2019 Hyundai Kona

Exterior has aggressive styling which makes it look more sporty and athletic. The level of safety in 2019 Kona is unmatched. The special edition iron-man trim will certainly excite Marvel and even non-Marvel fans. Starting at $19.990, Kona competes with bosses of the subcompact crossover SUV segment such as the Mazda CX-3, Subaru Crosstrek, and Ford EcoSport.

Hyundai offers four trim levels for the 2019 Kona: SE, SEL, Limited, and Ultimate. Other than these main trims, Kona also has a special edition trim called iron man. The trims start around $19,900 and go up to $27,500. The base trim comes with the 17-inch alloy wheels, LED DRLs, lane-keeping assist, driver attention alert, cloth upholstery, manual air conditioning, 7-inch touchscreen, and 6-speaker sound system.

Upper trims gets features like leather upholstery, 18-inch alloy wheels, power tilt and sliding sunroof, SiriusXM, 8-speaker Infiniti premium sound system with Clari-Fi music restoration technology, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, 8-inch touchscreen, heated front seats, and leather wrapped steering wheel. The top of the range, iron-man trim is based on Marvel's Iron man character in which interior and exterior are based on the iron man’s suit and other things.

Which trim should you buy?

Our recommendation would be to keep the Limited trim on your radar if you're planning to purchase a 2019 Kona because the turbocharged Inline-4 engine you get in this trim gives you better performance. It also has few safety and interior features which were either optional or lacking in the lower trims.

The 2019 Hyundai Kona is offered with two powertrains. The two base trims house a 2.0L Inline-4 engine with 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. In contrast, the other top trim levels have 1.6L turbocharged Inline-4 engines that produce 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. A 6-speed automatic transmission is standard on the base trim, but 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is also available on the higher trims.

A very good feature of Kona is the availability of AWD drivetrains in all trims that cost approximately $1,400 more than the standard FWD.  The Kona has average power and acceleration with the base engine but things change with the turbo engine. With the base engine, Kona goes from 0-60 mph in 9.6 seconds but with the turbocharged mill, the same goal is achieved in 6.6 seconds.

In terms of the power figures, Ecosport has the edge but its performance number says something else. The Mazda CX-3 comes out as the top performer, followed by the Crosstrek, Kona, and EcoSport. In the quarter-mile race, the Mazda CX-3 again beats all the other competitors.That said, the least torque is produced by the Kona.

How well does the 2019 Hyundai Kona handle?

Even though the steering wheel of the Kona is on the heavier side, the response it provides is good. As you drive it at high speed around the corners, you'll find that the body roll is very minimal for a car of this size. The upper trim that includes a turbocharged engine, however, is not smooth when cruising under 60MPH.

AWD systems are also available in all trim levels, giving you more confidence on the road at a very affordable price. Overall ride is smooth but acceleration is not as quirky as some rivals. Transmission can be jerky at low speed but as you push the gas pedal, it tends to run smoothly.

Braking Performance

In terms of body weight, the Hyundai Kona comes out to be one of the lightest vehicles in this class, and it has large rotors at the front as well. The rotors on the rear are somewhat small, which contributes to a bad braking performance in total. The 2019 Hyundai Kona moves ahead 129 feet almost before coming to a complete stop from 60-0 MPH. Despite that, the car's braking system, like automatic emergency braking, functions well without any problems.

CX-3 is the least heavy car in the segment and also has the largest pairs of front and rear brake rotors which help it stop at just 119 ft from 60-0 mph whereas the EcoSport which is the heaviest SUV in the competition, stops 4 feet further as compared to the Kona. Crosstrek has the same front brake rotor as the CX-3 but the rear brake rotor is 0.4 inches shorter than the CX-3.

Although the Hyundai Kona does not have the best fuel economy in its class, its figures are still above average. On city streets, you get 27 MPG, while on highways, you get 3 more MPG. However, if you select the FWD, with a 2.0L engine, 2019 Kona returns 27/33/30 mpg in the city/highway/combined. With the 1.6L turbo engine with AWD, Kona returns fuel economy of 28 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg combined. Figures get reduced by 2/3/3 mpg in city/highway/combined if you select the AWD. 

Although Kona does have decent MPG figures, its small fuel tank affects its ability to maintain a long driving range. Compared to some of its rivals, it comes out in a lower position due to its 13.2-gallon capacity. When it comes to fuel efficiency, the EcoSport is the most thirsty car in the competition. CX-3 is the second most efficient SUV but fule capacity of 11.9 gallons reduces its range. On the other hand, the Crosstrek with the biggest fuel tank and high fuel economy figures completely steal the show.

As far as usability and comfort are concerned, the interior of the Kona has a well-planned and executed cabin. It is only held back by the excessive use of plastic materials inside the cabin, which makes it appear cheaper than it is. Apart from that, there's nothing much to criticize regarding support, comfort, and visibility. This design is very accommodating and is more than enough for people of any size, even though people with long limbs may have some difficulty adjusting there. The seat has standard cloth upholstery but higher trims provide leather upholstery for more comfort. 

