Well, the good news is it is the same engine. They are both the same 1591cc T-GDi four cylinder with the same bore and stroke, just a different compression ratio. Even the gear ratios for the seven-speed dual clutch are identical. Try it and see, I reckon the horsepower is more than adequate. RB
Kona is actually a small car. It is supposed to be built on an i30 platform, however the car is ~18 cm (7 inch) shorter than the i30. And you can feel it straight away, when trying to get in and out of the back seat as the rear doors are quite narrow. Nevertheless the car looks stunning.
I drive an Acura sedan. This is going to be my next vehicle time to trade in my tsx. Can't wait for this to come out in the US. Great review you have a new suscriber.
Thanks. I think you'll like the Kona. And thanks for subscribing, too. Feel free to ask me anything and I'll try to cover it in my reviews. Well maybe not anything. RB
Awesome review. My girlfriend loves this car and so do it. It'll probably be hers in a few years time. I've got my eye on the I30 N (even though the US won't get it.)
Hi Dylan, thanks dude. Yeah, I've been in and out of a billion small SUVs this year and the Kona is outstanding - a good choice, but keep in mind it's pretty small. Now the i30N... that thing is a beastie! RB
TidyBananas GTA You know I’m actually ok with the idea of a veloster N, though I probably would prefer the functionality of the i30N. would seriously consider buying either a used Veloster N or a used Stinger GT in a few years time.
Richard. I really enjoy your naturally happy, humerous persona & your knowledge of cars.. Just one thing. please say AITCH for 'H'. Oh, the Kona. Nearly bought one late 2017 but ultimately opted for fully loaded i30SRPremium 1.6DCT (not red) which I 'mostly' love. A warm hatch suits seniors like my wife and myself perfectly.
Active safety systems are common now, including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and so on. However I haven’t seen any review yet that comments on the effectiveness of these systems. Same with adaptive cruise control. Are all systems equal or are some better than others? I would like to see testers do more than just tick the boxes.
CarsGuide richard your reviews are refreshingly great - like the way you tell it the way it is in a quirky manner at the same time being professional. If you had to spend your own money would you buy the top spec kona or the top spec subaru xv - both about $39k drive away
Thanks John, glad you like my reviews. Top spec Kona or XV? OK, that's a good question. The XV has more cabin room, more rear legroom, but the Kona has a bigger boot (361 litre v XV's 310). The XV has a CVT which makes the car feel under powered, while the Kona's dual clutch is a bit jerky but hooks up for great acceleration. The AWD system in the XV is excellent (Suabru's Symmetrcial system) and the ground clearance of the XV is impressive at 220mm. The Kona would be my pick - the CVT in the XV is a deal breaker for me I'm afraid. But if you're going to spend $39K take a look at the bigger Hyundai Tucson or Mazda CX-5, too. The CX-5 Maxx Sport 4x4 is $37,390 and the Tucson Elite AWD is $39,250 (the base spec Tucson is $28,590 by the way). Both the Tucson and the CX-5 are excellent and not too big. Check these out: Kona review www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/hyundai-kona-highlander-awd-61141 XV review www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/subaru-xv-54288 Tucson review www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/hyundai-tucson-elite-awd-review-49150 CX-5 review www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/mazda-cx-5-maxx-sport-awd-petrol-56942 Hope that helps, John. -
Hi! Great review. Just so you know the comments you made about the manual transmission were correct for initial use. One thing that they don't promote enough is that your transmission learns your habits and adjusts to the way you drive. This will improve your driving experience as you own the car. Excellent car at an excellent price. No - I don't work for Hyundai. :-)
Best in this class. Bought my Kona Limited 5 days ago and I'm really happy I did. Tested the rest in class vehicles and this blows them away in performance, features, style(subjective) and price!!! This is a mean little SUV in all respects.
William. Nope, the sound system is pretty average - not the worst at all, but nowhere near as good as the new Volvo XC60's sound system. But you're paying about $75K. RB
CarsGuide Thanks for letting me know! I'd be really interested in checking this cute ute out, but I have a feeling the Tucson will be more practical in the end.
