Hyundai enlarges SUV line-up with Kona  

HYUNDAI has unveiled the latest vehicle in its expanding line-up of stylish SUVs, the Kona compact SUV. With a strong, impactful design and uncompromised individuality, the Kona is designed to appeal to modern customers with active lifestyles. The Kona joins Tucson, Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport in a growing line-up of Hyundai SUVs that feature progressive design with high interior refinement and spaciousness. Hyundai vice chairman, Euisun Chung said, “With the Kona, we have created a stylish and highly functional compact SUV, perfectly suited to the needs of customers who pursue challenging, action-filled lifestyles, “We aim to set new standards for the compact SUV segment, with appealing design, cutting-edge connectivity and class-leading safety features.” The Kona offers uncompromised individuality and innovative features, with a bold, daring image that hints at the future design direction of Hyundai Motor’s next generation of SUV models. High-contrast design elements give the impression of a masculine protective ‘armor’, while futuristic LED lamps create a high-tech look.

Aggressive body styling emphasizes the car’s well-proportioned, dynamic silhouette. Its low and wide stance, long wheelbase and short overhangs ensure sporty, nimble handling, in addition to delivering superior driving stability at high speed. It is also the first SUV to adopt Hyundai’s new signature design feature, the Cascading Grille, featuring a sporty mesh pattern, flanked by exceptional wing-type fenders that dominate the front design. The new Kona is offered with a combination of advanced gasoline and diesel engines of various power outputs – dependent on the market. These include a 2.0-liter MPI Atkinson-cycle engine producing 149PS, the Gamma 1.6T-GDI engine boasting 177PS, and a highly efficient 1.0 T-GDI turbocharged three-cylinder engine that produces 120PS. The lightweight body frame has been developed with 51.8% Advanced High Strength Steel to deliver class-leading levels of passive safety. Active safety features include Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), which uses the car’s front-facing camera and radar to detect imminent collision and avoid impact or minimize damage by braking autonomously. Three further systems also utilize the front-view camera to boost safety and convenience: Lane Keeping Assist (LKA); High Beam Assist (HBA); and Driver Attention Warning (DAW).

The Kona boasts a suite of sophisticated technologies, paired with user-friendly functionality to ensure driver and passengers can stay informed and entertained. The premium infotainment system offers various advanced connectivity features, including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay where specified, with a 5-, 7- or 8-inch display (offered as standard or option dependent on the market). A new Head-Up Display (HUD) projects a virtual image onto the clear glass panel mounted behind the instrument panel to enable the driver to keep his or her eyes on the road. In a first for the segment, the Kona features smartphone wireless charging. Available as an option with all Kona models, customers simply place a compatible smartphone on the wireless charging interface, located in the center console storage, to easily recharge without the need for cables.

At the world premiere of the all-new Kona, Hyundai Motor unveiled a special edition that shares the name of Marvel’s heroic and powerful character – Iron Man. With greater width (+40mm), the Kona Iron Man Special Edition presents a confident stance, while special LEDs are applied to the headlights, which sit beneath a matt gray hood, embellished with red and gold accents. The Kona Iron Man Special Edition’s dynamic exterior is further complemented by a 19-inch directional wheel badged with an Iron Man Mask in the center, as well as off-road tires 716mm in outside diameter. The special edition will go on display at Hyundai Motor’s Motorstudio in Seoul, Korea, for a month following its global reveal. The Kona will go on sale in Korea later this month, followed by North America and Europe.