Hyundai Motor is enhancing its popular, award-winning Kona line-up with the launch of the All-New Kona Hybrid.
A natural extension to the Kona family, the All-New Kona Hybrid responds to European customers’ demands for more SUV-bodied eco-mobility models. In addition to its bold design, it offers an efficient full hybrid powertrain and features a range of technology enhancements including advanced Blue Link® connectivity features, SmartSense™ active safety and driving assistance systems, as well as state-of-the-art infotainment features.
The original Kona, taking its name from the stunning Kona District on the Big Island of Hawaii, originally launched in 2017 as Hyundai’s first sub-compact SUV in Europe. Last year, the Korean automaker introduced the Kona Electric, its first full electric compact SUV. In addition, Hyundai unveiled a special Kona Iron Man Edition with a limited global production run. Since the original Kona arrived on the market in October 2017, nearly 120,000 in total have been sold in Europe.
The award-winning Kona family
Hyundai’s stylish Kona range has exceeded customer demand across Europe. After its first full year of sales, Kona has captured new customer groups and significantly contributed to Hyundai’s strong position in the trending segment of compact SUVs. The impressive worldwide demand for the popular Kona Electric version in particular, thanks to its powerful electric drivetrain and long driving range, has surpassed even Hyundai’s expectations.
In addition to their sales success, both the Kona and Kona Electric have won a number of awards over the past 18 months. Last year, the Kona achieved international recognition by winning an iF Design Award for its eye-catching exterior design. Meanwhile, Spanish newspaper ABC named it their Car of the Year 2019. The Kona Electric, on the other hand, has received awards for its eco-friendly credentials, having been named ‘The Greenest Car in Switzerland’ at the Swiss Car of the Year Awards 2019. The UK’s Next Green Car Awards also declared Hyundai’s full-electric SUV its Car of the Year in 2018. And there have been many other accolades along the way.
The All-New Kona Hybrid is a natural extension of Hyundai’s popular model range
Hyundai is now offering a full hybrid version of its award-winning SUV. Following soon after the unveiling of the New IONIQ, the All-New Kona Hybrid is a natural extension to both Hyundai’s Kona family and its eco-mobility range, making cleaner mobility available for even more drivers. It builds on the success of the original Kona and Kona Electric by offering customers the choice of an eco-mobility SUV that fits their needs.
The All-New Kona Hybrid features the Kappa 1.6-litre GDI, a direct-injection petrol four-cylinder engine providing maximum power of 105 PS and 147 Nm of torque. Its permanent magnet electric motor delivers 43.5 PS (32 kW) with maximum torque of 170 Nm.*
Alongside this, the 1.56 kWh lithium ion polymer battery delivers outstanding charge and discharge performance, optimising output from the high voltage battery and allowing for rapid regeneration. Together with the powertrain output of 104 kW (141 PS) and up to 265 Nm of torque, this ensures the All-New Kona Hybrid delivers a dynamic driving experience.
The All-New Kona Hybrid offers technological enhancements including Blue Link®
The All-New Kona Hybrid features Blue Link®, a connected vehicle system which uses embedded telematics to allow drivers to remote lock or unlock their vehicle via a smartphone app.
The optional Audio Video Navigation system (AVN) displays a wide variety of useful information across its 10.25-inch split touch-screen, and features Cloud-based voice recognition in six languages* (*only together with Blue Link). The screen can be customised providing two home screen versions and the ability to edit displayed widgets and icons.
When choosing the standard connectivity system, customers benefit from Display Audio to mirror their smartphone’s content onto the 7-inch display via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
In addition to this, the All-New Kona Hybrid arrives with Hyundai LIVE Services available when customers choose navigation. Drivers receive a five-year free subscription for this feature, which offers up-to-the-minute information about weather, traffic, speed camera warning (where legally allowed), nearest fuel stations with location and pricing information, on- and off-street parking, live nearby-dealer information and live POI search.
A large cluster screen highlights dedicated HEV-specific graphics for customers. The connectivity offer is rounded off by an optional combiner type head-up display, projecting relevant driving information directly to the driver’s line of sight. This allows for the faster processing of information while keeping attention on the road ahead.
To ensure that occupants’ phones are always charged, the All-New Kona Hybrid also provides an optional wireless inductive charging pad (Qi standard) for mobile phones.
An updated interior design and convenience features
Alongside these convenience features, the All-New Kona Hybrid has its own dedicated interior colour pack. This consists of white accents around the air vent surrounds and gear shift bezel, as well as Glossy Black accents on the door handles, steering wheel spoke and air vent bezel, and a grey headliner.
