Hyundai Kona 2023 Review

The 2023 Hyundai Kona range has climbed significantly in price. No model more so than the 2.0-litre front-wheel drive Kona 2.0 MPi we’re sampling here, which has risen nearly 19 per cent – or $5100 – to $32,000 plus on-road costs.

All up there are six models in the launch line-up of the five-door, five-seater small SUV, topping out at the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol Kona 1.6T AWD Premium N Line for $46,500 plus ORCs.

Above the entry model in the 2.0 MPi range are the Kona N Line (from $36,000), Kona Premium (from $39,500) and Kona Premium N Line (from $42,500). We’ve explained more about those models and the two turbos as part of our comprehensive equipment and pricing story.

If you’re looking for badges like Active, Elite and Highlander you’ll be looking in vain. The local names have been dropped as part of a global naming policy alignment.

Pricing has also been announced for the four-model 2023 Hyundai Kona Hybrid line-up that launches later in the year, alongside the second-generation Kona Electric.

Hyundai says prices have gone up for the new Kona because it’s a bigger, better car with more equipment than its popular predecessor. Unlike some other brands, it doesn’t pretend its increases are all about more gear and not impacted by inflationary external pricing pressures.

The rise in entry-level pricing elevates the Kona from the affordable end of the segment into more premium territory.

While it used to vie with the likes of the Mitsubishi ASX and Chinese models, it’s now hurdled the Kia Seltos and Mazda CX-30 to go grille-to-grille with the Toyota Corolla Cross, Volkswagen T-Roc and Subaru Crosstrek.

To help justify the price increases, there has certainly been a sizeable bump in standard equipment for the 2023 Hyundai Kona compared to the previous entry-level model.

New gear we’ve spotted in the base model includes: dual-zone climate control; a smart key with push-button start, remote start and remote front window opening; three driver profiles to preset preferences; power lumbar adjustment for the driver’s seat; heated and power-folding exterior mirrors; and seatback pockets for the front seats.

The Kona also moves up from 16 to 18-inch alloy wheels now shod with 215/55R18 rubber. Familiar from the previous model are tyre pressure monitoring and a temporary space-saver spare under the boot floor if required.

Other stuff that carries over includes cloth seat trim, leather steering wheel and gear knob trim and manual fore-aft and height adjustment of the front seats.

One thing that’s gone from all Konas is a sunglasses holder.

The Hyundai Kona comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and 12-month/15,000km service intervals. Hyundai’s capped-price service plan comes out at $1995 over the first five services, or an average of $399 per dealer visit.

The 2023 Hyundai Kona range has yet to be given an ANCAP independent safety rating. This will happen later in the year after Euro NCAP crash-tests the Kona and the results are assessed locally.

There has been a bump up in safety gear in the new Kona, starting with a centre front airbag to avoid head knocks between front seat passengers. It joins dual front, front side and curtain airbags.

The driver assist systems have also been upgraded. The autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system can now identify motorcycles as well as vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles. It can also now detect and try to avoid problematic traffic at intersections and oncoming vehicles in its lane.

There’s also a new multi anti-collision brake function that stops the car from rolling on after an accident.

These features are added to a safety suite that already included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane keeping/following assist and blind spot collision avoidance assist. Rear cross traffic alert makes it into the entry-level Kona for the first time.

A new driver attention warning that beeps if your eyes move from the straight ahead for just a couple of seconds is incredibly annoying. It defaults to on and has to be switched off each time you start the car. A new speed limit warning is almost as bad, but not quite as painful as other recent Hyundais.

The Kona gets a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors, but misses out on the surround-view camera, side sensors, remote smart parking and reverse parking collision avoidance that Premium models get.

The new Kona’s Bluelink connected car system and smartphone app has some useful safety features including automatic collision notification and an SOS button for emergency assistance.

