Test Drive - Hyundai Kona 1.6Turbo (2021 MY) - This is Actually a Viable Choice For a Compact SUV

What we have here is the 2021 Model Year Hyundai Kona 1.6 Turbo compact SUV. We had a go in it just before most of Malaysia was placed under the second Movement Control Order due to the current virus pandemic. It was quite lucky in terms of timing if not this review would not have happened. We had managed to take a short trip down to Ipoh with it and if you are actually lazy to read any further, I can easily tell you that this newly launched (here in Malaysia) C-segment SUV is actually quite good for what it is.

What the Hyundai Kona 1.6 Turbo is a soft roader meant for urban environments with more ground clearance and all the required chunky-boi looks that make compact SUVs the choice over sedans these days. It also has the poke to move and would also give you lots of enjoyment in terms of having more than adequate performance due to its turbocharged 1.6liter engine.

But this is all about being a lifestyle vehicle. The Kona has it in spades in terms of its looks. It was launched globally in 2017 and was sold at most major markets by the end of that year. However, Malaysia unfortunately only got the Kona last year. It is quite a shame as I first laid eyes on this at the end of 2017 when I was holidaying over in Perth, Australia. It looked super fresh back then and due to the fact that the next time I saw the Kona in the metal was at the end of 2020, it still looks fresh today. 

In terms of its styling, it features a more squared off and boxy type of design. It is more chunky and tough looking that the popular Honda HRV and the Proton X50. Both are competitors (which are locally assembled and therefore cheaper) but both are styled with more creases and lines that are characterful but both are unlike the Kona in that this SUV features what I think is the most distinctive front end styling in a current contemporary compact SUV on sale here in Malaysia. The other quite distinctively styled compact SUV on sale here is the slightly pricier Toyota CH-R, which is also a SUV which I fancy in terms of its design language. Yes, I prefer the Kona and the CH-R in terms of its overall styling. 

For me it's that front end with its split headlight design that makes this a little more unique. In terms of the rear, it too has some nice touches but basically its the front and side, with its two toned look (those wheel arches) make the car stand out a little more. Somehow, Hyundai's current design language is pretty interesting and I like it.

The Interior and Equipment

Inside, it is basically spacious enough for family of four to travel in comfort with some luggage. As I said above, I took a trip down to Ipoh for the weekend and it basically carried four of us in relative comfort and our luggage too. The boot is big enough as you can see in the photograph belowand there were no complaints from the passengers at the rear. Well, in terms of space as even with a chubby boy driving the car the rear passenger felt fine. 

The materials in the cabin are C-segment in terms of quality but the places where you fondle, or hold are either leather wrapped like the steering wheel, gear knob or of some softer or textured plastics. The main point is that the Kona feels well screwed together inside and feels good. The combination of the very dark grey (aka black) and the contrasting air vents and seat belts are a nice touch. In this 1.6 Turbo variant, you can opt for this lime green coloured trim which makes the Kona seem youthful inside but not garish or too out of this world. The dabs of colour make the interior a nice place to be.

If there were a complaint, the rear passengers do not have an air vent and there are no extra USB charging ports at the rear also. While the air-conditioning system works fine in cooling the cabin, it would be good if the rear passengers have their own pair of air vents. And since this is 2021, USB charging ports for the rear could be good. Note the plain looking area at the rear of the front arm rest. It could do with some vents and a charging port. Yes?

Speaking of connectivity, the infotainment system with its touchscreen works well and easily pairs with any Android or Apple phone out there. This is better than the outgoing Hyundai Tucson it replaces here in Malaysia. That model had connectivity too but it wasn't as straightforward for road tested like me who couldn't be bothered to read the manual sometimes. This requires no such skill and even an 'expert' like me could do it easily. My sixteen year old kid did it even easier, pairing up her IPhone to the car easily so a young man like me can listen to lotsa hip and cool music.

