Hyundai Kona Hybrid review and buyer’s guide
The Hyundai Kona Hybrid does fuel economy like an extreme sport, while also being affordable, practical and stylish. Small SUV buyers like you also get the benefits of an excellent customer support reputation.
The Hyundai Kona hybrid is typical series-parallel hybrid which offers a compelling value proposition if you need a five-seat small family SUV for city and suburban driving.
Kona Hybrid rivals the Toyota Corolla Cross, Mitsubishi ASX and plenty of small SUV hybrids including the Haval Jolion and Chery Tiggo 4. There’s more under the bonnet than just looks and sharp styling, but it also should cross your mind that you can’t possibly test drive every make and model.
This report aims to give you the most pertinent facts you need to know in order to give you an informed purchasing decision. This review will focus primarily on the Kona Hybrid, so if you want more on the wider range and greater detail on Hyundai Kona, click here >>
Download the Kona Hybrid spec sheet here >
Download the Kona Hybrid brochure here >
Importantly, this is the most fuel efficient Kona ever, offering an official average consumption of just 3.9L/100km. This looks really good against its rivals, for which there are no longer a handful of hybrid options - there are plenty in 2026.
Other small SUVs you should be considering include the strong-value Kia Seltos, the camping-conscious all-wheel drive Subaru Crosstrek, the Mitsubishi ASX if on a tight budget, or there’s the Mazda CX-3 if you want a gorgeous interior and are happy with a tiny boot.
One of the great things about the new powertrain is that it’s available across all trim levels. You don’t need to spend up big to enjoy hybrid economy.
Prices start from $36,000 for the base model and top out at $46,500 for the N Line Premium hybrid. Along this spectrum you’ll find the hybrid N Line (from $40,000) and hybrid Premium (from $43,500). All excluding on-road costs.
Kona Hybrid ‘Premium’ pictured here gets AWD, just don’t park it here overnight…
In base form, the hybrid option is $4000 more than the equivalent non-hybrid model. Considering the standard 2.0L petrol has an official average consumption of 6.6L/100km, $4000 could pay for 30,000km of driving, or about two years of use, based on today’s average petrol price of $1.96/litre for 91 RON.
The point here being that unlike in an all-electric vehicle which usually commands a much higher price, in the Kona Hybrid you can absolutely entertain the rationale of making back the upfront price premium in fuel savings.
And the best part is you also get a more practical and more appropriate vehicle for the majority of Australian driving: metropolitan inner-city commuter traffic, where stop-start driving is frequent. This is where hybrids do their best work, using the battery to get you going and the petrol engine to keep you going once you’re at speed.
Plus, there’s now more room for the weekly groceries - 407 litres to be exact. Cargo volume is roughly 30 per cent greater in Kona Hybrid than a Toyota C-HR, a Subaru Crosstrek, Mazda CX-30 and it’s negligible with Corolla Cross hybrid which is more expensive, by the way. So that’s nice.
The wheelbase on new Kona is about 40mm shorter than a medium SUV which absolutely does not leave you wanting any more legroom. To say the Kona is as comfy as a bigger midsize SUV for space is an understatement. In fact, Kona is about the same size as what a medium SUV used to be about 30 years ago, only with 3 decades of R&D built in.
Longer wheelbase means more room for legs
The headroom is defiant of the term ‘small SUV’. There’s more headroom than you would expect and the second row seats benefit from a completely flat floor thanks to the lack of transmission tunnel.
In the event you need to carry long or bulky items without row 2 in use, the back seats fold down just 10 degrees shy of completely flat.There are medium and large SUVs that still cannot get the floor that flat.
In loading those bulky items like a new telly or a pram or whatever, the aperture of the tailgate is 38mm wider, and the lip edge liftover height us reduced to 676mm off the ground, which is good news for picking up heavier items and avoiding that telltale rear bumper paint scuffing.
