Yahoo Autos 2018 Hyundai Kona in Depth: Quirky Charmer
Overall Rating:
Hyundai’s on a roll of late, churning out character-rich products that not only look great but also drive nicely, and the subcompact Kona is the latest in the series. Its daring styling charms onlookers and avoids appearing busy despite its multifaceted sheetmetal. The cabin packs just enough of the exterior’s whimsy to tie the whole together without being-as the kids say-extra. The Kona isn’t the most practical SUV available, but that’s forgivable considering how good the rest of this package is. Of the Kona’s two available engines, we sampled the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder and were impressed by its performance. Not only is the Kona fun to look at, it’s also fun to drive. Well done, Hyundai-again.
What’s New for 2018?
The Kona is an all-new Hyundai for 2018 and slides into the lineup as the junior crossover below the compact Tucson and the mid-size Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport. Its offbeat styling turns heads, especially when accented by the Kona’s signature color-Lime Twist.
Trims and Options We’d Choose
Hyundai offers the Kona in four distinct trims-SE, SEL, Limited, and Ultimate-but the Limited trim level strikes the best balance of price and equipment. It automatically adds the energetic turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four and dresses up the exterior with the same 18-inch wheels and other design flourishes shown on the top-spec Ultimate model. The Limited trim also includes desirable features such as:
• Leather seats with eight-way power adjustments for the driver
• Power sunroof and front fog lights
• Single-zone automatic climate control
With front-wheel drive, the Kona Limited is value packed at $25,680; all-wheel drive adds $1300, but otherwise there are no option packages for this trim level that will drive up the price.
Base Price Comparison
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