In terms of the driver's layout, only the driver's side seat is electrically adjustable and the steering can be adjusted for reach and rake. It is easy to get comfortable for long drives in the Kona and on the tri[p back from Ipoh to Petaling Jaya, I actually only stopped once near Templar Park for a toilet break. I also took the old road back rather than the highway so it was at least over an hour longer than the usual one hour forty five minutes it would usually take. Oh, if you are lazy and use the highway, the Kona 1.6Turbo has adaptive cruise control or Smart Cruise Control which Hyundai calls it.

The Drive Experience

Once you get comfy it is possible to drive long distances in the Kona. The instruments are legible and there are lots of stuff for the driver to tinker with in terms of the information display in the instrument cluster as well as on the heads up display. The HUD also provides most of the active safey warnings on it for more information. Lane keeping warnings, blind spot sensors as well as collision warning and brake assist are present and are displayed on the Kona's HUD. This car does come equipped with a lot of active safety features as well as great visual cues that everything is working.

In terms of all round visibility, the Kona is also good. Aside from the blind spot sensors, you can use the usual wing mirrors and rear view mirror and everything is good in terms of that. The Kona is an easy drive in tight city streets and also easy to park.

In terms of driving the Kona, the 7 speed dual clutch transmission works well with the 1.6liter 4 cylinder turbocharged engine. No complaints in terms of its power delivery and the gears seem nicely matched to the car. It kicks down easily and you never feel there is ever a torque dip or that it feels undergeared or otherwise. The gearbox powers the front wheels and keeps all of the Kona's 177ps and 265 Nm of torque in check. I have to say that the Kona does solidify my belief than anything with over 250m of torque is a nice drive.

There are Comfort, Eco and Sport modes which actually change the gear shift points and also adjust when the air conditioning compressor comes in. The best mode to be in is the standard Comfort mode as Eco is a tad too lazy for me and Sport is quite aggressive in terms of gear hold. It does not have flappy pedal shifters behind the steering wheel so you cannot make believe you are Seb Vettel. There is a manual mode on the gear shifter but that being said, the DCT is pretty smart in making the right choice so just use the brake pedal and the accelerator and its all fine.

As for outright handling, the Kona is predictable. Nothing too sporty but good enough for most. What I like is that the tail is pretty obedient in that it does follow what the front it doing. The front end also steers where you want it to go and understeer is actually not noticeable unless you're really gunning it. Then if you do, you need to go hard on the brakes so that the front end dips and grips so that the rear swings out a little to help with things.

In terms of helping out with things I noticed that the Kona has a traditional handbrake lever. No electronic park brake nonsense and actually, this is one piece of traditional system which I love to have in a car. With a hand operated park brake, it actually gives you the option of doing handbrake turns, or rapid J-Turns. This comes convenient especially if you are suddenly chased by groups of men armed with parangs and you need to corner in a tight parking lot. A hand operated brake allows you more options.

High speed stability seems decent with the Kona tracking well at speeds up to 160km/h.Steering weighting is also good with ample feedback of the road and how the steering rack ratio is set - i.e how much your input is to the angle the wheels turn. I do feel some body roll present in tight corners but some roll actually allows you to feel what the car is doing. The car is also set up to be comfortable which explains the nice comfy ride. But as I said, that slight roll is a nice balance between comfort and outright handling. The Kona is something which I could live with on a daily basis because of this. 

Conclusion

All in all I think the Hyundai Kona 1.6 Turbo is a well rounded car. The Kona is what I would call a product that is polished and nicely honed to be something all rounded. It does alot of things well with only minor flaws here and there. Hyundai has actually been super consistent over the past decade as their products seem to be getting better and better in terms of overall feel. 

There is no where in the Kona which I think hasn't been properly looked into. From the styling of the exterior to the interior and the chassis as well as the drive and power train, everything seems to be cohesive. This is the actual difference between some brands and others. 

Now in terms of some of its Japanese competitors like the HRV, this is actually a better car overall. The materials inside are more substantial. It feels more complete a car. It is more like what Mazda offers in terms of substance and that is a very good thing. In terms of something from Proton, well, the Chinese designed offering offers fantastic value for money but is still somewhat of a rough gem. It still feels raw around the edges and it will take at least a generation or two before you can get the same amount of polish that you see in something like the Kona.

