Test drive: the new Kona Hybrid in 10 key points

We tested the new Hyundai Kona Hybrid, and we tell you the ten most outstanding aspects of this interesting SUV with an ECO label.

We travelled to Jerez de la Frontera to attend the national presentation of the new Hyundai Kona Hybrid. A car we have already told you many details about, but which we can now analyse in greater depth, after covering a good number of kilometres on all kinds of roads… and a few “excursions” along country tracks.

These are the 10 key points you need to consider when weighing up a purchase of the Hyundai Kona Hybrid.

1 Exterior design: the Hyundai Kona is still a “sweetie”

More than 120,000 units of the Kona have been sold in Europe since its launch in 2017. Of these, 20,000 were in Spain. A figure that demonstrates the great acceptance this compact crossover has enjoyed, with its eye-catching design.

The hybrid version does not lose the originality of the Kona’s bodywork design. Here there are no elements that clearly distinguish this version, as there are with the Kona Electric, beyond the “Hybrid” logo. As exclusive details, a launch colour called Blue Lagoon is offered, and the wheels (16 or 18 inches, depending on finish) feature a special design for the hybrid.

By the way, of the 20,000 Hyundai Konas sold in our market, more than 18,000 are petrol-engined versions, barely 1,000 are diesels, and the Kona Electric has already totalled 837 units sold.

2 A proven and reliable propulsion system

No experiments and no room for doubt. The Kona’s hybrid system is already more than proven in another hybrid of great commercial success, the Kia Niro Hybrid. It is also the one used in the recently renewed Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid.

The engine is a 1.6 GDI naturally aspirated petrol unit with 1.6 litres, four cylinders and direct injection, producing 105 CV and 147 Nm of maximum torque. Simple and reliable.
Not much when Hyundai has offered it in some non-hybrid models in its range, especially when compared with the new turbocharged engines.

But with the help of the 32 kW (43.5 CV) electric motor things change. A combined total output of 141 CV is quoted, with a system maximum torque of 265 Nm. And it performs as you would expect. It is not what you would call lightning-quick off the mark. It needs 11.2 or 11.6 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, depending on whether it runs on 205/60-16 or 225/45-18 tyres. And top speed is limited to 160 km/h. But it delivers what you expect: pleasant use in town and good ability to maintain stable cruising on long journeys, even with a load, although on inclines it does need effort.

The battery is a lithium-ion polymer unit. It has a capacity of 1.56 kWh, and it “self-charges” on the move (there is no plug here), by recovering energy during deceleration and braking.

3 Six-speed dual-clutch gearbox

Here is one of the reasons why the Hyundai Kona Hybrid performs so well. For the transmission it uses a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which includes steering-wheel paddles as standard.

It drives like a conventional automatic, with three operating modes: sport, eco or manual. With the lever to the right – ECO mode – the Kona Hybrid behaves like an automatic car, although at any moment you can select a gear “by hand” using the paddles. After a few seconds, the system returns to automatic mode.

Moving the lever to the left activates sport mode, which, in addition to adjusting the automatic gearbox management, also slightly modifies the steering assistance. Here, if the driver operates the paddles or moves the lever in the sequential gate, the gearbox switches to “manual” mode and stays there.

4 Ease of driving: it doesn’t feel like a hybrid

The automatic gearbox is largely responsible for the ease and, above all, the pleasure of driving the Kona Hybrid. Here there is none of the annoying noise sensation when accelerating that is so characteristic, for example, in the Toyota hybrids, with a gearbox using a gear arrangement that in practice recalls a CVT.

If you get in as a passenger, or even as a driver, nothing except the instrumentation will give you any clue that you are driving a hybrid. In fact, there is not even an “EV” mode to force the system to operate in electric mode. The management system chooses which engine should run and when, and the driver only has to handle the Kona as they would a petrol or diesel version.

Regarding the latter, I would say that the Kona Hybrid seemed even more effective and more comfortable when crossing potholes. A matter of a more balanced weight distribution, but also of tyres: the Kona Hybrid we tested was equipped with 16-inch wheels with 205/60-16 tyres, which make the car more comfortable than with the 225/45-18 fitted on the top finish, the same ones with which we previously tested the Kona with combustion engines. So there you go, 18-inch wheels look very nice, but the tyres associated with them subtract more than they add.

Of course there are driving tips for getting the most out of a hybrid car. But here too the Kona helps, with the ECO-DAS system.

5 ECO-DAS: fuel savings through eco-driving

A system fitted as standard on the Hyundai Kona Hybrid when equipped with satellite navigation (from the Tecno finish onwards) is the so-called ECO-DAS, short for Eco Driving Assist System. It requires no more intervention from the driver than running the navigation system with a programmed route. What it does is help save fuel by helping the driver take advantage of the energy regeneration system.

