2018 Hyundai Kona | Road Test

The Hyundai Kona compact utility aims for urban adventures. We take it for a full road test.
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[@siamiam]

i really like them in black, looks like a nice overall package

[@jerbsherb4391]

You're a nice overall total package...

[@graemewilliams1308]

I got my 1.6 T in December 2017 in Oz. No issues at all, good economy & performance. Best instantaneous fuel consumption to date was 39 US mpg @ 60mph with half fuel & two people. I'll be in Honolulu in November, I'll tell you all about it. LOL. (If you buy me a beer) ?

[@Saturnvue2005]

I really like the Kona and was impressed by this vehicle, it drives really well. Wish my local dealer had the Turbo option but when I drove it a few month back they only had the standard engine SEL model. I will have to test drive the turbo and see how it performs. The standard engine had a lag that made the vehicle feel sluggish and disconnected. It looks amazing overall (especially in person).

[@Channel-cm7yc]

147hp and it has a lag??? Man have people out there ever driven anything with 50 to 90 hp in their lives?? Good grief it’s the torque rating that’s lacking. But with Atkinson cycle the lack of torque is a given. 2.0 is all about fuel economy, but it is plenty adequate for a daily commuter. You wanna sports car you buy that instead!

[@NathanCouture-pn3tn]

My Nana got one and we absolutely love it I have a 2006 Tucson right now but I definitely want another Hyundai

[@Thefloridadad]

I can get my kona to 60 in 6 secs sometimes less 😜. Throw it in Sport more and redline shift first 3 gears. It’s surprisingly quick.

[@danielfair4675]

@Badger Milk he's definitely hittin' the pipe.

[@JuniorFan08]

I like these and would certainly consider one when the lease is up on my Cherokee. However, my Cherokee is larger and has a V6 - and my average mpg over 24000 miles is 26.71 mpg. The turbo and 7 speed dual clutch in the Kona are intriguing, though.

[@DonaldSeymourjr]

John has been doing dad jokes since I was a little kid in the hood.

[@rk1356]

Good God give the writer a raise for all the Kona and Hawaiian puns worked into this review. 🤣

[@jlcii]

What world do I live in where an SUV getting to 60 in 7 seconds is considered sluggish??? I think MotorWeek is too spoiled by Ferraris and Porsches...

[@BeesonsCars]

Jo LC compared to everything in its class it’s blazing fast. The HRV, Trax, Encore, CHR, and Ecosport are all 9-11 second 0-60 cars. So 7 seconds is very good. Plus I think it looks better than all of them.

[@Dave--FkTheDeepstate]

I think he might be talking about turbo lag and/or pedal/transmission response.

[@Lrules364]

upx63 transmission issues have always plagued these new crossovers. They are stupid slow off the line, till they find the right gear. And most cvt vehicles have to wind up to go anywhere. We still havent learned that 6/7 speed autos, and cvts, are a bad idea.

[@sandorski56]

Back when MW started, 7 seconds was Fast.

[@FantomLightning]

"Still a little sluggish *OFF THE LINE*" listening more closely would do you good...

[@cadsux]

Wow, that was a very cheezy script full of Hawaiian puns & music. Otherwise, good review.

[@Trendyflute]

We all know what we're here for. "Hi! I'm John Davis" :D

[@davidaubin3902]

Yes he's a great narrator for the road and comparison tests

[@CarringtonHollister]

@@davidaubin3902 and also a reptilian

[@tymac3306]

I had to laugh the part where it shows the back of the Kona and the trunk being open John said there isn't much space however I'm looking at it going wow that looks really spacious till the lady walks up and folds down the seat,...it is small. Lolol

[@jerbsherb4391]

I don't think it would be as compact if it had a larger capacity. Go for Seltos if you want more room. Has the same drive train.

[@jayduke3373]

this guy is a legend

[@maremacd]

I wish they would’ve made this a hybrid and just forgot the Ioniq. I really like the idea of a crossover hybrid. Looking at the Niro instead.

[@thelisanalgaib9702]

I just leased one a month ago and I'm definitely enjoying it although I DID find a design flaw that is potentially dangerous...if you get moving about 55 mph or above and roll down both rear windows more than 2 inches, the entire vehicle frame will start shuddering violently. I informed the Hyundai engineers through the email survey I received but haven't heard anything back from them. so I guess they're ignoring it. but I would suggest NOT rolling down the rear passenger windows while at highway speeds. also no CD player...sux otherwise a great car PS why? in 2018 where flash memory is dirt cheap can't the car companies create a onboard mp3 player that you can upload music to instead of having to utilize a Bluetooth or USB connection which results in loss of quality of sound. seems like this would've been done ages ago. I can't have been the first to think of it.

