Hyundai Kona review

We’ve only tried the 136bhp 1.6-litre so far, the quickest Kona you can currently buy, with the 0-62mph sprint seen off in 10.2 seconds, up on the 99bhp 1.0-litre’s glacial 13.3 seconds. It feels sprightly around town, and remains impressively refined even at motorway speeds. You’re rarely left wanting more.

Hyundai’s manual gearbox is also pretty sweet to use. You also get the option of a seven-speed DCT here, for £1.5k extra of your hard earned cash (the 1.0-litre only gets a six-speed manual), but we don’t think you need it. Unless you’re going to find yourself regularly sat in crawling traffic.

It’s economical too. Hyundai claims up to 53.2mpg (slightly less in the DCT) and we managed close to 40mpg with a mix of town, country and motorway driving without our eco cap on. The 1.0-litre claims up to 57.6mpg, but chances are you’re going to have to drive it quite hard to make any proper progress.

There’s a full hybrid version too, right?

Yep. The Kona Hybrid gets 127bhp and will see off 0-62mph in 12 secs exactly, but based on our experience in the previous generation it’s far less engaging to drive – though for some buyers that could well be a positive. It’s paired with a six-speed DCT gearbox. 

Don’t expect much EV range though: the battery is only a 1.32kWh lithium polymer unit and won’t get you much beyond the end of your road. However, it does mean there’s electric assist for acceleration (thanks in part to regen braking) and claims up to 61.4mpg and 107g/km of CO2. If full EV running is your priority… look at the full EV.

What’s the handling and ride like?

The steering is nicely weighted, the accelerator and brakes nicely progressive, and though it gets a reasonably firm suspension setup, it doesn’t ever get too crashy. It’s not as sporting as a Ford Puma – let’s be honest, not much in this class is – but there’s clearly been some thought put into its dynamics. The Chinese could learn a thing or two.

Road roar and wind noise are kept to a minimum – Hyundai makes a big play about its 0.275 drag coefficient – though the bonging from the active safety features disturbs the peace. Fortunately, configurable shortcut buttons on the wheel and centre console can be set for the touchscreen sub-menu where they can be switched off. Still not as easy as a proper physical button, mind.