To do this, the system works predictively, taking into account junctions, motorway exits or gradients, warning the driver of an imminent deceleration so they can “lift off”. In addition, it manages the charging and discharging of the battery. For example, ahead of an upcoming gradient, it can prioritise charging the battery to have enough energy so that the electric motor assists the combustion engine on the climb. Or conversely, if the battery is charged, the system will increase the electric motor’s involvement before tackling a downhill stretch where the battery can easily recover its charge.

6 Consumption: a real-world 6 l/100 km within reach

After a drive in the Kona Hybrid on motorway, in town and along a stretch of dirt track in good condition, we can draw a first conclusion about consumption.

On the motorway, and especially on country roads, using the gearbox and driving in “sport” mode, where the Kona performs more than adequately, though I warn you that you won’t get what could be called sporty sensations, consumption can occasionally rise even above 9 l/100 km.

But don’t worry. In the end, by accumulating kilometres of relaxed driving and in town, it recovers a lot of ground even if you indulge yourself now and then, and the Kona, which as a good hybrid displays its ECO label, can use very little. It is not at all difficult to get the real average on the trip computer close to 6 l/100 km, a very remarkable figure.

7 New multimedia system

A notable debut for the Kona Hybrid is the multimedia system with navigation and the 10.25-inch screen, standard from the Tecno finish onwards (the base Klass has a 7″ unit). Its operation is very good, thanks to its speed, ease of use of the menus and presentation of the graphics. In addition, the icons shown on the home screen can be personalised across its two versions.

It also features compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is complemented by a 4.2-inch screen in the instrumentation, which allows you to choose a graphic representation of how the hybrid system is working.

8 Boot capacity

One advantage of the Kona is that it was developed from the outset with different propulsion systems in mind: combustion engines, hybrid and electric variant. For this reason, accommodating the battery does not reduce boot space, nor does it force you to give up the effective multi-link rear suspension.

As with the Kona with petrol or diesel engines, the hybrid has a capacity of 361 litres for carrying luggage, which can reach 1,143 litres with the rear seats folded down. The only price to pay is that the spare wheel is replaced by a puncture repair kit.

9 BlueLink: an always-connected car

The Hyundai Kona Hybrid includes the Bluelink Connected Car Services, which Hyundai intends to progressively add to its entire range.

Basically, it is a free app that lets you connect the car to the user’s smartphone. The car also has a 4G modem and a SIM card installed in the vehicle, to provide coverage for the Hyundai Live services.

With the app you can do what is now common on cars offering this type of connectivity: lock the car remotely, synchronise navigation maps, a “find my car” function, remote vehicle diagnostics, pre-conditioning of the cabin, analysis of statistics for each journey, or setting up a wifi hotspot to which passengers can connect. In the case of electric vehicles, it is also possible to manage the charging process remotely.

For its part, the Hyundai Live services are a free Bluelink function for the customer for the first five years after the vehicle is purchased. It provides real-time access to information on weather, points of interest, petrol stations and fuel prices, traffic, speed cameras, car parks or charging points.

10 Price, equipment and discounts on the Hyundai Kona Hybrid

Hyundai offers a direct discount on the purchase of the Hyundai Kona Hybrid reaching 1,500 euros. With this discount applied, the prices are as follows:

• Kona Hybrid Klass: €24,690
• Kona Hybrid Tecno: €28,490
• Kona Hybrid Style: €31,590

If you finance the purchase and hand over a car in exchange, regardless of make, the maximum discount you can opt for reaches 3,600 euros.

If we compare it with the Hyundai Kona petrol range, with the same finish a Kona 1.0 T-GDI of 120 CV costs 5,400 euros less, while the 1.6 CRDI of 115 CV is 3,400 euros less, both with manual gearboxes. But of course, we are talking about versions that are not equivalent in power, and which do not have an automatic gearbox.

The closest to the Kona Hybrid in terms of power and transmission within its own range would be the 1.6 CRDi Kona of 136 CV with DCT gearbox, which costs 22,900 euros (always with discounts applied), so the difference is 1,790 euros. Although few Kona CRDIs were sold until now, with the arrival of the hybrid it looks very much as though the diesels have little time left in the range. At least the most powerful one.

As alternatives, the Kia Niro Hybrid starts at a price around 1,000 euros lower, while the Toyota CH-R is offered from 24,850 euros, a price very similar to the Kona.

As for equipment, the Klass finish is not badly provided for. It will depend a little on what you are looking for and a great deal on your budget, as there are not many possibilities to start from the base Klass finish and add the options you want.

What you do need to know is that the 3,800 euro difference with the mid-range Tecno finish may seem like a lot of money.

But look at everything it adds as standard: decorative details (black mouldings, tinted glass…), LED headlights, a luggage net in the boot, seats with mixed cloth and leather upholstery, the upper navigation system with the 10.25-inch screen and BlueLink system, wireless phone charger, electrically folding mirrors, head-up display, rain sensor, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot detection with rear traffic alert, and an emergency braking assistance system with detection of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.

Hyundai Kona Hybrid image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverHyundai Kona18 versions · from 30,190 €