[@leotide1990]

Jason Sargent Flash and HDD storage have been done on a few cars in the past decade! But with most people storing or streaming their audio these days through their smartphones (now streaming more often than storing), it’s easier to just use the phone rather than upload music to an internal storage device since, for most people, their phone is on their person at all times. So it wouldn’t make much business sense to continue using internal storage.

[@JorgeRodriguez-po7kx]

My favorite program not change it for anything

[@nlpnt]

That shift knob and vinyl boot - AARGH! Hyundai Kona DCT. Coming soon to being mis-listed as "manual" on every major car-selling platform.

[@Shyzah]

i got excited for a second when i saw the shifter... obviously no one wants a manual suv except for me lol.

[@dam4274]

Maybe Nissan should put that engine in the Kicks for a real kick.

[@thephranc]

Is this the chassis for the next gen Soul?

[@koreymayo8884]

It handles super well, but the upper backs of the seats are uncomfortable and the 7 speed dry dual clutch transmission is horrendous!

[@nlpnt]

Is there any reason to choose one over an Elantra GT other than being able to say you drive an "SUV" rather than a "hatchback"?

[@tedtedness184]

Yea AWD in Minnesota. Has a cool quirky look, stick some Eibach springs in and it handles as good if not better then the Elantra GT Sport....ask me how I know?

[@Trendyflute]

I would like you guys to augment the barrier test with some sort of obstacle test, like poles (foam or something to protect the cars, of course), that tests the systems with narrower objects that may represent a person, a pole, etc. Something that's not a 6 foot wide flat wall. That seems like too favorable a testing condition for automatic braking.

[@andrewsmactips]

Those "hip pocket" tail lights look like they're from another car entirely.

[@daverichards1990]

The rear looks too busy, too many rear lights, front is very pleasing.

[@vladimirorehovec1822]

divni autić

[@realazduffman]

WTF? Mileage is about the same as my Santa Fe Sport? And why can't they make the infotamnent screen look like it is not an add-on from Wal-Mart?

[@Lrules364]

AZDuffman Aftermarket radios are often better than the factory touch screens.

[@rabit818]

The basic shape is good, but the black details, light placement... just too busy.

[@markmd9]

I have an impression that this is an advertising from 60

[@thisismagacountry1318]

You missed a perfect bud reference. Should have piled out of the backseat like Spicoli with a cloud of smoke. It's legal now.

[@chrisvig123]

Rumpa Stiltskin Not in a car it isn’t

[@Dave--FkTheDeepstate]

How much (which trim) for the 1.6T ?

[@RINGMASTER75]

Limited and Ultimate come with the 1.6 Turbo

[@Saturnvue2005]

The Limited and Ultimate trims starting around 25k.

[@Thunderhorse0681]

In other words, it's mean't to be a future beater in 10 years

[@Dave--FkTheDeepstate]

Can anyone name another decent looking compact CUV, with decent quickness (7s) at a decent price ($25K) ?

[@devinbiz]

Not sure if I would call it cute, but it is anything but bland for the market segment

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

I never go off-roading. I’ll stick with a legitimate hot hatch, my MK7.5 Golf R

[@carlosm.garciarivera7138]

Much better than fugly and weak Toyota CHR

[@CarringtonHollister]

And not to mention boring

[@Lrules364]

I am very disappointed by this vehicle. You would think that after 30 years of development, we would have 4 cylinder engines making a bare minimum of 200hp. This thing has a turbo, and is still as slow as balls. Not to mention that it has a severe case of jeep cherokee ugly, and has more useless electronics than a best buy bargain bin. This crossover wont last in the market. Back to the drawing board.

[@Saturnvue2005]

You gotta look at it this way........The Sub-Compact segment isn't about Sport. It's about Families and Safety now a days. If you look at all the sub-compacts from Ford, GM all the way down to Honda. The Hyundai is near best in class in power compared to a lot of the others (if you consider the Kia Soul a sub-compact SUV minus the AWD platform yet it would be best in class with 201hp on a Turbo with the same engine).

[@Firetorm2999]

What's your design? Show me a better looking car and higher performing engine that you designed. I'm waiting.

[@GamerNxUSN]

I can buy this new for 18k or a 3 to 4 year old forester 2.0xt with 60-80k miles for the same price. You pay for performance

[@cmbadass]

Yeah, drive one and then complain about the engine. It will surprise the shit outta you.

[@johnholst]

LRules...You're joking right? Maybe you shouldn't be browsing this category, as you will find the "lack of power" extremely disappointing. The Kona is the quickest car in this class and it's not even close.