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JANUARY 2024: Kona Electric driven in Australia
Hyundai's new electric Kona is here, finally, and it presents as a more thought-provoking option than any would've thought when we first drove it way back in November.
July: New Kona driven in Australia!
The new-generation Kona is in Australia now, and you can find our news and reviews at the link below.
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June 26, 2023: Kona Australian pricing revealed
Hyundai has locked in pricing and features for the second-gen Kona, including the hybrid!
UPDATE: Watch our design walkaround review
The new 2024 Hyundai Kona won't reach Australia until the second half of 2023, but we've had a change to get up close with the new model.
Watch our videos, and get more Australian-spec details, in the story linked below.
March 1: 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric showcased in new video
Hyundai has handed down a new video of the next-generation 2024 Kona Electric, offering a detailed look at its exterior and interior design. You can see the video below.
We'll have details on Australian specs and equipment for the new Kona range, including petrol and electric, on March 7 when the news embargo drops.
Be sure to check back here for all the information.
The story to here
January 2023: New Hyundai Kona detailed for Korea
The next-generation 2024 Hyundai Kona has launched in Korea this week, with additional specifications announced for petrol and hybrid variants.
Hyundai said more information for global markets, including the Kona Electric, will be announced in March.
Our reveal story, below, has been updated to reflect the latest details.
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2024 Hyundai Kona revealed in petrol and electric forms
Hyundai has revealed the 2024 Kona ‘SX2’ that's expected to launch in Australia mid-year, with the entire range centred on the battery-electric variant.
Snapshot
- New 2024 Hyundai Kona unveiled
- New platform; bigger in every dimension; EV focus
- Expected in Australia mid next year
The Kona’s design has been pushed even further, lifting cues from the brand’s Ioniq range with broad, but thin, LED lighting details, and futuristic wheel designs.
“Kona has evolved in every respect to embrace an even wider range of diversity, to become a true lifestyle supporter", SangYup Lee, executive vice President and head of Hyundai Design Center, said.
JUMP AHEAD
- 2024 Kona petrol and electric for Australia
- New Kona is much bigger!
- Interior styling
- Powertrains
- Safety
- Will there be a new Kona N?
- What will the Kona Electric offer?
- What will the new Kona cost in Australia?
- When will the new Kona go on sale?
Will the 2024 Kona be petrol and electric in Australia?
Exact powertrain details and precise Australian release timing are as-yet unconfirmed, but it is likely we’ll receive every variant offered globally this time around – including the EV and hybrid – with a local launch mid-year.
With the small SUV segment growing more competitive by the day, the potential addition of a hybrid powertrain with the new model will help Hyundai’s Kona compete with the Honda HR-V, Nissan Qashqai and Toyota Corolla Cross.
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2024 Kona grows in every direction
The new Hyundai Kona rides on a much longer wheelbase, making it a more practical option for buyers looking for space in their small SUV.
The new Kona will share its platform with the i30 Sedan and Kia Niro, but its dimensions differ somewhat, with a wheelbase of 2660 millimetres – 60mm longer than before, but still 60mm shorter than the related vehicles.
Overall length grows to 4355mm – up a significant 150mm – while growing by 25mm in width to 1825mm.
The brand claims this equates to 77mm longer legroom and 11mm taller headroom in the second row, which is said to be best in class.
For local context in the small SUV segment, the popular Toyota Corolla Cross rides on a 2640mm (-20mm) wheelbase and measures 4460mm in overall length (+105mm) and is an identical 1825mm wide.
Hyundai’s designers penned the Kona Electric first, followed by the regular Kona and sportier N Line variants. The result is a unified range and crisp detailing, such as the ‘horizon lamp’ daytime running lights at the front.
The Kona EV and regular Kona have aerodynamic front ends without grilles, reminiscent of the previous electric model, while the N Line takes a more aggressive approach with squared-off air intakes and grille.
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Down the flanks, the new Kona takes cues from the Tucson and i30 Sedan’s elaborate, origami-like sheet metal on the doors.
Around the rear, there’s a single LED light bar, with high-mount brake lights hidden beneath the rear spoiler. The electric version can be told apart easily by the broken-up LED bar, whereas combustion-powered Konas have a solid glow.
Additionally, the electric Kona can be identified by ‘pixel’ inspired 19-inch alloy wheels, an inch up on what’s currently available. The N Line will also wear big 19s, but it’s likely the N Line will be the toughest Kona, with the N Performance model’s future in doubt in light of tightening emissions standards in Europe.
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Inside the new Hyundai Kona's cabin
The Kona's interior takes many cues from the Ioniq 5. It features an available light-coloured leatherette upholstery with a manually-adjustable front passenger seat, and in front of that seat, there’s a clever in-dash storage cubby with ambient lighting.