Standard models feature black woven cloth seats with white stitching, and customers can also choose black cloth-leather seats with white piping, or black leather seats with white stitching.
In addition to the exclusive Black-White colour pack that is standard on Kona Hybrid, customers can choose from three other expressive colour packs known from Kona: Orange, Lime and Red. The colour accents are featured on the air vent surrounds, around the gearshift, the engine start button ring, the stitching on the seats and steering wheel. All interior colour options come with a black ceiling. The Lime and Red options are moreover available with coloured seat belts as well as glossy black interior door handles and steering wheel spoke, while the steering wheel itself is perforated
Kona Hybrid offers several features for maximum passenger convenience. The optional heated steering wheel provides warmth and comfort even in the coldest weather. Power front seats can feature an optional 3-step ventilation and 3-step heating system for a comfortable ride in any weather conditions (heating function also available with manual seats), while optional heated rear seats offer a high level of comfort for passengers.
The stylish exterior also gets design upgrades
The All-New Kona Hybrid inherits the same expressive design and ‘go anywhere’ attitude of the Kona and Kona Electric. At the front of the vehicle is Hyundai’s trademark Cascading Grille, while twin headlamps are available with full LED technology.
In addition to the launch colours of Blue Lagoon with a black roof, customers can choose from 26 other different colour combinations to tailor the look of the car to their personal style. Customers can choose from between two newly designed and dedicated alloy wheels, one design available in the standard 16-inch and the other on the optional 18-inch size.
An upgraded safety package
For a comfortable and safe driving experience, the All-New Kona Hybrid is equipped with a comprehensive Hyundai SmartSense technology package. This cutting-edge driver assistance system constantly monitors the environment around the vehicle to protect drivers from potential hazards while on the road.
The All-New Kona Hybrid’s leading safety package includes Front Collision Warning and Avoidance Assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection ability. In addition, customers can also choose the optional Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop & Go. This goes further than standard cruise control by incorporating advanced safety features such as automatic braking. It uses front radar sensors to maintain a constant speed and distance from the vehicle ahead by automatically accelerating and braking.
If traffic comes to a halt, the Stop & Go system applies the brake until the car comes to a standstill and accelerates to the desired speed as soon as the road is clear. If the vehicle stops for longer than three seconds, the driver has to activate the system again with the steering wheel controls or by briefly pressing the accelerator pedal.
The optional Lane Following Assist works in tandem with SCC with Stop & Go for the highest driver convenience by keeping the car in the centre of a lane so drivers can navigate safely even in heavy traffic during rush hour. Meanwhile, the optional Intelligent Speed Limit Warning uses the front camera and information from the navigation system to identify road speed signs and displays the speed limit and no-passing signs in real time. Additional options include Blind-Spot Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning, while Driver Attention Warning, Lane Keeping Assist and High Beam Assist come standard.
The All-New Kona Hybrid also features an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) at the command of the driver’s fingertips as standard.
ECO-Driving Assist System: state-of-the-art technology to improve fuel economy
The All-New Kona Hybrid with the 10.25-inch AVN is equipped with the ECO-Driving Assist System (ECO-DAS) to help improve fuel economy. The integrated Coasting Guide analyses road information from the navigation system to notify the driver when deceleration (for example change of direction, cross-roads, highway exits) is imminent. The feature aims to reduce fuel consumption and minimise brake usage. The Coasting Guide can be activated when in Eco mode between 40 and 160 km/h.
Eco-DAS is further equipped with a Predictive Energy Management system, which manages charging and discharging of the battery in uphill and downhill situations to maximise the battery usage. When an incline is expected on a route, and the battery state of charge is low, the vehicle increases engine operation slightly to pre-charge the battery ahead of the uphill section. This ensures that the electric motor can assist going uphill and minimizes the inefficient use of the petrol motor on incline driving situations – thus optimizing fuel-efficiency. If the battery is sufficiently charged, IONIQ Hybrid increases the level of electric motor power usage before driving downhill to minimise fuel consumption. The electric power is then recovered on the way downhill by regenerative braking.
Enhanced driving features
Thanks to the All-New Kona Hybrid’s dynamics and performance, drivers can enjoy the fun-to-drive aspect of a well-built hybrid car with the responsive shifts of a 6-speed dual clutch transmission. Pressing the gear stick to the left, drivers can switch to Sport mode. Paddles on the steering wheel act as manual shifters.