and 85% for child occupant protection.

The equipment levels are divided into four: Essence, Klass, Tecno and Style. Our unit was the Klass, which offers a good price-to-equipment ratio, with alloy wheels, a multimedia system (without satellite navigation) but with smartphone connectivity, rear-view camera, lane departure warning, six speakers, front fog lights, among other features.

Thanks to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, satellite navigation is not necessary and we can display our phone on the system screen. The six speakers, however, were insufficient or lacking power; in my opinion, even the Hyundai i10 had better sound quality.

Personal opinion and price

The Hyundai Kona starts at 18,990 euros for the base trim with the 120 CV engine (before discounts), while the next trim level rises to 20,640 euros, and the 177 CV engine starts at 31,890 euros with all-wheel drive and the highest equipment level. Applying current discounts, however, the price drops to 13,990 euros.

Ultimately, our overall personal opinion of the model is quite positive. Despite its unusual name, the Kona is an interesting SUV from the design point of view, very personal, and for the space it offers inside, and it has handling in which its dynamism stands out compared with other SUVs on the market. On the negative side is the feel of the three-cylinder petrol engine, which is not refined in terms of smoothness despite being worthy of each of its 120 CV; and another area to improve is the interior finish, which falls below what other models from the brand usually offer, something that could be better given the segment and price.

Photos | Test team and special thanks to Miguel V.

Technische Daten dieses Autos

CrossoverHyundai Kona18 Varianten · ab 30.190 €