Hyundai Kona Highlander: Downsizing gets you all the gear you’ll ever need

Hyundai shows that if you want the latest and greatest tech and luxury features you don’t need to buy the most expensive or the biggest cars on offer.

The Hyundai Kona faces some stiff competition from some new rivals from brands such as Mazda and Kia. But the South Korean brand’s top-shelf Kona is well equipped to fight off the challengers. Here is everything you need to know about the Hyundai Kona Highlander.

The range topping Kona has everything but the kitchen sink thrown in.

VALUE

You can get into a Kona from about $27,000 drive-away, but this is the works-burger version, which costs about $43,800 on the road, roughly the same as the cheapest model in the family-sized Santa Fe range. The extra cash buys you a more powerful engine, leather trim, a two-tone paint job and more equipment. Built-in satnav, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and digital radio are displayed on a larger centre screen, while music is pumped through an Infinity premium audio unit. Other goodies include wireless charging for compatible phones, a sunroof and head-up display. At this price, some of the cabin plastics look and feel a little cheap. Warranty is five years and you can pre-pay for five years servicing for $1475. Service intervals are 12 months or 10,000km for Konas with the 1.6-litre turbo, compared to 15,000km for the 2.0-litre engine. A $4500 cashback applies during April.

The top Kona costs as much as the cheapest seven-seat Santa Fe SUV.

COMFORT

The power-adjustable front seats are heated and ventilated, while a heated steering wheel and windscreen are ideal for frosty winter mornings. It’s relatively easy to find a comfortable seating position and vision is clear all around. In the rear, the story is less convincing. The seats are a little upright, there’s not a great deal of legroom and no rear air vents. The bigger, low profile wheels and stiffish suspension also transfer more bumps and vibrations to the cabin than you’d expect from a $40,000 car.

The Kona Highlander has plenty of gear, but hard plastics cheapen the cabin.

SAFETY

The Highlander gets all the bells and whistles when it comes to driver aids. Aside from auto emergency braking that can detect pedestrians and cyclists, it has blind-spot warning, lane-keeping assistance and smart cruise control that keeps a safe distance to the car in front. It will dip the high-beams for oncoming traffic and sound a warning if it senses a potential collision when you’re backing your car out of the driveway. The Kona has six airbags and scored a five-star rating in independent crash tests in 2017.

A two-tone paint scheme gives the Kona a stylish edge.

DRIVING

The Kona corners confidently, with minimal leaning and pitching when changing direction or braking. But the trade-off is less cushioning from bumps, potholes and other road imperfections. It can also skip about when confronted with mid-corner corrugations. No complaints, though, about the lively 1.6-litre turbo and quick-witted seven-speed dual-clutch auto. Together they ensure you’ve always got enough grunt for climbing hills or overtaking, while returning decent fuel economy. Hit the sports button and the throttle becomes more responsive, while the transmission holds on to gears longer.

Alternatives:

Mazda CX-30 G25 Touring, from about $43,000 drive-away

Bigger engine but outputs are similar. Classy cabin with quality materials, although more conservative.

Kia Seltos GT-Line, from about $42,690 drive-away

Same engine and transmission as its Hyundai sibling. Cheaper, roomier and nicer to drive.

Subaru XV, from about $41,100 drive-away

Solid road manners, strong resale and quality finishes inside. Excellent driver assist tech.

Verdict 3/5

The Kona has a perky 1.6-litre turbo, loads of equipment and standout styling, but it’s a better value proposition at the cheaper end of the model range.

Hyundai Kona Highlander vitals

Price: About $43,800 drive-away

Warranty/Service: 5 yrs/unltd km, $1475 over five years

Engine: 1.6-litre turbo petrol, 130kW/265Nm

Safety: 5 stars, 6 airbags, auto emergency braking, blind-spot alert, lane-keep assist, smart cruise control, high-beam assist

Thirst: 6.7L/100km

Boot: 361L/1143L