I think your instincts are working perfectly. The Tucson is bigger but still not considered big. Plus for the price of a Highlander you can get into a mid-spec Tucson. I had a Tucson for six months and really rate it. My long term review is here on the carsguide youtube channel (just search for Tucson and my name). cheers Richard Berry
CarsGuide Thanks Rich! I will definitely look for your long term Tucson review. What you said makes a lot of sense - for the money I think a mid trim Tucson would be a better buy than the top of the line Kona, at least that's the impression I get. Here in the states we have an SE Plus model of the Tucson with the 2.0 motor but many amenities from the Limited model, at an attractive price. I may just go for this. Thanks again and I'll check out your review of the Tucson!
I've just jumped onto the Hyundai USA website. Yup the SE Plus is the one I would buy. Sure it's $4050 more than the SE but you're getting leather upholstery, heated front seats, power driver's seat, 8-inch screen (rather than the 5-inch), Apple Carplay and Android Auto, a much better sound system, LED headlights plus a ton of other stuff above the SE. Yep, worth the extra money and adds great features. Smart choice. Good luck. Richard Berry
I’m glad there was a baby seat in the back, don’t apologise. You never see car reviews with any baby seats!! All these family cars and never a baby seat in back to compare room. So far Honda Jazz beats everything on back seat room.
GDI junk GDI turbos are very bad for clogging up the valves , i would not at all buy one of these , the 2.0 MPI is the better engine and also that display in the highlander is not 7" they come in 8 " for the elite and 10.2" for the highlander
There would be a market for the Kona Vegan, I'm sure. While I'm not opposed to leather if it's obtained humanely it's interesting that car makers don't seem to offer an alternative to leather on top-spec cars. Could you get a Kona Highlander with cloth seats? I'm going to find out for you. Leave it with me. RB
CarsGuide usually i get mean responses from meat eaters. This is a refreshing change. If tesla can elimanate leather, why cant other car companies have a faux leather option? Sure base models get cloth, but i want some bells and whistles too.
OK Courtney I presented the question to a Hyundai's public relations people: is it possible to have a top spec Kona Highlander without leather seats? Their spokesperson said it could be done but it would require the dealer to retro fit cloth seats. But yes this is doable. sure you'd miss out on the heated and ventilated function but I think those things are a bit 'meh' anyway. Hope that helps mate. RB
Hyundai really failed on the name choice... I mean they sell that model worldwide! KONA with a "c" means the dirty word for the female private part in portuguese... 😂 They changed the name to "KAUAI" in Portugal, but there's a lot of portuguese people who live outside of Portugal, A LOT... Millions and Millions! Kinda a fail... 😂
Well, I think they were going for Kona as in the place in Hawaii - that's Hyundai's story and they're sticking to it. Still not as bad a Pajero....Richard Berry
Bought a Kona 1 month ago (Prefered trim, Canadian edition)! Really loving it!!
You're such a dag Richard. Which makes you one of the best reviewers on RUclips. A competitor for carwow and Micah on KBB.
Ha! Thanks! Yep, total dag. RB
Thanks. Patiently waiting for this to drop in the US. Im still driving my 2009 base accent, lol...
RICHARD BERRY IS A REVIEWING GOD!!!! :) truly awesome :)
LOL! Awww... Thanks. RB
Totally agree..!!
Awesome review! They hit the U.S. market in the spring, trading my Veloster Turbo for one.
Thank you, kindly. I think you'll be happier with the performance too - compared with the Veloster Turbo. RB
CarsGuide with a tune and a intake I think the kona can achieve to 201hp the Veloster Turbo has
Hell yeah. Well stock, the 1.6-litre is making about 170 hp, so that's almost there - wouldn't take much to get to 201+ me thinks ; ) RB
Kinda wish they used the Veloster turbo's 1.6T..
Well, the good news is it is the same engine. They are both the same 1591cc T-GDi four cylinder with the same bore and stroke, just a different compression ratio. Even the gear ratios for the seven-speed dual clutch are identical. Try it and see, I reckon the horsepower is more than adequate. RB
Richard Berry is the man
I'm just a man, but thank you kindly. RB
Kona is actually a small car. It is supposed to be built on an i30 platform, however the car is ~18 cm (7 inch) shorter than the i30. And you can feel it straight away, when trying to get in and out of the back seat as the rear doors are quite narrow. Nevertheless the car looks stunning.
