Hyundai Kona 2024 review

Pricing for the 2024 Hyundai Kona Premium with Sunroof starts from $41,000 plus on-road costs, some $1500 upstream of the regular Kona Premium and $9000 more than the base model.

Headline equipment on this particular Kona includes leather upholstery, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, heated, ventilated and power-adjustable front seats with memory function for the driver, heated rear outboard seats, a powered tailgate, eight-speaker Bose sound system, native sat-nav, mood lighting and of course a powered sunroof.

There’s certainly nothing the aspiring small SUV buyer could single-out as missing, and the Premium informs the world of its identity via its contrasting bumper elements and ‘Seamless Horizon’ lighting front signature.

Infotainment functions like the wireless Apple CarPlay and sat-nav etc are all accessed via the 12.3-inch touch-screen positioned on the top of the dash, underlined by a series of shortcut buttons which make navigating the menus much easier on the fly.

Just about all the expected safety systems and driver aids are present on the top-flight Kona with stand-outs including forward and reverse autonomous emergency braking, driver monitoring, lane keeping system, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot view monitor, a 360-degree camera, safe exit warning, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot collision avoidance and seven airbags.

The whole package rolls on 18-inch alloy wheels and is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 110kW/180Nm and driving the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission.

Hyundai has garnered itself a reputation for producing some of the best vehicles on the mainstream market and the second-generation Kona is proof of just that.

Significantly bigger and more practical than its predecessor, the 2024 Hyundai Kona Premium with Sunroof offers plenty of room for four people and just enough space for their luggage if you’re good at Tetris, however it’s perhaps better suited to a young family of four rather than four adults.

The suspension is at the softer end of the spectrum when compared to the bulk of the Kona’s key rivals, and provides a smooth and comfortable ride in most instances, only threatening to wallow and bounce when fully loaded.

Equally impressive is the handling, which is surprisingly keen for a softly-sprung front-drive SUV, though you could never label it sporty and would still have to be mindful when tackling turns fully loaded.

Road and wind noise are both decent for the segment, as is the infotainment system which is one of the easier systems to navigate with intuitive menus, crisp displays and minimal lag.

Another positive is the value factor – at $41,000 plus on-road costs, there’s a genuinely impressive array of standard features offered on the Kona Premium with Sunroof for the money, especially if you like open-roof motoring.

For reference, a comparatively-specced Mazda CX-30 G20 Astina costs an extra $3000 while the Nissan QASHQAI Ti opens from $47,390, albeit with turbo power and a few extra bonuses like massaging seats.

Our biggest criticism of the 2024 Hyundai Kona Premium with Sunroof is the same one levelled at all new Hyundais and Kias these days: the vindictively overbearing safety system, with the speed alert warning being the main culprit.

Stray even 1km/h over the posted speed limit and the Kona will bing, bong and chime at you until you finally yield and obey the signage to the digit.

The lane keep assist is also a bit ham-fisted in its activation, but these are issues common to all new Hyundais and Kias these days, and the subject of reoccurring discussions with the OEMs who stubbornly stand by them.

Homing in on the Kona Premium specifically, moreover, we’re not convinced all its cabin materials live up to the premium implications of its nameplate, particularly the leather upholstery. There’s nothing wrong with the seats themselves, but the leather encasing them feels more like vinyl than leather and frankly can’t compete with the feel and quality of the suede and leather combination offered by the optional N-Line package.

The other gripe we have is with the powertrain – again, there’s nothing inherently wrong with it and it’s perfectly adequate for urban use, however the CVT never makes the most of the engine’s outputs when some more urge is needed for something like a highway overtake or accelerating up a hill.

Those who live out of town and/or do a lot of highway miles would be wise to consider the N-Line’s available 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine instead – the extra performance is well worth the extra coin in addition to the nicer cabin materials.

If it sounds like we’re being hard on the 2024 Hyundai Kona Premium with Sunroof, we’re not.

It’s very good at its primary role as an urban runabout and small family car with enough performance to potter between suburbs and facilitate the odd country run in comfort.

If it were our money, we’d swap out the sunroof in favour of the N-Line package, even without the 1.6T.

This is a much more convincing combination for the money and well worth the extra $1500 on account of its superior cabin materials and ambience, not to mention those sexier sporty looks to match.

If a sunroof is a must though, and you don’t fancy the sporty vibes, the Kona Premium with Sunroof is still a mighty fine small SUV.

2024 Hyundai Kona Premium with Sunroof at a glance:
Price: $41,000 plus on-road costs
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 110kW/180Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 6.6L/100km
CO2: 149g/km
Safety rating: four-star (ANCAP 2023)

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