With a mixture of petrol, full hybrid & electric powertrains being offered, the Kona is also larger than before & is definitely a model that’s going places. We put the N Line S through it’s paces to see how it performs.
Model range
The full-electric Kona leads the charge, but you can also choose from a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol unit & a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, both of which are turbocharged, plus a full hybrid.
Our test car
We were testing the 1.6-litre Kona N Line S. The four-cylinder turbocharged engine produces 195bhp with 265Nm of torque. You can choose from either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox which was the one we tried.
Hyundai are only offering this powertrain in Ultimate & N Line S specs & we were in the N Line S. It stands out from lower specced versions with a few muscular additions which are found within the N Line Exterior Design Pack, including side skirts, a twin tip exhaust, gloss black door mirrors, front & rear bumpers, plus 18″ alloys, body coloured wheel arches & a rear spoiler.
Goodies
N Line S comes with rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera with guidance system, smart cruise control, keyless entry, a Bose premium sound system, heated & ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, tinted side windows, aluminium pedals, interior ambient lighting & Alcantara-leather upholstery. LED daytime running lights & full projection LED headlights also feature.
Safety
It’s packed with safety features including, Downhill Brake Control, Driver Attention Warning, Electronic Stability Control, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Hill-start Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, Lane Follow Assist, Lane Keep Assist & Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist.
Performance & economy
Hyundai claims a 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds & a top speed of 130mph. Combined economy is 44.1mpg with CO2 emissions of 145g/km.
Interior
Hyundai have been very clever & lifted much if the infotainment & set-up from our 2022 Car of the Year the IONIQ 5. Across the dash top sits a 12.3″ digital driver display & a 10.25″ touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto smartphone connectivity, which looks great. There are physical buttons for climate adjustment & infotainment short cuts plus a wireless charging pad, circular drive mode selector, self parking, all-around camera, heated seat & steering wheel buttons all located in the centre binnacle with a massive storage space behind. The trim finish is in a mix of black & grey plastics with red touches & the quality is excellent.
Practicality
The cabin feels airy & spacious with all passengers having good head & legroom. The boot comes with a more than useful 466 litres, which increases to 1,300 litres when the seats are folded down. The front door pockets are massive, you get a good sized glove box, under armrest storage & twin USB’s front & rear.
Warranty
12 Years’ Anti-Perforation Warranty
Bluelink Connected Car Services: 3 Years
Five Year Annual Vehicle Health Checks
Five Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty
Hyundai Roadside Assistance
Driving
For several days we only drove the Kona in town & it’s one of the easiest cars to be in when you’re tackling the urban jungle. The steering feels light & precise & the acceleration over short distances is good. At low speeds the cars being driven by the electric motor only, with the petrol engine only kicking in when it’s required. Driving in town only, we were seeing upwards of 60mpg as our average economy which is very, very good. Eco mode worked for us in town but you can go faster in Sport mode or play it ‘Winter’ safe in Snow mode.
If you choose you can utilise the paddles behind the steering wheel to either adjust the level of deceleration in Eco mode, or alternatively in Sport mode, take control of the dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It’s an intuitive set-up & again useful when you’re driving up to 40mph.
We undertook a 300 mile motorway round trip & really enjoyed the Kona’s autonomous driving & adaptive cruise control combination. These allowed for a relaxed journey & with our iPhone connected to CarPlay & utilising both Waze & Apple Maps rather than Hyundai’s own SatNav, got us from A to B with ease.
The Kona’s chassis is set up for comfort rather than for thrills, so at motorway speeds it glides peacefully along allowing you to make use of the hybrid efficiency, which saw our fuel economy go down to 50mpg.
Along a stretch of 60mph up & down Roman road in Gloucestershire, the N Line S handled superbly on wet tarmac, never feeling anything other than safe & secure. Our only criticisms are that the N Line S doesn’t feel especially quick on the road & that in common with other dual-clutch gearboxes, it felt a little jerky at low speeds & prevents total driver engagement which is a shame. Perhaps the manual version might be better ?
Pros
Brilliant build quality, top-notch infotainment set-up & spacious cabin knocks spots off most of the competition. Hard to fault in town when it comes to comfort & fuel economy. You also get good equipment levels & Hyundai’s above average warranty cover.
Cons
The N Line S is a bit of a sheep in wolfs clothing & isn’t as fast nor as engaging as other Hyundai N Line models. This version is also expensive compared to the 1.0 litre version, which although slower, is a better all around package.
Conclusion
The latest Hyundai Kona is a decent all rounder offering a spacious, comfortable cabin, with impressive fuel economy, even on the dual-clutch auto model. All versions feature high levels of tech & safety equipment & the overall build quality puts others to shame. If you need a big boot it’s got that too ! Perhaps the N Line S isn’t as impressive as other Hyundai N Line models & we’d suggest that with only 2% BIK, the Electric Kona makes a better company car choice.
A solid contender 4/5