I drive an Acura sedan. This is going to be my next vehicle time to trade in my tsx. Can't wait for this to come out in the US. Great review you have a new suscriber.
Thanks. I think you'll like the Kona. And thanks for subscribing, too. Feel free to ask me anything and I'll try to cover it in my reviews. Well maybe not anything. RB
Awesome review. My girlfriend loves this car and so do it. It'll probably be hers in a few years time. I've got my eye on the I30 N (even though the US won't get it.)
Hi Dylan, thanks dude. Yeah, I've been in and out of a billion small SUVs this year and the Kona is outstanding - a good choice, but keep in mind it's pretty small. Now the i30N... that thing is a beastie! RB
The U.S. is getting the Veloster N
That would be cool. That car is crying out for more grunt to match its looks. RB
TidyBananas GTA You know I’m actually ok with the idea of a veloster N, though I probably would prefer the functionality of the i30N. would seriously consider buying either a used Veloster N or a used Stinger GT in a few years time.
Osoji we won't see the i30N here in the states
Richard. I really enjoy your naturally happy, humerous persona & your knowledge of cars.. Just one thing. please say AITCH for 'H'. Oh, the Kona. Nearly bought one late 2017 but ultimately opted for fully loaded i30SRPremium 1.6DCT (not red) which I 'mostly' love. A warm hatch suits seniors like my wife and myself perfectly.
Active safety systems are common now, including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and so on. However I haven’t seen any review yet that comments on the effectiveness of these systems. Same with adaptive cruise control. Are all systems equal or are some better than others? I would like to see testers do more than just tick the boxes.
richard you are a gem
Thanks heaps mate. RB
CarsGuide richard your reviews are refreshingly great - like the way you tell it the way it is in a quirky manner at the same time being professional. If you had to spend your own money would you buy the top spec kona or the top spec subaru xv - both about $39k drive away
Thanks John, glad you like my reviews.
Top spec Kona or XV? OK, that's a good question. The XV has more cabin room, more rear legroom, but the Kona has a bigger boot (361 litre v XV's 310). The XV has a CVT which makes the car feel under powered, while the Kona's dual clutch is a bit jerky but hooks up for great acceleration. The AWD system in the XV is excellent (Suabru's Symmetrcial system) and the ground clearance of the XV is impressive at 220mm.
The Kona would be my pick - the CVT in the XV is a deal breaker for me I'm afraid.
But if you're going to spend $39K take a look at the bigger Hyundai Tucson or Mazda CX-5, too. The CX-5 Maxx Sport 4x4 is $37,390 and the Tucson Elite AWD is $39,250 (the base spec Tucson is $28,590 by the way). Both the Tucson and the CX-5 are excellent and not too big.
Check these out:
Kona review
www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/hyundai-kona-highlander-awd-61141
XV review
www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/subaru-xv-54288
Tucson review
www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/hyundai-tucson-elite-awd-review-49150
CX-5 review
www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/mazda-cx-5-maxx-sport-awd-petrol-56942
Hope that helps, John.
-
richard sounds like a 13 yo going through puberty the way his voice squeaks, haha. good review though.
Hi! Great review. Just so you know the comments you made about the manual transmission were correct for initial use. One thing that they don't promote enough is that your transmission learns your habits and adjusts to the way you drive. This will improve your driving experience as you own the car. Excellent car at an excellent price. No - I don't work for Hyundai. :-)
Best in this class. Bought my Kona Limited 5 days ago and I'm really happy I did. Tested the rest in class vehicles and this blows them away in performance, features, style(subjective) and price!!! This is a mean little SUV in all respects.
Is the sound system premium?
Most car companies give you crap speakers
William. Nope, the sound system is pretty average - not the worst at all, but nowhere near as good as the new Volvo XC60's sound system. But you're paying about $75K. RB
You can optionally choose a premium sound system from the audio specialist KRELL.
thanks Richard I enjoy your reviews btw I like the artwork :)
Thank you, William. RB
감사합니다! Thank you!
