Tested: 2024 Hyundai Kona Grows Up but Stays Spunky

11/06/23 UPDATE: This review has been updated with instrumented test results for the Hyundai Kona N Line AWD.

The recipe for a commuter car is simple. Take one part efficiency, mix in one part practicality, add two parts affordability, and garnish with a bit of style. Since its inception, the Hyundai Kona has stuck to that basic formula, even going so far as to inject some driving verve with the hopped-up N variant.

For 2024, Hyundai redesigned the little runabout, adding about six inches to the body and nearly $2000 to the starting price. But at $25,435, the Kona is still one of the most approachable cars on the market, and it hasn't lost the sense of what made it great in the first place, even if its new dimensions eat into performance and fuel economy.

A Fresh New Look

Up front, the 2024 Kona maintains the same basic shape but adopts a simplified and more modern look. A razor-thin running light spans the width of the car. The old grille is gone, and its replacement features active shutters to help with airflow. Changes to the back mirror those at the front, with a sleek red running light stretching from corner to corner. If those touches aren't enough, the N Line model ramps it up with body-colored cladding and an eye-catching rear spoiler, as well as N Line–specific bumpers and wheels.

Hyundai pulled out all the stops to make the cabin a nicer place to spend weekday mornings and evenings. Customers who experience actual weather will appreciate the optional heated and ventilated seats and the available heated steering wheel. The old model's gauge-cluster and infotainment screens are out, replaced with Hyundai's more modern pair of 12.3-inch displays combined inside a single-piece bezel. There are a handful of useful USB-C connections for front and rear passengers for easy charging.

The shifter has migrated from the center console to the column, opening storage space between the front seats. The result is an unconventional yet practical center console, great for handbags or other large items. Strangely, the new stowage doesn't actually close, so hiding items in a parked car is harder. Blissfully, physical climate controls made it through the redesign.

Cabin noise also benefits in this new generation. Our sound-level tests of the 2024 Kona N Line revealed a 33-decibel din at idle, 3 decibels quieter than the outgoing Kona. That delta closesat wide-open throttle, where the 2024 achieved 73 decibels against the previous model's 74. The new Kona is also 1 decibel quieter at 70 mph—not a massive change, but a welcome one nevertheless.