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Quick overview
- Wide choice of power
- Kona N is an unusual hot hatch
- Five-year warranty
- Hybrid tech in most versions
- Cramped rear cabin
- Unimpressive ride quality
- So-so pace in most models
- Small boot
Hyundai offers a wide range of options within its Kona small SUV line-up. You can have everything from a full EV version, reviewed separately, at one end all the way to the Kona N hot hatch at the other extreme. It means small SUV buyers who like the Hyundai brand are not short of choice, though most will likely head towards the mild hybrid or fully Hybrid version that gets this distinction as part of its formal name.
On the road, the two hybrid versions of the Hyundai Kona are not much different to drive other than the full Hybrid is markedly quicker off the mark and through the gears. This could be a defining feature for some buyers if you spend a lot of time on the motorway or country roads and need to pass slower traffic. Then again, if you want fast, the Kona N comes with 280hp and sees off 0-62mph in a mere 5.5 seconds to put most other hot hatches well and truly in the shade. And the N is not just some straight line drag car, it can cope with bends just as ably to make it a hidden gem among performance cars.
The Hyundai Kona’s looks were given a makeover in 2021 and the interior came in for some attention at the same time. It now feels built to a higher standard than before, and there’s a bit more technology included with all models as standard. For instance, all have a 10.25-inch digital main dash cluster where this is only fitted to higher trim grades in most of the Kona’s rivals. If you skip over the entry-point SE Connect trim, you also get a 10.25-inch colour touchscreen infotainment display.
However, an update does not address the more fundamental issue of the Kona’s cramped cabin. It’s a small SUV, but it seems to take the word ‘small’ at face value when it comes to rear seat space. The boot, too, is less spacious than Nissan Juke’s.
Prices
With three strands to the Hyundai Kona range, we’ll start with the mild hybrid models. They begin with the SE Connect that costs from £21,625, while upgrading to the N Line adds £2530 to the price with its £24,155 tag. The Premium comes in at £24,225, while the Ultimate costs from £26,525. Moving to the Hybrid range, the SE Connect start with prices from £24,315, so it’s £2690 more than the mild hybrid model. There’s no N Line trim for the Hybrid, so Premium is next up at £27,115, and the Ultimate weighs in with a list price of £29,615. If you want the Kona N, it costs from £35,820. Savings can be had on all of the Kona range when new, so expect to chip off anything from £500 to £2500 depending on the engine and trim version. A three-year old Kona with average mileage for the age will cost from about £13,000 through a good independent dealer or Hyundai’s own approved used scheme.
Infotainment, comfort and practicality
The Hyundai Kona lives up to its looks as a small SUV by providing a raised driving position that affords a good view out to the front and sides. You can adjust the driver’s seat height manually in all models except the Ultimate trim that comes with electric movement. This version and the Premium also come with heated front seats as standard. However, every Kona has two-way adjustment for the steering wheel which, coupled to electric lumbar adjustability on all but the base SE Connect, means you can fine tune the seating position to suit yourself with ease. With this higher outlook than you get in most of the Kona’s rivals, you can see the front corners clearly, but rear vision is limited by the thick rear window pillars and high, narrow rear screen. Hyundai counters this by fitting rear parking sensors to all Kona variants.
Another standard feature in all Konas since the 2021 facelift is the 10.25-inch Driver’s Digital Supervision Instrument Cluster. That’s a fancy way of saying the main dials use a digital display rather than analogue clocks. Whatever the description, the Kona’s dials are easy to read and you can vary the information in the central portion of the display using the steering wheel buttons to scroll through different menus.
There’s more information available on the large, centrally mounted infotainment touchscreen. In the SE Connect, this is an 8.0-inch item, but the rest of the range benefit form the larger 10.25-inch version that has crisp graphics and reacts promptly to inputs from your finger. It comes with an excellent stereo, and you can hook up your smartphone using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. All but the SE Connect model has a wireless charging pad in the centre console for your phone, but only the Ultimate has a head-up display. Below the infotainment display are the heater controls, which Hyundai wisely chooses to stick with physical buttons and dials.
If the front of the Kona is a very appealing place to sit, the rear seats are rather less attractive for anyone of adult size. There is enough headroom and the Hyundai Kona is almost wide enough to fit three grown-ups across the bench for short trips. However, what scuppers this car is the paucity of knee space for adults. It’s compounded by the hard-backed front seats, so you cannot even sit with your knees moulded into the rear of the front seats. Children won’t notice this and there are Isofix seat mounts on the two outer rear chairs.
Head round to the back of the Kona and the tailgate opens to reveal a wide aperture. That’s about as good as it gets as the Kona has a smaller boot than a Nissan Juke by some margin, offering 374-litres to be almost 50-litres less than the Nissan’s. Tip the 60-40 fold down rear seats flat and the Hyundai Kona releases 1156-litres of space for cargo, whereas the Nissan has 1305-litres to play with. There are some redeeming features for the Kona as its boot floor is flat and sits flush with the load sill. It also has plenty of sturdy tie-down points, which the Nissan Juke does not.
Which 2017 Hyundai Kona model should you buy?
For those choosing the Hyundai Kona in SE Connect trim, you get 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, rear parking sensors, and Lane Follow Assist and Lane Keep Assist safety aids. You also get the 10.25-inch digital main dash display, as well as an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Air conditioning is included, too. Move up to the N Line and you gain 18-inch alloy wheels, N Line body kit, and rear privacy glass. Inside, the N Line has climate control, ambient lighting, a Krell audio system, wireless phone charging pad, and the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with sat-nav. Choose the Premium model and it has front parking sensors, electric parking brake, intelligent speed limit warning. The cabin comes with heated seats and steering wheel, and keyless ignition. The Ultimate lives up to its name with electrically adjusted and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery, heated outer rear seats, and a driver’s head-up display. A sunroof is standard with this trim, as well as blind spot and safe exit warnings. The Kona N has its own specific trim with 19-inch alloy wheels, larger brakes, and unique body styling. On the inside, the N has front sports seats, suede-style upholstery, and N driving modes.
Value for money: how much does a 2017 Hyundai Kona cost to buy and run?
The cost of running most Hyundai Kona models will not drain your finances. The mild hybrid models offer combined economy and emissions of 47.1mpg and 135g/km in the SE Connect and Premium trims, or 46.3mpg and 138g/km for the N Line and Ultimate. If you prefer the Hybrid models, they offer between 57.6- and 55.4mpg depending on trim, along with CO2 emissions ranging from 112- to 115g/km. The Kona N comes in with a less impressive 33.2mpg official combined consumption and emits 194g/km.
Verdict: Should I buy a 2017 Hyundai Kona?
There’s a Hyundai Kona to suit almost all budgets, and you get hybrid technology in all of them except the very quick Kona N. From the very affordable mild hybrid in is base trim to the fire-breathing N performance model, every one of these small SUVs from Hyundai is well equipped and come with plenty of safety kit.
It’s not all rosy for the Kona, though, as the rear seats are cramped and the boot is much smaller than some of its key rivals. The Kona also has a firm ride that won’t be to all tastes, while the fuel economy of the mild hybrid models and N is nothing to write home about.