Adaptive cruise control?
Does it have safety features?
How does this car compare to the Tucson?
Much smaller cabin and boot. It's verging on too small for me and my little family. RB
CarsGuide Thanks for letting me know! I'd be really interested in checking this cute ute out, but I have a feeling the Tucson will be more practical in the end.
I think your instincts are working perfectly. The Tucson is bigger but still not considered big. Plus for the price of a Highlander you can get into a mid-spec Tucson. I had a Tucson for six months and really rate it. My long term review is here on the carsguide youtube channel (just search for Tucson and my name). cheers Richard Berry
CarsGuide Thanks Rich! I will definitely look for your long term Tucson review. What you said makes a lot of sense - for the money I think a mid trim Tucson would be a better buy than the top of the line Kona, at least that's the impression I get. Here in the states we have an SE Plus model of the Tucson with the 2.0 motor but many amenities from the Limited model, at an attractive price. I may just go for this. Thanks again and I'll check out your review of the Tucson!
I've just jumped onto the Hyundai USA website. Yup the SE Plus is the one I would buy. Sure it's $4050 more than the SE but you're getting leather upholstery, heated front seats, power driver's seat, 8-inch screen (rather than the 5-inch), Apple Carplay and Android Auto, a much better sound system, LED headlights plus a ton of other stuff above the SE. Yep, worth the extra money and adds great features. Smart choice. Good luck. Richard Berry
I’m glad there was a baby seat in the back, don’t apologise. You never see car reviews with any baby seats!! All these family cars and never a baby seat in back to compare room. So far Honda Jazz beats everything on back seat room.
He realy likes the Batman, the darknights..
It's a coincidence, I swear. OK, I like the Batman and the Dark Knights lots. RB
Looking forward to trade my santa fe and purchase this car.
Hey Aldo, the Kona rocks but it is much smaller than a Santa Fe. Make sure you check out the Tucson, too, dude. Richard Berry
Nice car
GDI junk GDI turbos are very bad for clogging up the valves , i would not at all buy one of these , the 2.0 MPI is the better engine and also that display in the highlander is not 7" they come in 8 " for the elite and 10.2" for the highlander
It looks good but there is better small SUV's ... for example Seat arona, Skoda karoq...
It needs a cruelty free option on the top model. Vegan for the win 🐮☮️.
There would be a market for the Kona Vegan, I'm sure. While I'm not opposed to leather if it's obtained humanely it's interesting that car makers don't seem to offer an alternative to leather on top-spec cars. Could you get a Kona Highlander with cloth seats? I'm going to find out for you. Leave it with me. RB
CarsGuide usually i get mean responses from meat eaters. This is a refreshing change. If tesla can elimanate leather, why cant other car companies have a faux leather option? Sure base models get cloth, but i want some bells and whistles too.
OK Courtney I presented the question to a Hyundai's public relations people: is it possible to have a top spec Kona Highlander without leather seats? Their spokesperson said it could be done but it would require the dealer to retro fit cloth seats. But yes this is doable. sure you'd miss out on the heated and ventilated function but I think those things are a bit 'meh' anyway. Hope that helps mate. RB
CarsGuide great. Thanks for that info. I was more interested in tge ioniq. So i will be calling my local dealership.
Anytime, dude. Cheers RB
Kon0
i can tell is a boring car to own and drive.
and why is he keep saying highlander while driving kona
The rear seat room ruins the entire car. Useless!!
Hyundai really failed on the name choice...
I mean they sell that model worldwide!
KONA with a "c" means the dirty word for the female private part in portuguese... 😂
They changed the name to "KAUAI" in Portugal,
but there's a lot of portuguese people who live outside of Portugal, A LOT... Millions and Millions!
Kinda a fail... 😂
Well, I think they were going for Kona as in the place in Hawaii - that's Hyundai's story and they're sticking to it. Still not as bad a Pajero....Richard Berry
CarsGuide Yes, I know the Hawaii story, but still it's a bit of a fail at the end... 😂
Cheers
Ha! What would you have called it? Richard Berry
CarsGuide Well, KAUAI for everywhere! 👍