Although the platform has to support electric, hybrid and pure internal-combustion engines (ICE), Hyundai has done its utmost to make an airy, EV-like cabin – and even if the front footwell isn’t completely seamless like an Ioniq 5, the rear floor looks to be. The Kona is shaping up as a more generous family car than before.
Technology-wise, the Kona sports a pair of 12.3-inch digital screens set into a single housing, as seen in the top-spec Kia Niro GT-Line.
It appears to be running the brand's latest ccOS operating system, with support for over-the-air software updates and a digital key, allowing owners to lock and unlock their Kona using near-field communication on a compatible smartphone or smartwatch.
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Powertrains
Hyundai says that electric, hybrid and petrol engines will feature in the new Kona.
It’s likely Europe will end up getting the bulk of electric and hybrid models, while Australia will see more action from the combustion engine – although this will likely flip in favour of hybrid power if Australia continues to prioritise emissions reductions.
At the bottom end of the Kona range, the current Atkinson-cycle 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine will carry over, producing 110kW and 180Nm, matched with a CVT automatic transmission.
The new 1598cc turbo-petrol four-cylinder found in the i20 N and Tucson will feature in the new, all-wheel-drive Kona N Line in 146kW/265Nm tune, replacing the current 1591cc unit.
We'd expect the updated 1.6-litre turbo Kona to follow the Kia Seltos by replacing its seven-speed DCT auto with a conventional eight-speed automatic – which will be good news for DCT detractors.
As for the hybrid powertrain, it is the same as that found in the Kia Niro, meaning 104kW and 265Nm fed to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The hybrid’s Australian arrival is looking more likely this time around, too.
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Safety
The next-generation Hyundai Kona will feature an updated suite of active safety technology, with new additions including; intelligent speed limit assist, blind-spot view monitor, navigation-based adaptive cruise control, lane following assist, and highway driving assist.
Its autonomous emergency braking system will now support junction-turning and reverse detection, while remote smart parking assist will be available on flagship variants.
A front-centre airbag is almost a certainty in order to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating, but has yet to be confirmed.
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The current petrol-powered Kona N will be the last of its kind
What about a new Kona N hero?
A petrol N? No chance. A Kona N Electric..? Now that's food for thought.
Again, we can only speculate, particularly as there was no mention of an N model anywhere in Hyundai's announcement – and the company's local arm couldn't be moved to comment on the matter.
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Our impression of how the new Ioniq 5 N is likely to look, and the spy photos (linked above) suggest we're spot-on!
What we've learned in recent weeks is that Hyundai will no longer produce combustion-powered N models, meaning any potential for a new Kona N will simply have to come in the form of a Kona N Electric – no ifs, ands or buts.
Of course, we can look to the upcoming Ioniq 5 N for inspiration on that one, and we'd expect it to be a whole lot meaner than the current N model's 206kW/392Nm outputs and 5.5 seconds to 100km/h.
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The new Kona Electric already looks tough – imagine it in N form!
2024 Kona Electric: What can we expect?
Playing flagship, the electric Kona will likely arrive in Australia with similar tweaks to the latest ‘SG2’ Kia Niro, meaning less torque from a single electric motor – now 150kW/255Nm – and improved driving range.
The Kona Electric is already a strong performer when it comes to efficiency, recently achieving 490 kilometres of driving range from its 66kWh battery in a real-world WhichCar EV test. Expect the new car to improve again.
Full details for the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric will be announced in March, so stay tuned to Wheels for the latest information.
What will the new Hyundai Kona cost in Australia?
It's too soon to know what buyers will be asked to pay for the new Kona range, but its larger and more useful dimensions will likely see it jump in price.
The current Kona range is priced from $26,900 before on-road costs – but the Toyota Corolla Cross, a key rival to this new Kona, kicks off from $33,000 plus on-roads. Pricing for the regular Kona range currently tops out at $43,200, while the petrol hero Kona N enters from $49,200, and the Kona Electric begins at $54,500.
There are no electric or GR performance heroes in the Corolla Cross range, but the cheapest hybrid variant is just $35,500 before on-road costs, and the range tops out with the Atmos hybrid AWD at $49,050.
Expect the new Kona range to debut with pricing set to challenge the Corolla Cross, although trim grades and standard equipment levels will obviously result in pricing differences.
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The Toyota Corolla Cross will be the new Kona's main rival, especially in the popular hybrid space
When will the new Hyundai Kona go on sale in Australia?
As noted above, the new Kona range is set to reach Australia in mid-2023, although we can at least expect a staggered launch, with the electric variant likely to debut later in the year or in early 2024.
The hybrid, on the other hand – as a critical variant for the Kona to take on the Corolla Cross – could form part of the initial launch line-up. Whether Hyundai can supply enough models to meet Australia's increasing interest in hybrid vehicles, is another question.
Watch for more on the 2024 Kona range to come in the months ahead.
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