Hyundai launches Kona to rival Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V

A starting price of $24,500 will power the Hyundai Kona when it hits showrooms next week as a rival to the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V in the compact SUV class

Hyundai Kona

A starting price of $24,500 will power the Hyundai Kona when it hits showrooms next week as a rival to the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V in the compact SUV class.

Hyundai Kona.

Hyundai Automotive is not predicting massive sales at first, as demand from Europe is four times the company’s forecast, although it hopes to challenge for class leadership when more Konas are available in the second half of 2018.

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK

The two basic versions of the Honda Jazz will be $2000 better value until at least the end of the year under a drive-away deal that applies to all cars built in 2017.

Honda Jazz VTi.

The Jazz deal puts the VTi manual at $15,990 on the road and the VTi auto at $17,990. Honda introduced a five-year/unlimited km warranty for its entire
line-up in July.

 

AUTO LEGEND

Bathurst week is the ideal time for touring car legend Allan Moffat to launch his autobiography.

Allan Moffat.

Written in collaboration with John Smailes, Climbing the Mountain is a cracking read with many inside stories. Published by Allen & Unwin, the hardcover book is $39.99.

LOTUS POSITION

Lotus Cars, which is known as much for its automotive engineering work as for sports cars including the long-running Elise, has a new owner. The Geely Group from China has taken control of the British company from Proton of Malaysia, buying a 51 per cent share.

SALES DRIVE

Women are expected to change the automotive landscape in Saudi Arabia when they are able to drive for the first time in the middle of next year. Car companies are expecting a boom in the sale of small cars and SUVs in a country where utes and giant SUVs currently dominate sales, which totalled 676,000 last year.

FOREIGN ACCENT

Hyundai is refusing to comment on its plans for the new Accent sedan which has been unveiled in the US. The fifth-generation Accent is a clear step up and away from the model that leads the Hyundai line-up here from $15,490, but it is not available yet in right-hand drive.

 

POWER SHARING

Toyota is linking with Mazda and Denso in Japan to accelerate development of electric vehicles, from mini cars to light trucks. Its tie-up with Mazda is similar to the deal with Subaru on the shared 86-BRZ sports car, with Toyota taking 90 per cent of the new EV Common Architecture Spirit company.