Hyundai Kona: 2023 carsales Car of the Year Highly Commended

The one certainty at 2023 carsales Car of the Year, proudly presented by Bingle, was that our reigning Best Small SUV – the all-new second-generation Hyundai Kona – would feature somewhere near the pointy end.

The only question was how high could it climb? As it turns out, very high indeed, securing one of just two Highly Commended awards from COTY 2023.

Car of the Year is decided on five criteria: comprehensive cost of ownership data supplied by RedBook makes up 50 per cent of the score, with the other 50 per cent decided by the 10-strong judging panel that assesses safety, practicality and presentation, innovation and technology and driving performance.

The new Kona performed strongly across the board for all the reasons it won carsales Best Small SUV 2023. While entry-level pricing has increased quite a bit to a still-reasonable $32,000, further up the range the price increases have been more modest.

It’s also a compact SUV range of impressive scope, with buyers able to mix and match sporty N-Line or upgraded Premium trim grades with hardy 2.0-litre and more powerful 1.6 turbo engines, and both economical hybrid powertrains and pure-electric versions still to come.

One of the biggest improvements for the new Kona is its increase in size, which turns it into a genuine family option with ample boot space and one of the most generous back seats in its class.

Up front, Hyundai’s decision to move the gear selector to a wand behind the steering wheel didn’t garner universal praise, but it does liberate useful storage space between the front seats, although the lack of a ‘front’ to the centre console bin means valuables can’t be stored there out of sight.

Both the exterior and interior design themes may be an acquired taste, but you can’t accuse Hyundai of playing it safe and its Robocop-look exterior is matched by an ’80s retro-style interior with straight lines galore and plenty of big, rectangular buttons.

Selecting an N-Line livens it up with flashes of red, while the Premium trim grade adds a lot of equipment – so much so that no rival small SUV can match it for convenience features.

It’s a similar story with safety. The Kona features every possible active safety aid…

Arguably too much safety assistance for its own good! Simply, Hyundai’s speed warning, driver attention alert and lane-keep assist systems aren’t well calibrated for the real world and deliver near-constant aural warnings and other interventions in everyday driving. Frustratingly, the systems have to be deactivated at the start of every journey by diving into the infotainment system’s sub-menus.

Thankfully, the majority of the Kona’s other real-world attributes shine bright. Its performance – especially in 1.6T guise – is sprightly and, although the automatic gearbox is a little hesitant to downshift, it’s much better behaved than the previous dual-clutch auto.

The latest Kona doesn’t benefit from a local chassis tuning program and the result of this was apparent at the Lang Lang proving ground, where some unpleasant ‘floatiness’ through higher-speed dynamic tests emerged.

But it’s not behaviour that ever really manifests itself in public road conditions (though we still wish it didn’t exist), where the Kona’s fine ride/handling balance makes it, again, one of the better products in the small SUV class.

RedBook’s cost of ownership data ranked the Kona fourth of the 12 finalists in COTY 2023, confirming it will be a strong performer in terms of both resale value and running costs – even compared to two EVs and three hybrids in the group – and it all added up to a very well-rounded effort.

If there’s one criterion the Kona struggled to satisfy it’s innovation. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about Hyundai’s new compact SUV, even if you take into account the upcoming hybrid and electric versions.

However, you’re still left with a tremendously talented package that’s at the top of a very popular and competitive class. Recommend a Kona and it’s likely to fulfil the motoring requirements of a great many people, such is the scope of the range and the breadth of its abilities.

Congratulations to the Hyundai Kona for securing a Highly Commended award at carsales Car of the Year 2023, proudly presented by Bingle.