Inside Kona, it’s still as functionally proficient as ever, thanks in part to Hyundai’s common sense approach to letting buttons remain where other carmakers are doing their best to ditch these kinds of haptic feedback systems. The rocker switches to adjust temperature even feel nicely premium to use, and quite robust. (Click to enlarge below)
Kona is well equipped even if you go for the base model. This is one of its main drawcards, because not everyone wants the top-of-the-range.
Hyundai has done well with the latest model to apply a high baseline in terms of features. For example, all models come with a 12.3-inch digital touch-screen that sprawls across the dash. It wasn’t long ago when this sort of thing was reserved for the top models only.
However, the base models don’t get split-screen functionality, as seen in the Premium and N Line Premium. Embedded satellite navigation is also held for the top two. But you get digital radio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Hyundai’s new Bluelink smartphone connectivity suite.
Bluelink provides communication between you and your car via a smartphone app, enabling remote, live vehicle status checks including fuel range, as well as automatic emergency calling in the event of an accident. If this sounds complex, don’t worry. You don’t have to use the app if you don’t want to.
Other standard inclusions that help boost value include wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, three drive modes (Eco, Normal, Sport), rear USB ports, dual-zone climate control, and auto LED headlights. Safety tech is also in abundance, however, some of the automated systems can be more annoying than helpful.
FEATURES & PRICING
KONA HYBRID (base model)
1.6L turbo-petrol 4-cyl + 1.3kWh battery, 32kW AC motor, FWD | $40,000 driveaway (approx.)
features
17-inch alloy wheels (temporary space-saver spare), 215/60 R17 tyres
Dual zone climate control, auto defog & dehumidifier
Tyre pressure monitoring system
Drive Mode - 3 settings (Eco, Sport, Snow), steering wheel mounted paddle shifters
Row 2 air vents
Tinted glass
Premium cloth seats
Door mirrors: electrically adjustable and auto folding, heated
Roof rails
Leather steering wheel
7 Airbags (incl. front centre airbag)
Driver & passenger seat manual height adjustment, electric driver’s lumbar support
Smart key & push button start, remote start,
Front seatback pockets
12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen + OTA updates
Digital radio, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
6-speaker stereo system
Rear armrest w/ cupholders
12.3-inch driver’s display
Luggage board & luggage net
Wireless smart phone charger
LED: headlights (low beam, dusk-sensing, self-levelling, auto), taillights, daytime running light, interior (roof, sunvisor, cargo, glovebox)
Auto up/down w/ safety front windows
Battery heating system
Hyundai ‘SmartSense’ driver assist features: Attention warning, forward collision avoidance (incl. pedestrian & cyclist detection, junction & oncoming traffic detection), high beam assist, Lane: following, centring, keeping; rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, rear occupant alert, safe exit warning, smart cruise control (incl. stop & go)
Rearwiew camera: top down view, tailgate guide lines, trailer connection mode, parking distance warning
External in-motion audio warning (for pedestrians)
Manual tailgate
Front windows: 1-touch open/close, anti-pinching, smartkey remote open/close
2x USB C-type power outlets (rear centre console)
KONA HYBRID ELITE
1.6L turbo-petrol 4-cyl + 1.3kWh battery, 32kW AC motor, FWD | $44,700 driveaway (approx.)
N-Line pack: $3690 $48,390 driveaway (approx.)
adds
Leather appointed seats
18-inch alloy wheels, Tyres: 215/55 R18; Temporary space saver spare
Solar control w/screen + front door glass
Power driver & passenger seat
Privacy rear glass
Front seats: heated, leather appointed /Alcantara trim
10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, 2-way electriclumbar support driver’s seat
8-way electrically adjustable passenger’s seat
Electrochromic mirror (ECM)
KONA HYBRID PREMIUM
1.6L turbo-petrol 4-cyl + 1.3kWh battery, 32kW AC motor, FWD | $44,700 driveaway (approx.)
