Making its presence felt in the extremely competitive subcompact crossover class, Hyundai has revealed the 2018 Kona to take on the likes of the Mazda CX-3, Nissan Kicks, and Renault Duster. Following in the footsteps of sister company Kia, the Kona is named after the coastal region of Hawaii and is set to go on sale in Korea later this month.
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Aesthetically speaking, the Kona dons a bold visage with muscular haunches and sweeping contours that complement the protective cladding to embellish its bodywork. LEDs integrated into the headlamp and tail lamp clusters add a dose of flamboyance, while the twin-spoke alloys do an exceptional job of filling the wheel wells.
“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,” said Euisun Chung, Vice Chairman of Hyundai. “We aim to set new standards for the compact SUV segment, with appealing design, cutting-edge connectivity and class leading safety features.”
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Gadgets onboard include Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and 4G connectivity with options of a 5-, 7- or 8-inch touch infotainment display. Targeted to the youth, the Kona also packs in a segment-first wireless charging smartphone system that signals if a device is fully charged or left behind in the vehicle when exiting.
Sharing its platform with the upcoming Kia Stonic, the Kona is likely to be made available with two engines in the GCC, a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter unit and a beefier 1.6-liter turbocharged powerplant. Though estimates, it is likely to churn out 150 horsepower and 180 Nm in naturally-aspirated form, as opposed to 175 horsepower and 265 Nm with the aid of forced induction.
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