First details have been revealed for the new Hyundai Kona. The South Korean firm’s small crossover gets a striking new look and will be available as petrol, hybrid or pure electric. Keep reading to find out everything we know so far.
Update: Since this guide was published we have driven the latest Hyundai Kona. Click here to read our full Hyundai Kona Review
2023 Hyundai Kona: exterior styling
The Hyundai Kona has always been pitched as a trendy small SUV designed to appeal to style-conscious family buyers, and the new model will be even more striking than the current car.
That starts with standard front and rear light bars that will make the Kona look very modern, day or night, but you also get creases in the bodywork that make the Hyundai look chunky, and eye-catching tail lights housed in V-shaped indents in the car’s rear corners.
Exactly how your Kona looks depends on the model you go for. Electric versions get a pixelated theme that’s present on the front and rear bumpers, wheels and light bars.
Petrol and hybrid models get a more rugged appearance courtesy of black plastic wheel arch trims and plastic scuff plates, while sporty N Line-trimmed cars get glossy black exterior highlights and unique 19-inch alloy wheels.
2023 Hyundai Kona: interior practicality, infotainment and design
The new Kona will address one of the major criticisms of the current model: its shortage of practicality relative to alternatives such as the Seat Arona.
The new model is 150mm longer and 25mm wider than the current one, so you can expect to have a larger boot than the current model (it offers up to 374 litres of luggage space) and more elbow room for passengers. Crucially, the Kona’s wheelbase has also been stretched by 60mm, which should translate into a roomier back seat capable of comfortably accommodating six-footers. All versions will also have a completely flat floor in the back, adding to the sense of space.
Interior quality is also set to improve. Previously, electric versions of the Kona had a redesigned centre console that made them feel more premium than the rest of the range, but in the new version, you can expect the interior quality to be consistent whichever model you go for.
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Horizontal lines will be central to the interior’s design – emphasising its new-found width – and you’ll be able to spec your Kona with a pair of 12.3-inch displays that merge to create one huge screen. Expect the infotainment to be slick to operate and to come as standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
2023 Hyundai Kona: performance, range and battery capacity
The Hyundai Kona will be available with an ICE (internal combustion engine), most likely a petrol, as a hybrid and in pure-electric form.
Hyundai's expertise in EV powertrains means it's the electric model that’s likely to be the pick of the bunch: the current Kona Electric is still one of the best electric cars available, with superb performance and a range that shames most rivals.
It’s likely to be offered with a 64kWh battery that gives the current model a range of 300 miles between charges, although software updates and powertrain efficiencies should improve that slightly in the new model.
As well as ticking the green-credentials box, you can expect the electric Kona to be extremely pleasant to drive. A single gear means it’ll drive like an automatic and instant power will make it surprisingly quick off the line. Expect Hyundai to iron out some of the rough edges of the current model, which can struggle to get its power down smoothly in the wet.
While the electric version of the new Kona will likely grab the headlines, the petrol models will make sense if you’re looking for a good value, practical family car. Conventional hybrid models, meanwhile, should return excellent fuel economy.
2023 Hyundai Kona: price, release date and rivals
Like the current model, the new Kona will sit between the £20,000 Bayon and £29,000 Tucson in Hyundai’s range so you can expect basic petrol models to have a starting price of around £25,000 when the car goes on sale in 2023. Hybrid versions of the Kona will cost closer to £30,000, while you’ll need around £35,000 to get an electric model. The Kona competes with small crossovers like the Seat Arona, Kia Stonic and petrol-electric hybrid Toyota C-HR.