N-Line pack: $3690 $48,390 driveaway (approx.)
adds
8-speaker BOSE premium stereo system, incl. amplifier
Acoustic film windshield
LED front centre garnish lamp
Driver’s seat integrated memory (incl. lumbar, door mirrors), easy-access auto sliding seat
Driver & passenger seat relaxation function: ‘zero gravity’ position
Quad-projection LED headlights w/ LED F/R turn signals
Heated steering wheel
Blindspot view monitor
Heated rear outboard seats
Reverse parking collision avoidance
Ventilated front seats
Remote Smart Parking Assist
Ambient lighting
360-degree camera
Satellite navigation
Live traffic updates
Wide glass sunroof
Head-up display (HUD)
LED indicators
Voice memo (70 minutes recording time)
Electric tailgate
+ N-LINE PACK $4000 (approx)
adds
18-inch N Line design alloy wheels
N Line sports interior
N Line exterior styling
Leather/suede appointed seats
Body colour door garnish & cladding
Alloy pedals & scuff plates
Indicator lights - LED, Positioning light - LED; ‘Seamless Horizon’ full width, Headlight type - Dual projector beam
Dashboard trim - dark brushed alloy effect, Door release handles - dark metal finish, Air vents - gloss red inserts, Headlining, grip handles, pillar trims & sun visors - black finish, Door entry scuff trims - N Line exclusive (front), Seats - red stitching and highlights, N emblem, Steering wheel - perforated leather grips, red stitching, N emblem, Sports pedals - alloy
Leather appointed finish - door trim inserts, dashboard tray
DRIVING
Nothing about the driving experience of a Kona Hybrid requires a learning curve, which is probably the best part of this powertrain. You don’t have to worry about keeping the battery recharged, because it’s all taken care of for you behind the scenes, and nor do you have to think hard in order to drive it. You simply get in and drive it exactly as you would a regular Kona.
As part of this model’s introduction, the 2024-onwards Kona features a shift-by-wire transmission. This might sound complicated but it is quite simple. Basically, it means the gear shifter itself is not physically connected to the transmission. Instead, it’s all done electronically. That allows designers to move the shifter up onto the steering column to free up storage space around the centre console. It means driving and getting settled into the cabin is easier than it’s ever been.
It’s easy to ridicule the position of the transmission shifter/stalk but once you adapt (after about a week or two) you’ll realise it’s a stroke of genius because: look how much stowage space you get in the centre (not forgetting the armrest console)…
You may have forgotten how clunky it was getting into an older vehicle with a big fat transmission shifter sticking out of the transmission tunnel while trying to get your phone plugged in and the keys somewhere they’re not going to fall and disappear under the seat. Then there’s trying to find space for your drink, maybe putting your sunnies somewhere free of scratches (because sunglasses holders are never big enough). All of this affects your daily operability in the cockpit and can be distracting when you’re on the road. Kona is blissfully free of cabin clutter without going completely off the deep end and removing all buttons and practicality.
Although you will need to adapt to the new shifter’s location and operation, with its twist-type selection mechanism, this isn’t exclusive to the hybrid; most new Kona models feature this setup as well except the base model. It literally takes five seconds to observe how it works and then you’re all set. It’ll become second-nature in no time.
The reason this new Kona model is so distinctly nice to drive in the hybrid and full-electric versions is because they are engineered from the beginning on a platform designed to deal with those unique powertrains. This wasn’t the case with a lot of first-generation hybrids and EVs which were optimised for combustion and adapted for adding electrical hardware.
There’s a phenomenon called modal separation which occurs as a result of changing the mass-centre of the vehicle when you adapt the vehicle for the heavy, low-down mass of the battery and more localised mass of the AC electric motor/s. These components are mounted in different places, but all the suspension geometry remains the same with the same pick-up points.
