Hyundai Kona Hybrid review reveals a family budget-beater

Despite being late to the hybrid party the Hyundai Kona comes with good looks and thrifty ability.

The Hyundai Kona Hybrid Premium with the sporty N Line package is about $50,000 drive away.

Less than five litres of fuel for every 100km covered.

That kind of return from the Hyundai Kona Hybrid will excite those feeling the cost of living pinch and frugal types alike.

For a long time Toyota dominated the hybrid space. Starting with the Prius, the technology has spawned across the Japanese marque’s conventional passenger cars range and demand – especially for the RAV4 – has seen many buyers waiting for nearly two years to get their desired specification.

Suddenly there are host of fuel-savvy contenders, with the Kona joining the Honda HR-V, CR-V and ZR-V trio, Haval’s Jolion and H6 dynamic duo, as well as Nissan’s Qashqai and X-Trail pairing, in the hybrid SUV arrivals lounge.

What do you get?

Despite technically falling into the compact SUV genre, the Hyundai Kona bats above average when it comes to size.

The bare essentials hybrid Kona starts from about $39,500 drive-away, but we tested the Premium version with the flashy N Line pack which collectively adds about $10k.

For your $50,000 it’s equipped with two 12.3-inch screens (one for the driver instruments), eight-speaker Bose stereo, power tailgate, four heated seats while the front pair also have a ventilation function, wireless phone charging, dual-zone aircon and smartphone mirroring apps. The sporty ‘N’ pack also delivers a big rear spoiler, red interior highlights, alloy pedals, along with seats trimmed in a combination of leather and alcantara.

Sampled with the shouty yellow colour scheme, that and white are complimentary options. Black, grey, orange or red all cost an additional $595.

Hyundai’s servicing costs are slightly higher than average, and greater than Toyota, Nissan or Honda, with prepaid options starting from three years ($1377), four ($1956) or five ($2535).

In terms of size, the key competitors are Nissan’s Qashaqi Ti E-Power which is about $55,000 drive-away, the Haval Jolion Ultra Hybrid that is currently $39,990 for 2023 models, Toyota’s Corolla Cross Atmos at $50,695 and the Honda HR-V e: HEVL which is $43,900 as part of the latest run-out deal.

Hyundai’s Kona Hybrid Premium variant with the N Line package has a good list of features, highlights include a Bose stereo, power tailgate, four heated seats while the front pair also have a ventilation function, wireless phone charging, dual-zone aircon and smartphone mirroring apps.

How was the drive?

Most hybrids prioritise efficiency over excitement, the Kona is no different.

Doing its best work around town or in the metropolitan area, it’s fuss-free motoring as the electric motor and the 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine transition seamlessly.

When the engine takes control the soundtrack can be gruff, but that’s primarily because of the near silent operation switching across from electric vehicle mode.

With easy use of the accelerator the Kona will regularly operate purely off electric power. The battery is replenished via engine power and through regeneration, including when travelling downhill or braking. No driver intervention is required … although there is the choice of “sport” which holds a lower gear and adds weight to the steering while the “snow” mode does little given it’s only front-wheel drive and not available in all-wheel drive like overseas.

The Kona sits nicely on the road, manages changes in direction nicely, with responsive acceleration once rolling and timely gear changes. The steering can feel vague on occasions but hybrid buyers aren’t typically chasing razor-sharp dynamics.

The Hyundai Kona Hybrid Premium with the sporty N Line package is about $50,000 drive away.

One of the only bugbears was the constant bings and bongs associated with the speed limit recognition system. It chimes to provide advice of changing zones, it bongs three times if you are over the limit – once you start travelling through alternating speed zones it drives you insane.

Turning it off became the default and you can develop a shortcut to turn it off every time you drive.

Excellent storage options are available through the console courtesy of the drive selector being positioned on a chunky column shift stalk.

Much larger than the former Kona model, the almost flat floor in the back makes fitting three adults across the bench seat possible – although a trio of burly blokes would test friendships.

Our average fuel consumption was 4.6 litres per 100km, which was a good result given we did a reasonable amount of driving through hilly rural terrain. It would achieve better results with slower, stop-start conditions.

Boot space was good enough for about 10 grocery bags.

The Hyundai Kona Hybrid Premium with the sporty N Line package is about $50,000 drive away.

Would you buy one?

Kel: Great looks and easy to drive, the new Kona will appeal to families with the extra space in the cabin and the boot. Collectively I liked everything about the hybrid version – especially the cheaper running costs – but the speed limit assist function would send me to the wall. I became an expert at turning it off, but doing that every time you drive would be a deal-breaker.

Grant: Hyundai is well aware of the complaints with the speed zone safety feature and working with the head office gurus for a fix. Unfortunately when looking at things globally, it’s not something done easily. Yet the hybrid Kona is a wonderful package which would suit many empty nesters and families perfectly. Frugal, space and impressive technology, it ticks the primary boxes.