This is my perception and my opinion. Of course, I am a guy who loves the good things in life and I have to say that the Hyundai Kona is actually a viable option for those that want something polished at under RM150,000. As at RM143,888, the Kona should be on your compact SUV shopping list even though it is slightly pricier than the popular ones mentioned above.

There will be a video review on the Kona coming up sometime later. So stay tuned folks, if you like to listen to me ramble on about this SUV.

2021MY Hyundai Kona 1.6 Turbo (Specifications after the photos below)

Pros: 1.6 turbo engine works well, so does the 7 speed DCT, nice chunky looks, inside looks good too with good fit and finish. Equipment levels are high with lots of Active Safety equipment

Cons: Slightly pricey due to its fully imported nature, no rear air vents, no rear USB charging ports.

Engine				Gamma 1.6 T-Gdi
Displacement	cc			1,591
Bore x Stroke	mm			77.0 x 85.44
Compression Ratio				10 : 1
Max Power	PS/rpm			177 / 5,500
Max Torque	Nm/rpm			265 / 1,500 ~ 4,500
Transmission				7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission
Drive System		2-wheel Drive
Drive Mode		3 (Comfort, Eco, Sport)
SUSPENSION
Front		McPherson Strut
Rear		Coupled Torsion Beam Axle
BRAKES
Front Brake Type				Ventilated Disc 16"
Rear Brake Type				Solid Disc 15"
WHEELS & TYRES
Wheels			Alloy 18"
Tyres			235 / 45 R18
SAFETY & SECURITY
Airbag		6 (Driver, Front Passenger & Side)
ABS, ESC, VSM, EBD, TCS		Equipped
Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC)		Equipped
Down Hill Brake Control (DBC)		Equipped
Parking Assist System				Front & Rear
ISOFIX		2 (Rear Passenger)
HYUNDAI SMARTSENSE
Blind-spot Collision Warning (BCW)		-	Equipped
Rear Cross Traffic Collision Warning (RCCW)		-	Equipped
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)		-		Equipped
Smart Cruise Control (SCC)		-		Equipped
Forward Collision Avoidance Asisst (FCA)		-		Equipped
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)		-		Equipped
High Beam Assist (HBA)		-		Equipped
Driver Attention Warning (DAW)		-		Equipped
STEERING
Steering Type		Rack & Pinion (C-MDPS)
Tilt & Telescopic		Standard
EXTERIOR
Headlamps			Bi Function Projection Beam (LED) with Static Bending Light
Tail lamps			LED Combination
LED Daytime Running Light		Equipped
Foglamps			Front & Rear
Outside Mirror Electric Control & Folding		Equipped
Roof Rack		-		Equipped
Two-Tone Body Color		-		Equipped
INTERIOR
Seats Materials				Full Leather
Seat Adjustment			8 Way Power Adjustable Driver's Seat with lumbar support & Manual adjustment for front passenger
Rear Seat Folding System		60 : 40 split back folding
Supervision Cluster			4.2 inch TFT LCD
Parking Brake		Hand Type
Inside Rear View Mirror				Electronic Chromic Mirror (ECM)
Air Conditioning System			Single Zone - Full Automatic Climate Control
Power Window		4 Windows, Driver's Side Auto Up and Down with Anti-Pinch
Boot Space (litre)		361 (VDA)
AUDIO
Audio System & Connectivity		7" Touchscreen with MP3 playback, AUX-in, USB, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto & Voice Recognition
Speakers		6 Speakers
Steering Wheel Audio Control		Equipped
COMFORT & CONVENIENCE
Smart Key with Push Start Button		Equipped
Head Up Display (HUD)		-	Equipped (Combiner Type)
Wireless Charging System		-		Equipped
USB Port		2 (1 for charging ; 1 for connectivity)
Cruise Control				Smart Cruise Control (SCC)
Auto Light Control		Equipped
Auto Wipers		-	Equipped
Rear-View Camera		Equipped with dynamic parking guide
Tires Pressure Monitoring System		Equipped
Cup Holders		2 Front, 2 Rear
Idle Stop & Go		-		Equipped
Navigation		Waze/Google Map (Android Auto/Apple CarPlay)