Hyundai’s smallest utility vehicle arrives as the automaker tries to put a troubling year behind it. Sales fell significantly in both the U.S. and Canada in 2017, the first annual drop since the recession. The blame for the 13.4 percent U.S. drop and 6.1 percent Canadian decline lies in our growing aversion to small, fuel-efficient cars, of which Hyundai has many, and our insatiable lust for large utility vehicles, of which Hyundai does not have enough.
There’s nothing large about the Hyundai Kona, but it’s still an important player in the raft of new or revamped crossovers bound for Hyundai’s stable. And, just like in the small car segment it’s slowly replacing, economy matters in the small crossover segment. So, now that the Environmental Protection Agency has seen fit to test the Kona, how does its thirst stack up against its rivals?
Fairly well, as it turns out, though it’s no class leader.
The front-wheel drive Kona, when equipped with the volume 2.0-liter four-cylinder and six-speed automatic, earns a rating of 27 mpg city, 33 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined. The same combined figure also applies to the FWD 1.6-liter turbo variant.
The latter model gains a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, plus an extra dose of power. Turbo buyers can expect 175 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, compared to the 2.0-liter’s 147 hp and 132 lb-ft.
As for its FWD fuel economy, the Kona’s combined rating tops that of the Toyota C-HR and Chevrolet Trax by 1 and 2 mpg, respectively, and beats the manual-transmission version of the Honda HR-V by 1 mpg. (The CVT-equipped FWD HR-V and base Mazda CX-3 top the Kona by 1 mpg.)
If more traction is on your must-have list, adding all-wheel drive shaves three miles per gallon off the rating of both the turbo and naturally aspirated models. Compared to its competition, the AWD Kona’s 27 mpg combined figure matches that of a similarly outfitted (but significantly less powerful, in the case of the 1.6T) Trax. However, both the AWD CX-3 and HR-V beat the Kona by 2 mpg.
Hyundai’s newest addition should start arriving on dealer lots early this year. Despite rumors to the contrary, no Konas found homes in North America before New Year’s Eve, 2017.
H/T to CarsDirect!
[Image: Hyundai]
Just when I thought the Jeep Cherokee face was on its way out…
“We know from spy photos that the refreshed 2019 Jeep Cherokee will (finally) ditch its awkward stacked headlamps, instead adopting a conventional setup that doesn’t make the vehicle look like it’s squinting.”
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/12/2019-jeep-cherokee-gets-new-engine-go-new-face/#more-1603126
Needs more plastic cladding.
Hahaha. I’m reminded of the black box plane crash joke: “why don’t they make the whole car out of cladding”
Of course the Aztek is the so far GoaT of this measure I think?
Hahaha! A classic, I think that was a George Carlin bit.
Hyundais formerly sold on price – now price shoppers buy heavily discounted cheap Nissans.
I was browsing ChinaCarNews the other night when I couldn’t sleep. 90% of their upcoming crossovers look *far* more palatable than this train wreck. I don’t care if it gets 50 mpg and wipes my @§§ for me, its way too ugly.
Beauty is in the eye of the buyer.
But these aren’t necessarily SUV’s as much as they are a hatch version of the car they share platforms with. Although as I see only one picture here, I like the way it looks. But more important to me than MPG is how does it perform and handle as well as how is the interior comfort and utility? MPG is a good category to be competitive, but at what cost?
IMO, its cousin the Kia Stonic looks a bit better.
Kia Stonic, to me is not as nice looking as the Kona. But looks are subjective.
for some reason, when I look at most KIA’s, they remind me of Wallace, from Wallace and Gromit fame.
I like Wallace!
So do I, I just don’t want the car I drive to look like a claymation character.
It’s the latest craze!! The Jacked Up Hatchback. Or JUHB for short. It is truly amazing what the Auto Industry has done. They have taken the hatchback…a car nobody wanted…and they put bigger wheels and tires on it. They added a weak AWD system, some Pontiac cladding, and charged an extra 6 grand for it. And it worked!! People happily pay the premium. Truly Amazing.
Several don’t offer AWD.
I only know that the Toyota CH-R is only FWD. Which others are only FWD?
I’ve been saying that for a few years now. Take a wagon or hatch and simply change the name and you have marketing 101. Sex sells. Take for instance the LEGO brand. They simply added pink bricks and long blond hair to some of their kits and are selling more kits. But they are the same thing in each box.
Kona, sounds Hawaiian. Thomas Magnum would drive one if Robin Masters was mileage conscious.
I kinda like the looks of it.
Ditto, I think it looks awesome. Lower this a few inches and you have a nice looking compact hatch.
I like it just as it is. Why lower it? But at 175 HP, it needs ‘mo powa’.
Wait, I just looked up the stats, and the ground clearance of this Kona is only 6.7 inches. How much lower do you need?