What this does is change how the vehicle behaves dynamically (on the road). So it bounces and rolls more differently because the suspension is not optimised for the changes in how the mass is arranged. Combustion powertrains are more spread-out down the centre, over the length of the vehicle front-to-rear. Whereas the batteries and motors are basically all grouped in the front and/or rear in the hybrid, or ultra low-down and widely spread out in the case of Kona Electric, making for a very different set of engineering challenges.
This doesn’t happen in today’s Kona Hybrid or Electric because the whole platform was designed as an EV and hybrid first. So the 1.6 hybrid + DCT, the 2.0 CVT and the 1.6 8spd auto are all perfectly suited to the platform. This is a much better outcome for all powertrain types.
Australian tuning
Hyundai Australia conducts its own testing on vehicles sold here and in some cases applies its own unique tune for the suspension and steering, if it can and if the overseas setting is not suitable for our conditions. Most of the time though, the overseas tune only needs a minor tweak. But the main thing is the local mob does local testing to make sure. Not many other brands do this, including most Chinese brands (with exception of GWM).
For the new generation Kona the local team didn’t make any changes from the supplied package, however, Hyundai Australia product development manager, Tim Rodgers, said:
“We evaluated pre-production test vehicles very early on and we were extremely pleased with the settings R&D had developed for new Kona. The quality of the global chassis settings is incredibly high and Kona performed exceptionally across the full range of Australian road conditions.”
Rodgers also said the new model provides a more consistent feel across the range, despite some variants featuring torsion-beam rear suspension and others featuring multi-link, with and without all-wheel drive. He said:
“The platform has been engineered in such a way that there is a more consistent feel across the range. Overall, we believe new-generation Kona feels significantly more refined than the previous generation.”
Out on the road it clearly feels like a more refined proposition than before. The platform’s ability to absorb bumps is improved over the predecessor, and there are fewer vibrations sent through the body. It seems to resolve itself much quicker than before, which is ideal on Australia’s old and worn country roads.
The hybrid powertrain develops 104kW of power, making it the least powerful powertrain on offer, but it also develops 265Nm of torque. Torque is the stuff that pushes you along and gets you up steep hills, and helps carry heavy loads. So, arguably, that latter figure is more important anyway because that’s what you’re using to get going from the lights.
Fact is, Kona Hybrid uses the electrical side of the powertrain to get you going, which is the most efficient use of the powertrain.
On the electrical side, the 1.32kWh battery feeds a 32kW/170Nm electric motor assist system. This is more than powerful enough to supply meaningful electric take-off in the suburbs such as taking the kids to school and commuting to the city.
The petrol engine kicks in at about 40km/h once you’re up to speed where the 6-speed transmission gets to work offering nice crisp gear changes and bringing down the revs as the road speed increases. It’s one seamless set of steps that is staggeringly comfortable, smooth and effortless from where the driver’s sitting.
It doesn’t feel sluggish or slow to drive, and Hyundai’s decision to go with a dual-clutch auto transmission (instead of a CVT) with the hybrid is a nice choice, but an unusual one. This is because it seems to work just fine, and yet other carmakers have gone down the belt-and-pulley system that is a CVT (continuously variable transmission). CVTs are slightly more economical by offering optimal power as demanded by the driver, but they can be a bit dull to drive and suffer a low-key droning characteristic.
The electric motor with its instant low-down torque helps pick up some of the initial slack from the dual-clutch gearbox. With actual gears to play with it can be quite engaging and enjoyable, too. But you also get the option of just sticking it in D and leaving it alone.
The different driving modes don’t really change the characteristics all that much, except in Eco mode it loosens off the throttle sensitivity by quite a bit. In this mode it is possible to get close to the official average consumption figure. Even under normal driving demands you could expect to achieve around 5.5-6.0L/100km.
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INTERIOR
The Kona is made using the Hyundai-Kia K3 platform. This is the company’s next-gen small vehicle platform and is found under the i30 Sedan. With this, Hyundai designers have created a much bigger cabin. Especially in the back.
