New Hyundai Kona from $27K drive-away

The Hyundai Kona will go on sale in Australia this week, priced from $27,000 drive-away. The Korean giant says its all-new compact SUV -- its first rival for the popular Mazda CX-3 -- has been "developed to meet both the rational and emotional needs of its buyers".

By offering all the expected features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a touch-screen infotainment system and autonomous emergency braking on all models, together with a bold, brash design inside and out, Hyundai is hoping to appeal to style-conscious buyers.

Named after the Kona coast in Hawaii the car's exterior design conveys a sense of fun, compounded with a deliberately exuberant colour palette. Customers can choose from nine body colours, including the usuals like black, white, silver, blue and red, along with a few edgier tones: Blue Lagoon, Dark Knight, Tangerine Comet and Acid Yellow.

There are three Hyundai Kona model grades, Active, Elite and Highlander, available with front and all-wheel drive with two petrol engine options and automatic gearboxes standard on all models.

Mid- and top-spec Elite and Highlander models can be optioned with contrasting roof colours, but you'll pay $295 them, either in black or grey.

The cabin looks very much like the Hyundai i30 but in the Kona's case ultra-bright accents (yellow or red) throughout the interior are available on up-spec models, giving the car a vivacious attitude.

The Hyundai Kona will start at $23,490 (plus on-road costs) for the Active model and will provide competition for some of the top-selling mainstream compact SUVs in Australia such as the Mitsubishi ASX (from $25,000) and CX-3 (from $20,490).

It could also give the style-meister compact SUVs such as the Nissan JUKE ($23,490) and Toyota C-HR ($26,990) something to think about, the Hyundai Kona's unique style one its drawcards.

Another neat feature is a new app, "Auto Link", which connects with the car's computer brain – and even other Kona cars – to measure and share various data sets.

It'll tell you boring stuff like service scheduling and real-time vehicle diagnostics but also records hard braking, rapid acceleration, and maps where you parked and how long you have left. There's a "crowd comparison" feature that shows who has been the most efficient Kona drive too.

2018 Hyundai Kona pricing:

Active 2.0 petrol 2WD – $24,500
Active 1.6 turbo petrol AWD – $28,000

Elite 2.0 petrol 2WD – $28,500
Elite 1.6 turbo petrol AWD – $32,000

Highlander 2.0 petrol with 2WD – $33,000
Highlander 1.6 turbo petrol AWD – $36,000

The entry-level non-turbo engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit (110kW/180Nm) and is equipped with a conventional six-speed automatic.

Buyers who opt for 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine get more mumbo (130kW/265Nm). The engine is paired with a fast-shifting and more efficient seven-speed DCT or dual clutch automatic transmission. Ergo, the more expensive, more powerful 1.6 engine has a fuel consumption rating of 6.7L/100km, compared to the 2.0's 7.2L/100km.

The 1.6-turbo accelerates to 100km/h from rest 2.1 seconds faster than its sibling, 7.9sec versus 10sec.

In terms of what you get for your money, all models come with LED daytime running lights, reversing cameras, alloy wheels, cruise control, six airbags and a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Hyundai has made the decision to make autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection available on all models, but entry-level Active models must choose to add the safety pack, adding $1500 to the purchase price. AEB can hit the anchors without driver input at speeds of up to 75km/h.

Like all Hyundai models, a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty applies to the Kona, along with a capped-price service program that shows you what you'll pay before you rock into the service bay.

We're driving the new Hyundai Kona at the national media launch this week and we'll have full analysis and review from Friday October 13. Until then, here's the standard features on the three model grades:

Kona Active
16-inch alloy wheels
Roof rails
Reversing camera
Leather steering wheel
Cruise control
7.0-inch touchscreen
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Six airbags
LED daytime running lights
Dusk-sensing headlights
Hyundai Autolink app

Safety Pack ($1500) for Active models only:
Blind-spot warning
Rear cross-traffic alert
AEB with pre-warning
Lane assist
Driver attention monitor
Power-folding side mirrors

Kona Elite
17-inch wheels
Leather seats
Rain-sensing wipers
Climate control
Carbon grey cladding
Proximity key and button start

Kona Highlander
18-inch alloys
Heated/ventilated front seats
Head-up display
LED tail lights
Wireless charging pad
Auto high beam
Heated steering wheel
4.2-inch digital TFT cluster