LED headlights are now standard across the range with high beam assist. The entry-level model gets multi-face reflectors rather than projector beams. It also misses out on the full-width ‘seamless horizon’ positioning light on the grille that’s been such a styling talking point for the new Kona.

As is the way nowadays, there are no fog lights.

The kids are looked after in the back seat by outboard ISOFIX child restraint mounts and three top tether strap points.

The 2023 Hyundai Kona range benefits from a huge uptick in technology, much of which flows down into the base model we’re testing here.

The obvious evidence of it all is the curved glass screen that sits atop the dashboard housing a 12.3-inch infotainment touch-screen and instrument cluster that is also 12.3-inch in all models except the entry level, which only gets a 4.2” digital cluster with non-configurable digital dials ether side.

Sitting behind the screens is Hyundai Motor Group’s new ccNC (Connected Car Navigation Cockpit) operating system that allows increased functionality and the range-wide introduction of the Bluelink system.

Connected car features available beyond the aforementioned safety aids are valet mode, calendar, geofencing, door lock/unlock (very handy – I know!) and vehicle status. Upgrade to the Premium models and many other handy features including weather forecasts and car finder are added.

Over-the-air (OTA) updates are part of the new ccNC package as well. The initial use will be to facilitate software updates and rectify faults that would otherwise require a trip to the Hyundai dealer. Later though, user-pays features on demand could join the package.

The Kona comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless connection and smartphone charging, Bluetooth streaming, AM/FM and DAB+ radio and two USB-C outlets in both the front and the rear. Audio is played via an unbranded six-speaker sound system.

However, there is no embedded satellite navigation at the entry level, while a head-up display has been deleted entirely from the range.

So much changes when it comes to the 2023 Hyundai Kona, but not under the bonnet.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is a carryover from the previous generation and produces the same 110kW at 6200rpm and 180Nm at 4500rpm.

Sitting transverse, it continues to drive the front wheels via a CVT continuously variable automatic, which can be manipulated through eight virtual gears. The final drive is shorter, no doubt to maintain acceleration in a car that has increased in weight by 55kg to 1335kg.

Speaking of gears, the entry-level Kona is the only one to come with an orthodox gear lever in the centre console. Every other model gets a shift-by-wire wand familiar to any Hyundai IONIQ 5 or 6 owner on the steering column and flappy paddles for manual changes.

The ‘Nu’ family DOHC 16-valve engine in the 2023 Hyundai Kona 2.0 MPi comes with the fuel-saving Atkinson combustion cycle, which helps explain its thrifty 6.6L/100km ADR Combined fuel consumption claim.

Mind you, it’s not as thrifty as the previous model, which claimed 6.2L/100km.

The Kona takes the cheapest 91 RON fuel and has a 47-litre tank, down slightly from the previous car’s 50 litres.

Underpinned by a new and stronger monocoque platform called K3 (also used by the latest i30 sedan and Kia Niro), the 2023 Hyundai Kona is longer in both wheelbase and length and wider in body and wheel tracks.

Like other recent Hyundai models, the Kona does not benefit from an Australian-developed suspension and steering tune. Instead, it gets a mix and match of off-the-shelf chassis parts and software after prototype testing here in 2022.

That set of components includes what Hyundai calls ‘high performance dampers’. These new-generation shock absorbers have flowed down through models such as the Tucson medium SUV to the new Kona.

And it’s the ride that is undoubtedly the dynamic highlight of the new Kona. It really does iron out bumps, potholes and other corruptions very well. It is both absorbent and controlled, a very neat combination for a passive suspension set-up.

The ride up front is a bit better than the rear, possibly because Kona 2.0 MPi models only come with a torsion beam rear axle rather than the independent multi-link used by the 1.6-litre turbo. There’s just that bit more jolting back here.

The new Kona also delivers decent handling. There’s not much rocking and rolling in corners and the electric-assist steering is accurate, if pretty light and devoid of feel.

