One of the great launches of 2023 is getting closer to reaching our roads. We are talking about the new generation of the Hyundai Kona, one of the most important models of the Korean firm and that, After an indisputably successful first generation, it has been completely renewed to give rise to a much more mature model., with a much more up-to-date and technical design and with a significantly higher technological load than its predecessor. Is it worth waiting for the new Hyundai?
The last few months are especially relevant for Hyundai. After crowning a 2022 as sales leader in the case of the Hyundai Tucson and presenting a spectacular IONIQ 6 that is just around the corner, now the Korean firm has presented the second edition of one of its great bulwarks, the Hyundai Kona. A few weeks ago, the first official images of the model were made public, but it was now that Hyundai has revealed more images and, above all, more information. about this new generation that has been going very, very hard.
And it is that the second iteration of the Korean B-SUV will hit our roads in the middle of this year after confirming the brand itself that will reveal the technical details of all the engines next March. It is to be hoped that around that date we can already put ourselves at the controls of this promise of the urban SUV segment. that, once again, repeat technical approach by offering versions with a combustion engine, hybrid versions and 100% electric versions.
The new Hyundai Kona will be the bogeyman of the B-SUV segment
With an aesthetic that powerfully attracts attention and that clearly represents a step forward compared to the current Kona, the truth is that the new Hyundai retains a good part of that youthful and compact character of the current model, but with features that are powerfully reminiscent of several models from the latest batch of Hyundai releases, such as the large Staria minivan or the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6.
The front stands out, with the already typical decoration of Hyundai with the optics grouped in two blocks: a luminous strip that runs along the entire width and acts as daytime lighting and a main headlight for the rest of the functions. The body lines are much more marked than those of the current Kona, giving the SUV much more muscle, with a much more technical design. At the back, for its part, we again find a light strip in which the position and brake lights are grouped, while the rest of the functions are grouped in a small light placed at the lower ends.
In the cabin there are also many changes, since we are facing a completely new and renewed atmosphere that, once again, reminds us of the latest releases from the Asian firm, especially those of the IONIQ electric family. ORA large panel in which two 12.3″ screens are integrated, forming the central axis of a dashboard that, yes, maintains physical controls for both the infotainment system and the air conditioning.
It can be seen, at least visually, much more care for detail and construction quality, with details such as a gear selector that now moves to the steering column and a much more extensive and capable ambient lighting system. Speaking of spaciousness, the new Kona will be significantly larger on the inside: With a wheelbase that grows by 60mm, second-row legroom grows by 77mm, plus 11mm of headroom.
3 mechanical options for the Hyundai Kona 2023
On a mechanical level, the Hyundai Kona 2023 will have, like the current model, three mechanical options: pure combustion engines, non-plug-in hybrid system and 100% electric drive system. The brand has revealed mechanical details of the version intended for its local (South Korean) market, where it will have two turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline engines and a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated, a 141 hp non-plug-in hybrid option and a 100% electric version.
