Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite 2026 Review

The 2026 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite is priced from $39,950 (plus on-road costs) and arrived as part of a spec shake up in the Kona range that saw the removal of the 1.6 turbo-petrol AWD powertrain – which has since been reinstated – and the addition of this mid-spec Elite model in the petrol and Hybrid ranges. Base Kona Hybrid is no longer offered with the N-Line option, but it is available as an option with Elite and Premium trim levels.

One rung down, the base-spec Kona Hybrid opens the petrol-electric range from $36,950 (plus ORCs) while the flagship Premium starts from $45,950 (plus ORCs).

When looking at other hybrids in the small SUV class, contenders include the Haval Jolion (from $32,990 drive-away), MG ZS (from $33,990 (plus ORCs) and Toyota Corolla Cross (from $37,440 plus ORCs). Honda also offers the HR-V in hybrid –from $39,900 drive-away – however it only comes as a four-seater.

If you’re prepared to spend a bit more, there’s the Kia Niro S Hybrid ($45,000 plus ORCs), the Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER ($47,165 plus ORCs) and Toyota C-HR ($45,440 plus ORCs) to consider.

Equipment offered in the 2026 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite is competitive and includes 18-inch alloy wheels, leather-appointed upholstery, paddle shifters, heated and power-adjustable front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, tinted rear windows and rain-sensing wipers.

Dual-zone climate control and keyless entry and start also come standard across the Kona Hybrid range.

Not that long ago, a space saver spare wheel (fitted standard here) would be a negative for country drivers. Nowadays, a space saver is a lot better than being sidelined by a ripped tyre, that a can of tyre goo and a compressor won’t ever fix.

The major option on Elite (and Premium) is the N-Line package. This adds a swathe of features such as a unique body kit and N-branded 19-inch wheels, a black leather and Alcantara interior, red and dark metal interior trim highlights, alloy pedals, sports steering wheel, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, projector LED headlights and full-width daytime running light. Ticking the N-Line option adds $3500 to the price.

Paint choices that incur no extra cost are Atlas White or Mirage Green, while either Abyss Black, Denim Blue, Ecotronic Grey or Ultimate Red are $595 extra.

The Kona is covered by a standard five-year/unlimited-km warranty. Effective for most Hyundai vehicles (including Kona) since July 2025, the warranty is extended to seven years/unlimited-km when all services are done by a Hyundai dealer. 

The capped price servicing offer totals $2977 for the first five years and you can also pre-pay for three, four or five years of servicing, but the cost is the same as the equivalent pay-as-you-go CPS. Based on five years of servicing, the Kona Hybrid sits at the more expensive end for scheduled servicing (for example, the Honda HR-V is $995 and the Toyota Corolla Cross is $1275 for the same period).

Servicing is due at 12-month or 15,000km intervals, and the 12-months of free roadside assist is extended by 12 months with each service done at a Hyundai dealer.

Safety gear fitted to the 2026 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite includes adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane keeping/following assist and blind spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision warning and braking, and a 360-degree camera.

Speed sign recognition with visual and audible warning when exceeding the posted limit is also part of the package and is the most irritating part, as we’ll get to in a moment.

Seven airbags are standard, including a front centre airbag, which helped the Kona achieve its four-star ANCAP rating in 2023.

The Kona attained lower-than-average scores of 64 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 62 per cent for safety assist categories during ANCAP testing, with the safety authority finding its autonomous emergency braking system performance ‘adequate’ in tests with pedestrians and cyclists, while emergency lane keeping was also ‘adequate’.

The 2026 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite is very much up to spec for competitive technology.

There’s a large 12.3-inch infotainment screen, which offers AM/FM/DAB+ radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while Hyundai Bluelink provides over-the-air (OTA) update capability and voice recognition. 

There’s no option for navigation or a head-up display here though.

Meantime, a 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster is standard and if you want to charge a smartphone, there’s the 15W wireless charging pad, plus two USB-C ports in the front and another two USB-C outlets in the back.

The 2026 Hyundai Kona Hybrid employs a 1.6-litre ‘GDi’ four-cylinder petrol engine producing 77kW/144Nm, assisted by a 32kW/170Nm electric motor.

That combo delivers peak outputs of 104kW/265Nm, sent to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Three drives modes are on offer: Eco Normal and Sport.

A 1.32kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack is also onboard, with four stages of selectable regenerative braking modes offered to assist in recharging the high-voltage battery.

How fuel efficient is the Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite?  

Hyundai gives a claimed average fuel consumption figure of 3.9L per 100km (combined). On test, the Kona Hybrid sipped fuel at a 4.9L/100km average in a mix of both city and freeway driving. With no higher octane minimum requirement, the Kona Hybrid can be filled with 91RON petrol.

The 2026 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite is an easy car to drive, with great balance and a smooth hybrid powertrain.

The way the petrol engine and electric motor team up is subtle, with either silent EV mode at low speeds or low-load conditions or a combination of petrol/electric when more power is needed. Speaking of power, this is not a quick vehicle, but it does offer good rolling throttle response when a burst of speed is needed.

There are small SUVs that offer a more dynamic experience than the Kona when presented with a series of fast twists and turns, but not many that are as balanced for overall ride and handling and ease of use.

The steering feel is not superbly nuanced, the turn-in isn’t heavenly responsive and the chassis balance isn’t a wonder to behold, but if you want to get from point A to B efficiently, quickly and with a sense that this is an SUV that responds well when you turn it, then this ticks that requirement.

It also manages to ride over bumps without the sense that you might have lost a few fillings when doing so.

The controls and instruments aren’t difficult to find or use, except perhaps the gear lever on the right side of the steering column, as it sits quite close to the indicator stalk. The unique design and placement of these wands, however, should make it clear soon enough which is which.

The speed sign warning is the great automotive safety idea gone wrong of the 2020s, mainly because it isn’t always accurate, but also because it does its best to regularly distract the driver. Here, the Kona is just as annoying as many other new vehicles, with incessant overspeed warnings. Having to delve into menus to disable it every time you start the Kona is the only way to stop it.

If you’re buying a circa-$40K compact SUV, you can’t expect a bespoke interior lined in the colours of your favourite footy team.

Inside the 2026 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite is a sea of predictable, safe, neutral colours made mostly of durable and not-so delightful plastics. The Elite’s faux-leather seats are a nice touch here, but the grained plastic trim around the cabin isn’t in any way elite.

Never mind that though, because what’s nice about the Kona’s interior is that the majority is practical and spacious, offering loads of room up front and in the second row, where there’s enough leg and headroom for most, even if hip room is compromised when travelling three-up (as is the case with most small SUVs).

The 2026 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite is a welcome addition to the Korean brand's small SUV range.

It offers decent (if not bargain basement) value in a well-specced small SUV that has a good amount of interior space and utility, good ride and handling and very good fuel efficiency.

It’s not all good news though.

The Kona could really do with more power, be a little cheaper to service and that overspeed warning really needs to be fixed or ditched.

2026 Hyundai Kona Hybrid Elite at a glance:
Price: $39,950 (plus on-road costs) 
Available: Now 
Powertrain: 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric 
Output: 77kW/144Nm (electric motor: 32kW/170Nm) 
Combined output: 104kW/265Nm 
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic 
Fuel: 3.9L/100km (ADR Combined) 
CO2: 89g/km (ADR Combined) 
Safety rating: Four stars (ANCAP 2023) 

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