2023 Hyundai Kona Premium 2.0L review

Is this the Kona to get, or is there not enough engine to exploit the new-generation Kona’s full potential?

Opting for the 2.0-litre atmo engine is the most affordable way to get a ‘Premium’ experience in Hyundai’s newest small SUV, and, it turns out, is more of a happy medium than anything underwhelming. If all-wheel drive or a hybrid powertrain aren’t must-haves, it’s arguably the pick of the Kona litter.

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JUMP AHEAD

• How much is it, and what do you get?
• Interior comfort, space and storage
• What is it like to drive?
• How much fuel does it use?
• How safe is it?
• VERDICT
• Specifications

How much is it, and what do you get?

At $39,500 before on-road costs, the Kona Premium 2.0L narrowly sneaks under the $40K barrier.

That sounds like a lot for a small SUV – and let’s be honest, it is – but Hyundai Australia says the market (that means you) is already transacting well above that level for vehicles in this size class.

According to them, 69 percent of all small SUVs sold in 2022 cost over $30,000 – and if you subtract Chinese brands, which trade heavily on low price points, that percentage jumps to 82 percent.

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But there’s no denying the Kona is now positioned as a more premium product.

For the variant we’re looking at here, its premium aspirations are even part of its name. Leather upholstery is available in three colours on the Premium grade (black, light grey and Sage Green), ambient lighting imparts nightclub vibes when the sun goes down, and the basic instrument panel of the base model gets flicked in favour of a reconfigurable 12.3-inch display that matches the infotainment screen for size.

Sat-nav is standard, the 8-speaker BOSE audio system thumps out music, and a power tailgate adds some convenience factor. See below for the full list of gear on the Kona Premium:

Standard equipment:

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Hyundai Kona N-Line infotainment

Interior comfort, space and storage

Sure, opting for the Premium grade might add $7500 to the invoice, but it adds something else as well: a genuinely useful cabin that’s unlike anything else in the small SUV segment right now.

See, while the base model Kona puts a traditional transmission selector between the front seats, the Premium grade removes that and relocates it to the steering column.

The extra space that’s liberated in the centre console is then turned into a long, open storage tray that can accommodate a broad range of things, including something as big as a laptop bag. Alongside that, there’s also a handy shelf inset to the passenger-side dashboard that’s another great place to perch your belongings, as well as a decently-sized glovebox.

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Premium grade also boosts its passenger comfort levels through a heated steering wheel

Besides increases in cabin dimensions that liberate more headroom, shoulder room and legroom (the back seat gains a whopping 77mm more legroom thanks to a wheelbase stretch and specially designed front seatbacks), the Premium grade also boosts its passenger comfort levels through a heated steering wheel, heated/ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats.

Both front seats are power-adjustable too, however the driver’s seat gets the added benefit of a “relaxation mode” that puts the body in a deep recline that’s perfect for road trip powernaps.

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For a small SUV, the Kona Premium does an excellent job of accommodating its passengers

In the back, passengers also enjoy a two-position backrest for a few more degrees of recumbency, along with face-level air vents, a fold-down centre armrest with a pair of cupholders, and dual USB-C charging ports (with a phone-sized storage pocket right beneath those ports as well).

For a small SUV, the Kona Premium does an excellent job of accommodating its passengers regardless of whether they’re seated up front or in the back.

Luggage space, one of the first-gen Kona’s bigger shortcomings, now jumps above the 400L mark, delivering 407 litres of seats-up stowage and 1241 litres with the second row folded down. The cargo area is also 172mm longer, 76mm wider and 187mm taller than it was before, and a two-position boot floor gives further load-carrying flexibility.

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Hyundai Kona N-Line Premium boot space

What is it like to drive?

The Kona’s entry-level engine is a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol inline four with 110kW and 180Nm.

Nothing especially remarkable, particularly when measured agains the 1.6-litre turbo, 1.6-litre hybrid and all-electric powertrains that are (or will soon be) available elsewhere in the Kona range.

But, those numbers and mechanical specs are deceiving. On typical urban roads, the 2.0-litre engine doesn’t feel overly strained with a couple of adults aboard – heavier loads would surely dull performance, but with a typical payload it feels perky enough.

Credit for that arguably goes to the CVT automatic that’s the sole transmission available with this engine – floor it and it reverts to stepped gears for a more ‘natural’ driving feel, but in more sedate driving it performs rather nicely, keeping the engine revs down and smoothly varying its ratio without needless hunting.

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Suspension-wise, it lacks the adeptness of the multi-link suspension found in the hybrid and turbo variants, but the torsion beam rear axle that 2.0-litre models are equipped with is pleasant enough for everyday driving.

It can feel a bit spongy on truly diabolical roads, but the damper tuning prevents it from feeling too sloppy or uncontained.

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How much fuel does it use?

Hyundai claims an average of 6.6L/100km, and our launch drive gave us an average of 6.9L/100km on a fairly mild and mostly-highway drive route. The Kona consumes regular 91 octane petrol.

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How safe is it?

The new Kona has yet to be rated by ANCAP.

Structural upgrades that are built into the 2023 Kona’s new platform should improve crash performance, with more metal to distribute loads in the frontal crumple zone, a 50 percent increase in high-strength steel stampings, and a 10 percent increase in average tensile strength.

The standard safety technology on the Premium grade includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking with junction mode and reversing mode, a blind spot camera, driver attention monitoring, lane-keep assist, active cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, and a 3D parking camera view.

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VERDICT

For the typical motorist, the Kona Premium with the 2.0-litre engine should have everything they need and nothing they don’t want.

Performance is perfectly adequate for city-dwellers, it’s reasonably economical, and it boasts a spacious and practical interior that’s well-suited to carrying four adults or even a young family. It hits the mark, but at this price point, so it should.

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