Has Hyundai’s New Kona Small SUV Grown On You Yet?

Hyundai’s rival to the likes of the Nissan Juke, and other crossovers

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by Cristian Gnaticov

September 12, 2017 at 13:22

Hyundai’s rival to the likes of the Nissan Juke, and other crossovers in the increasingly competitive B-segment, the Kona, has touched down in Europe, making its debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.

It has a funky-looking exterior styling, as we learned when the Korean automaker first unveiled it, in June, and it should appeal to millennial new car buyers.

In the Old Continent, Hyundai offers it with a 1.0-liter T-GDI engine, rated at 120PS (118hp), mated to a 7-speed manual gearbox as standard, and with a 1-6liter T-GDI that delivers 177PS (175hp) to the four-wheel drive, and works together with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

From mid-2018, the Hyundai Kona will benefit from the next-generation 1.6-liter diesel powertrains, with 6-speed manual and 7-speed automatic transmissions, and optional four-wheel drive.

However, the big news we learned in Frankfurt is that the Kona will also gain an electric version next year, which is expected to premiere at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show in March. Nothing is known about its zero-emission powertrain so far, so we’ll have to keep an eye open for reports.

An A-segment SUV is also on the table, and if everything goes as planned, then we should see it by 2020, alongside an E-segment SUV, which will become the Santa Fe’s larger sibling.