The front bucket seats come with 6-way manual-adjustable driver seats and 4-way power-adjustable passenger seats. 8-way power adjustment for the driver seat is given on the SEL and higher trims. Additionally, the rear seat can be split in a 60/40 ratio. Standard interior features on the base trim include manual air conditioning, a 3.5-inch driver information display, and remote keyless entry, heated front seats are given on the SEL, and higher trims which also have the automatic temperature control, Homelink, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

In terms of space, the Crosstrek offers the roomiest cabin. The least spacious cabin belongs to the CX-3 which also has the smallest trunk in the competition. The cargo space winner is EcoSport, though Crosstrek is almost on the same level. EcoSport is less spacious than the Kona but the cargo capacity of the Kona is 1.7 cu-ft less than the Ecosport. Some of the standout interior features are as follows:

• Manual air conditioning
• 8-way power driver seat with power lumbar support (optional)
• 3.5-inch driver information display
• Day and night rearview mirror
• Manual Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
• 40/60 split-folding rear seats
• Heads up display (top trim)

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The Kona's infotainment system comes with a wide range of exciting features, even on the base model. In general, the higher you go on the trim line, the more features the system gets. It has a large floating 7.0-inch touchscreen with very good screen quality, and Hyundai's clean and simple user interface makes it fun and easy to use. With regards to the base model, it comes with a 6-speaker sound system. Other standard features include Apple Carplay & Android Auto, two USB ports, Bluetooth, and an aux jack. The 8-inch touchscreen and navigation system is only given on the topmost Ultimate trim while the 8-speaker Infiniti premium sound system with Clari-Fi music restoration technology is optional on the SEL trim. Key features of the infotainment system are as follows:

• 7-inch infotainment touchscreen
• 6-speaker sound system
• Apple Carplay and Android Auto
• SiriusXM satellite radio
• Blue Link connected car system
• Wireless charging pads (top trim)
• HD radio (top trim)

Kona's looks are more of a debatable topic as some find it very sporty and unique, while others consider it to be overly styled. Despite all that, the curves and sharp body lines which run on the exterior give Kona an athletic feeling. At the front, the cascading grille has a chrome surround, and auto on/off projector headlights are sharp and sleek like cat-eyes. On the side profile, premium grey body cladding on Limited and Ultimate trim really uplift the exterior look. On the backside, Kona has a rear spoiler and LED brake lights. Base Kona stands on the 16-inch alloy wheels whereas the upper trims come with wheels measuring 17 and 18-inches. Aside from that, all trims starting from Limited, feature roof rails, chrome trim, body-colored side mirrors, and black door cladding, fog lights, rear privacy glass, and power tilt and sliding sunroof. Solar front glass is standard throughout the trim range. To add flavor to the exterior, the optional contrasting roof is given on the SEL trim.

Together with the CX-3, the Kona is one of the lightest vehicles on the market. This comparison shows that Subaru Crosstrek has superior ground clearance and wheelbase compared to its competitors.

Some of the standout exterior features are as follows:

• 17.0-inch alloy wheels
• Rear spoiler
• Projector headlights
• Fog lights (optional)
• Power tilt and sliding sunroof (optional)
• Shark fin antenna (optional)
• LED headlights and tail lights
• Roof side rails
• Rain-sensing windscreen wipers

Hyundai has done a really good job on the safety of its crossover. The base model comes with a host of features, including a sophisticated crash avoidance system. Because of this reason, it performed exceptionally well in tests conducted by the IIHS and NHTSA. As a result, the NHTSA has given it an overall 5-star safety rating, and IIHS awarded it with ‘Top Safety Pick+’ award.

There are a number of advanced safety features given on the 2019 kona but they don’t include adaptive cruise control. The base trim has the rearview camera, forward-collision warning, driver attention alert, and lane-keeping assist. Pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alerts, rear parking distance warning, and high beam assist are given on the higher trims. Some of the standout safety features are:

• Forward collision warning
• Automatic emergency braking system
• Driver attention alert
• High beam assist (available)
• Pedestrian detection (available)
• Lane-keeping assist 
• Blind-spot monitoring

2019 Hyundai Kona vs 2019 Ford Ecosport

The Kona scores well on all counts, including fuel economy, features, safety, and styling. However, Ecosport has more cargo and features a pleasant infotainment system. That said, the Kona has better performance despite having low power figures than the EcoSport. Therefore, overall Kona has the upper hand.

2019 Hyundai Kona vs 2019 Subaru Crosstrek 

The interior space in the Crosstrek is arguably the best in its class. As its name implies, it also offers very nice off-roading capabilities, owing to 8.7 inches of ground clearance. On the other hand, on the safety front, competition is very close as both Kona and Crosstrek has the ‘top safety pick+’ award but with slightly better crash prevention ratings, Crosstrek wins the race.

2019 Hyundai Kona vs 2019 Mazda CX-3

The CX-3 has better performance and is more fun to drive compared to the Kona. CX-3 also has less braking distance as compared to Kona. But when it comes to the cargo, passenger volume and safety, Kona beats rge CX-3 by a good margin.

Despite all the important standard features, looks, measurements, and necessities that a crossover should have, the 2019 Hyundai Kona is more than just a great-looking vehicle. However, Crosstrek manages to beat Kona in nearly all aspects. Nevertheless, Hyundai has done some exceptional work in other classes such as safety and specifications, which come at a very reasonable price. As a result, it would be a great option for any buyer in this class, but at the same time, you must not overlook the Subaru Crosstrek, which probably is the best in this class.