Hyundai Kona Hybrid, The Most Rational Eco Labeled Small SUV
Our test this week corresponds to the Hyundai Kona Hybrid, an interesting option for those looking for a slightly taller car to move around town and highway. A vehicle with an “eco” label, without limitations in the city and reasonable consumption.
Hyundai’s commitment to electrification is total, and the best example is the Kona, a model available in gasoline and diesel and hybrid versions, but also in an interesting 100% electric option. The latter is ideal for moving around the city , with a range that reaches up to 484 km in the combined cycle in the version with the largest battery . The small battery version stays at 305 km of approved autonomy. But it is an expensive car, starting at 36,500 euros, for the price of its batteries , without applying the Moves III Plan.
From this complete range we have tested the most interesting variant for users who live in big cities due to its quality/price ratio, combined with its “eco” label, the Kona Hybrid . It has that label that provides total freedom of movement and a very reasonable consumption. And all this without the need to recharge the batteries and therefore without the need for a recharging infrastructure , which is currently very scarce throughout Spain.
The Hyundai Kona is one of the most interesting options in the range of the Korean manufacturer . It is a B-segment SUV, an SUV more focused on urban use. It has dimensions that allow it to move around the center of large cities without the limitations that little by little are imposed in the cities.
hybrid experience
Hyundai has a lot of experience in the hybrid car concept. It has been younger than Toyota and Honda, but in the last ten years it has done a great job in this regard with the evolution of its hybridization system combined with a dual-clutch gearbox.
And that is precisely what makes this Kona different from its rivals, such as the Toyota Yaris Cross or the Renault Captur, which incorporates a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox . This gives the driver more control over the operation of the vehicle than in pure CVT-type automatics, such as Toyota models.
But it is a true hybrid , with its electric motor capable of moving the car with the gasoline switched off. It has a good energy management system for the hybrid system, which constantly manages when to turn off or turn on the thermal engine, when to recharge the battery or when to provide more energy with the electric motor. This allows you to drive for a long time in electric-only mode , especially in the city, with notable savings in consumption. Although it also provides advantages and additional push when we are driving on the road and we need it.
In the latter case, if we roll at a stabilized speed on a flat area, the gasoline engine will be off, providing a notable reduction in consumption. If in these circumstances it requires a slight push, this is provided by the electric motor, so the gasoline motor remains off despite driving at 90 or 100 km/h.
5.9 liters
In our test, after driving most of the time on the road and at maximum legal speeds when circumstances allowed, we achieved an average consumption of 5.9 liters . A figure achieved, as I mentioned, doing a normal driving, always quite agile, but without exceeding the legal limits. Its approved value is 4.9 litres.
For driving it is important to know that the car offers two very different driving modes . In normal mode. In addition to offering a smoother ride, with more limited acceleration, the paddles are used to adjust the levels of energy regeneration under braking.
On the other hand, when activating the Sport mode , then this management system changes completely. In this case, the paddles are used to actually manage the gears of the car’s double-clutch gearbox. In this way we can get more out of the hybrid system, and the combination between the two engines, to obtain better performance.
Normal or Sport
Thanks to this, and despite the fact that the total combined power is only 141 horses, the reality is that it moves with good agility. In this sense, it must be remembered that while the gasoline engine needs to rev up to offer its maximum torque, in the case of the electric one it offers thrust from the moment it comes into action.
Driving this hybrid Kona allows an interesting duality, that of having a more ecological and sustainable car, with low consumption, or having a more agile and sporty one, but also something more consuming. This duality is achieved by simply pressing a button next to the change.
For the rest, we have with the Kona a perfect representative of the small SUV concept , but slightly larger than its most direct rivals. And it is that the Hyundai model is between a B-segment car, urban SUVs and a compact one. For this reason, its interior is somewhat wider than that of its rivals, the rear seats offer more legroom. And if we talk about the trunk, the 374 liters place it again halfway between segment B and C, also in this hybrid version, which has the same capacity as in the case of variants with a thermal engine.
SUV option
The hybrid Kona is a very interesting car for people who are looking for a slightly taller car , to be able to better access its interior, but who are looking for a multi-purpose vehicle that moves well in the city with its “eco” label, and that also It moves freely on the road, thanks to the combination of its two engines.
What I find most remarkable about this Hyundai Kona is the smoothness of the ride and the ease of driving. If it’s in an urban environment, starting in electric mode whenever possible gives you a smooth ride. And if we talk about driving on the road, the driver does not have to do anything more than step on the brake and accelerator , the hybrid system takes care of managing its operation in the most efficient way.
A very interesting car in the new environment of electric mobility, since it offers all the options, except for the plug-in hybrid , at least for the moment. As for its price, this hybrid variant starts at 25,300 euros , while the starting point for the access gasoline option is 22,800 euros.
Data sheet
hyundai kona hybrid
Gasoline engine: 4 cylinders in line
Maximum power: 105 hp
Displacement: 1,580 cc
Gasoline fuel
Electric motor
Power: 44 hp
Gearbox: 6-speed dual-clutch automatic
Combined power: 141 hp
Top speed: 161km/h
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h: 11 seconds
Front-wheel drive
WLTP approved consumption in combined cycle 4.9 litres.
Dimensions (length/width/height), 4.20 x 1.80 x 1.56 meters
Trunk capacity: 374 litres.
Empty weight: 1,440 kg.
Price: from 28,500 euros.