Rear-seat legroom has increased by an impressive 77mm and shoulder room is up by 17mm. Headroom is also up by 11mm in the back. In the front it is similar to the previous model, however, the new dash and console design makes it feel larger and more open than before.
Boot space doesn’t suffer at all because of the battery and hybrid technology. All models, including the all-wheel drive N Line with the 1.6L turbo engine, offer 407L. That’s up 33L from the predecessor. If you fold down the rear seats, which lie completely flat, you’ll expose 1241L. That’s up 85L from the old model.
So, essentially, there is no compromise in terms of cabin space with the hybrid. The cabin and boot are exactly the same. A space-saver spare wheel is located under the boot floor in all models, including the upcoming Kona Electric.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to have the sporty N-Line pack as your only interior option; much quieter, more subdued interiors exist in the Premium and base model.
You can have an N-Line pack added to both of the two variants of Kona Hybrid, either the base ‘Kona Hybrid’ (which doesn’t get its own unique naming convention, confusingly) or the ‘Premium’ which actually tells you what it signifies to you as the buyer.
The N-Line pack gives you the racier black rear spoiler, the black side skirts and door mirrors, with body-coloured wheelarches and a rear diffuser style bumper design which includes a tipped exhaust, as opposed to the stock job tucked up under the bumper in standard Kona Hybrid guise. There’s also a front bumper and grille re-design with the N pack.
One good thing about the N-Line pack is it’s not just a sticker package; it does actually change the overall vehicle you get.
For more on the wider range and more detail on Hyundai Kona, click here >>
ENGINE
Kona Hybrid uses the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol 4-cylinder engine shared with the Kia Seltos, Sportage and Sorento, Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe. But of course, being a hybrid, it also uses a modest sized battery and AC electric motor in concert.
The 1.6 turbo-petrol makes 77kW on its own and with the electric motor adding 32kW you get a total power output of 104kW.
The electric motor, which is built into the transmission (to save space) as opposed to being mounted externally, is 1.32kWh in capacity, which is a fraction smaller than the one in a RAV4, Tucson or Kia Sportage. This is a battery proportional to the Kona: smaller vehicle, less weight, smaller battery, but still big enough that it’s effective but not too heavy.
The battery is recharged via regenerative braking, meaning the kinetic energy inherent in the moving vehicle is captured when you start braking, rather than it all being wasted when it’s turned into heat via the brakes.
What makes Kona good to drive is the 69kW power-to-weight ratio, which is average when you look at performance as your criteria for a top 10 list. But if you rank the top 10 best selling small SUV hybrids in Australia, Kona Hybrid is one of the most popular after Corolla Cross Hybrid.
As for fuel economy, the matter of import here is how it actually applies to you. The hybrid has the potential to offset that initial $4000 premium above the 2.0L petrol-only Kona model within a couple of years, depending on how much driving you do and of course pending fuel prices.
If you’re worried about it offering lower performance, don’t be. It drives just fine and accelerates quicker than the base 2.0L option. And with a decent peak torque output, it carries a full car-load much easier as well.
If you’re in the market for a smart, very economical little SUV that is built by a reputable company and one that offers a surprisingly spacious cabin, then yes, the new Kona hybrid is worth a closer look.
SAFETY
The Hyundai Kona shares impeccable safety credentials with its combustion-only and electric-only platform-sharing variants, both from a local Australian perspective and according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States.
You can download the ANCAP technical report for Hyundai Kona hybrid here > and visit the IIHS website for its analysis on Hyundai Kona here >
Some of the safety systems can be very frustrating but this is not an issue exclusive to the Kona or Hyundai; these are effectively default packages for all new cars and not many of them provide seamless operation. You’ll probably have to pay extra at some point to turn all the so-called ‘safety assist’ features off.
The Hyundai Kona Hybrid does fuel economy like an extreme sport, while also being affordable, practical and stylish. Small SUV buyers like you also get the benefits of an excellent customer support reputation.