That steering lightness works great around town for those many tight manoeuvres required in carparks and traffic. The Kona’s effectiveness in that environment is aided by its big windows which help the view out.

Only the long, thick and angled front pillars work against outward vision, especially at intersections when trying to spot crossing traffic.

You can dial up the weight of the steering by going from Normal to Sport drive modes (the previous Smart mode has been dropped), but there’s no substantial change.

That change of mode also affects the drivetrain, but really there’s no substantive impact there either. This is an adequate and well-behaved engine that does its work earnestly.

For the most part it is civilised, only really getting intrusive when it’s revved hard when rapid acceleration or hill-conquering power is called for. Then the engine’s soundtrack becomes obvious and intrusive.

Give it some stick and the fuel consumption average can rise into the mid-8.0L/100km range rather than stay in the sixes.

The engine is the most obvious noise that penetrates an otherwise quiet cabin. There’s also a little tyre roar off coarse bitumen, but the refinement of the passenger experience is unquestionably a step up on the previous Kona.

The first interior impressions of the 2023 Hyundai Kona are impressive. That’s thanks to the perceived quality of the trims and materials, combined with the way they work cohesively with the interior design.

Drill a bit closer and it’s obvious the budget has bitten a bit because almost all the surfaces are hard to the touch. Apart from the steering wheel rim, there are few soft-touch surfaces on or around the dashboard or in the doors.

But if there’s a little refinement missing there’s no shortage of space. The Kona has grown enough to be able to fit four 180cm-tall people in the four outboard seats without any scrunching up.

In the rear that space is accentuated by a raised seating position and good headroom that give passengers a better view out.

The seats themselves are broad and supportive for front seat passengers and firm front and rear. The lower backrest was intrusive in the rear seat (but that could just be me).

The added width and wheelbase length also pays off in the boot which grows by 33 litres to 407L. Fold the rear seat down and there’s 1247L, up from 1156L in the first-generation Kona.

There are some neat touches for incidental storage including a ledge above the glove box, a small removable tray in the centre lidded bin and generous front door bins.

The door bins are not so generous in the rear, but you do get two string nets on the seatbacks and a fold-down arm rest with dual cup holders.

Hidden under a cargo shelf, the boot includes four tie-down and four bag hooks, a double-level foldable floor and storage cubbies either side.

For the driver, the Kona is a reasonably straightforward place in which to operate the basics. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake, the pedal box is sizeable and there is a well-positioned left foot rest.

Life gets that bit more complicated interacting with the secondary controls. Despite the big screens, Hyundai has elected to maintain a whole bunch of push buttons and dials to get business done.

That’s good news if you don’t like asking your car to turn down the temperature! But as we’ve already explained above, there is some repetitive tapping required to turn off the more annoying bings and bongs.

Of course, the big touch-screen loses some of its relevance if you can’t hook up a smartphone and stream its navigation. The more basic digital instrument cluster works just fine.

The new 2023 Hyundai Kona has a lot to live up to, considering its predecessor’s strong pedigree.

But there is plenty of evidence here in terms of tech, safety and on-road behaviour to validate Hyundai’s claim this is a better car.

Very significantly, its increased space means it’s a bona fide family hauler rather than just for squeezing two people in the back. That makes it a more flexible and user-friendly vehicle.

It’s not all positives, of course. The price rise is substantial. The 2.0-litre petrol powertrain lacks in zest and uses more fuel than before. Maybe the forthcoming Kona Hybrid will be a better economy bet?

And we can certainly live without the incessant binging and bonging from safety nannies and the need to constantly switch them off. C’mon Hyundai, there has got to be a fix for this!

Despite their annoyance, the bings and bongs aren’t enough for us to write off the new Kona. It’s a vehicle that has improved in multiple important ways and will certainly be in the running to defend its crown as carsales’ Best Small SUV.

2023 Hyundai Kona 2.0 MPi at a glance:
Price: $32,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 110kW/180Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 6.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 149g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested