2020 Hyundai Kona

The Limited trim with the 1.6-liter turbo-four engine is the trim that gives the most value for its money and the best drive experience. It is well loaded with equipment and should suffice for most buyers. The Limited trim's turbo-four engine adds more power and a central locking differential with a different rear suspension design over the lower trims with the naturally aspirated engine which is a welcome move. Also, having an all-wheel-drive system is advisable for some extra traction.

The Kona is a feature-rich vehicle, with lots of standard and available technology features that work well- Edmunds

With five trim configurations on offer, the 2020 Hyundai Kona features are well spread across all the models. Even the base 2020 Kona SE trim is equipped with multiple features like forward collision avoidance assist, lane-keeping assist, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, rear view monitor and 16-inch alloy wheels as standard. Coming to the 2020 Kona SEL trim, some features like contrasting roof color, rear-cross traffic alert, proximity key entry with push button start, leather-wrapped steering wheel and 17-inch alloy wheels are added. 

The 2020 Kona SEL Plus benefits from newly added features like a 4.2-inch MID and wireless device charging. Some other features like power tilt and slide sunroof, 8-way power driver’s seat, and Infinity premium audio system with 8-speakers are standard as well. The Kona Limited offers much-desirable leather seating surfaces, automatic temperature control, LED headlights and taillights and 18-inch alloy wheels. The 2020 Hyundai Kona Ultimate is the very peak of Kona’s trims, offering every possible creature comfort you desire in the segment.

Some features like full-color heads-up display, parking distance warning, 8-inch touchscreen with navigation and smart cruise control are USPs of the Ultimate trim. Hyundai also offers multiple options like an AWD drivetrain with every model. There are no additional packages available with the trim line-up, as the price difference between most trims is not. Overall, all the trims in the line-up have been priced competitively when compared to all its rivals.

In this class of fuel-sipping mini SUVs, the Kona's EPA ratings are good but only average among its rivals- Car and Driver

The 2020 Kona gas mileage figures with the base engine are 27 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg combined. The 2020 Hyundai Kona fuel economy sees a drop of 1 mpg in the city and 3 mpg on the highway with the available AWD drivetrain. The turbo-four powered Kona has an EPA estimated gas mileage of 28 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway while the turbo-four with AWD returns 2 mpg less in the city and 3 mpg less on the highway. With a gas tank size of 13.2 gallons, the standard Kona 2020 can deliver a combined range of 396 miles.

In this comparison, the Mazda CX-3 beats all returning the highest gas mileage of 29 mpg in the city, 2 mpg more than Kona, while on the highway both the HR-V and CX-3 offer a class-leading 34 mpg which is 1 mpg more than what the Hyundai Kona returns on the highway. The Subaru Crosstrek is less efficient with the manual transmission butwith the optional CVT  it is almost equally fuel efficient as the Hyundai Kona. 

“Hyundai's designers managed the tough task of bringing the charm of the Kona's exterior design to the cabin while maintaining comfort and convenience.” – Car and Driver

The Hyundai Kona 2020 interior in the first two trims are essentially functional. There are hard scratchy plastics all around and the interiors are all black. There is however a 7-inch floating touch screen on the dashboard with physical shortcut buttons around it with the climate controls being manually operated. There are lots of storage spaces in and around the cabin which allows for better practicality. On the whole, the interiors in the base trims are quite basic but still get all the job done. On the upper trims, the interiors get some zing, thankfully. You get a bigger screen, the climate controls are automatic and there are colored accents around the AC vents and gear shifter. You can also get leather upholstery along with heated seats. 

The Kona SE/SEL/SEL Plus interior is offered with cloth upholstery in Black and Gray colors. The 2020 Hyundai Kona Ultimate and Limited interior flaunts leather upholstery in the same colors but Lime and Orange accents can be had with Black leather upholstery only. The Kona interior 2020 feels premium and well-appointed in the higher trims. The front seats are decent enough and the rear bench is nice and wide and can seat three people in fair comfort. The rear legroom is not the best in class but there is sufficient space still. Thus long hours can be spent easily inside the Kona without tiring out. The 2020 Hyundai Kona trunk space of 19.2 cubic feet is not the best in class and rear seats can be folded to access a cargo space of 45.2 cu-ft.

The Honda HR-V comes with the best amount of interior space across both the rows. Even though the Subaru Crosstrek has the most spacious front row seats it comes a close second because it offers lesser rear legroom and headroom. The Honda HR-V offers the maximum trunk space, about 5.1 cu-ft more than the Kona. Even the Subaru Crosstrek offers 1.6 cu-ft of more cargo space. 

The infotainment system on the 2020 Kona is a 7-inch touchscreen as standard on all except the top trim. The base unit is pretty good and easy to use with a fairly intuitive interface. There are physical shortcuts buttons around the screen for easy access to important functions. There is also Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for smartphone integration. Overall, the system is convenient and will get most things done for you quite easily. Those looking for a bigger screen will have to shell out the top dollars as the 8-inch unit is exclusive to the top-end Ultimate trim which also features navigation. As standard, you get a six-speaker sound system while the SEL Plus and above trims get an eight-speaker Infinity sound system. 

Some of the key interior features of the 2020 Hyundai Kona are:

• Rearview camera
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Available heated front seats
• Available power-adjustable driver's seat
• Available automatic climate control
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless charging pad
• Head-up display

“Hyundai puts some keen ideas to paper—and metal and glass—at the front of the 2020 Kona.” – The Car Connection

The 2020 Hyundai Kona dimensions are apt for the segment. The front fascia features sleek LED DRLs on the top and the main headlamp cluster is located within the bumper with black cladding. The fog lamps are located in the lower lip. You’d be confused as to which are the main lamps. The spindle grille and black claddings all around give it a sporty and rugged look. From the busy front, when you move to the sides, it’s rather plain and simple except for a contrast panel on the C-pillar. There is a pronounced kink on the rear fender. Also, the body claddings look good and the wheels are stylish. 

At the rear, the story is the same as the front. However, the split lamp clusters have not been designed in an aesthetically pleasing manner. While the front still manages to look cool, the rear does not. The claddings dominate at the back as well. The rear spoiler protrudes to a certain extent and the sloping rear window looks very sporty. The Hyundai Kona colors are as refreshing as the SUV itself and with options like Chalk White, Thunder Gray, Sunset Orange, Lime Twist, Ultra Black, Sonic Silver, Pulse Red, and Surf Blue make it stand out in the crowd. The last three color options in the SEL trim can be paired with a contrasting roof in Black or Dark Gray option.

The 2020 Hyundai Kona dimensions are well-balanced. It has compact proportions for a crossover and sits quite low as well. It has the least length but despite that, it has a longer wheelbase than the Mazda CX-3  and is 0.4-inches smaller than the Honda HR-V. The compact proportions and less ground clearance really help the handling of the car. While those looking for higher ground clearance and a longer SUV then the Subaru Crosstrek is the one written all over your needs.

Some of the key exterior features of the 2020 Hyundai Kona are:

• LED headlamps and tail lamps
• 16- and 18-inch alloy wheels
• Roof Rails
• Body Claddings
• Body-colored side mirrors with turn-signal indicators
• Rear parking sensors
• Available sunroof

The 2020 Hyundai Kona has been tested by both the NHTSA and IIHS. The NHTSA gave a perfect score of five stars in overall safety ratings while the IIHS gave the 2020 Kona the highest rating of 'Good' in all its six parameters. Owing to that the 2020 Kona bagged the 'Top Safety Pick' from IIHS. All this was possible because the Hyundai Kona is well loaded with a lot of safety features. Even the base trim comes with standard features such as Forward collision warning, Lane-keeping Assist, and Driver attention monitor.

Some of the key safety features of the 2020 Hyundai Kona are:

• Blind-spot warning
• Lane change assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Forward collision warning w/ automatic emergency brake
• Available adaptive cruise control

2020 Hyundai Kona vs 2020 Honda HR-V 

The Honda HR-V is a bigger SUV than the Hyundai Kona in terms of interior and exterior dimensions. The Honda HR-V cargo space is more than the Kona. Even the rear seat legroom is more than the Kona despite having a similar wheelbase. The Honda HR-V is slightly more fuel efficient and has a better ground clearance too. Choosing between the two is not easy but with the optional turbo engine, the Kona is definitely more fun and engaging to drive. 

2020 Hyundai Kona vs 2020 Mazda CX-3

The Mazda CX-3 is one of the best SUVs in the segment. It has very good handling and is actually a fun car to drive. While it does not look as polarizing as the Kona rather it’s a smart-looking urban SUV. It has good interiors but Android Auto and Apple CarPlay do not come as standard. Also, the rear seats are quite cramped in the CX-3. The CX-3 also packs some good performance and it’s only a little more expensive than the Kona. Thus we can safely say the CX-3 is easily the better car than the Kona.

2020 Hyundai Kona vs 2020 Subaru Crosstrek

The Subaru Crosstrek is a much larger SUV than any of these compact SUVs. It has good off-road capabilities for a sub-compact SUV and it has good ride quality as well. It has very roomy interiors, something that is not so generous in this class. It looks very generic though and could easily blend in the crowd. The interior feel special and is quite well loaded. On the downside, the acceleration isn’t very good and handling is not so good either coupled that with the poor gas mileage makes it a very unappealing SUV in the segment. Also, it commands a $2,000 premium over the Kona but it seems worth it because of the extra practicality it comes with.

The 2020 Hyundai Kona isn’t the best car that money could buy within the $20,000 bracket. The base engine feels underpowered, handling isn’t the best, the ride is a little firm and the interiors are too subtle. However, move up the trim levels and the Kona becomes a whole different car. The 1.6-liter turbocharged engine feels punchy and the Kona really offers the needed adrenaline rush. The interiors in the upper trim also feel much more upmarket and feature-rich. It’s still not the most perfect car even at the upper trims but it seems much more worth the money. Of course, it costs significantly more and breaches the $20,000 price bracket. If you want to buy the 2020 Kona, buy the upper trims or else pick one from the rivals if you want to stick around the $20,000 bracket.