HMC’s heir to unveil the Hyundai Kona on June 13

To highlight the importance of Kona – Hyundai’s only compact SUV for markets like Korea, Europe and North America – Hyundai’s Motor Group Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun will be unveiling the Kona, a first for the Hyundai Motor Group’s heir.

As seen in the official teasers and spyshots of undisguised examples, some of the standout exterior features of Hyundai’s most striking SUV are the two-tone colour scheme, Hyundai’s characteristic ‘Cascading’ front grille, two-tier headlamps with LED DRLs on top of the LED headlights, flaring fenders with thick black plastic cladding, five-spoke diamond cut alloy wheels, and LED-powered wraparound taillamps above a separate angular arrangement of lights for turn indication and foggy conditions.

Hyundai is yet to release tech specs of the Kona, but reports suggest that its internals will be shared with the i30, so factories that don’t build the i30 like Brazil and India are unlikely to make this vehicle. Engine lineup is speculated to include the 1.0-litre turbocharged T-GDI petrol, 1.4-litre turbocharged T-GDI petrol and 1.6-litre turbocharged CRDi diesel, for which transmission options include a 6-speed manual and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. An AWD system will also be available in the top-end variants.

According to Korean reports, the Kona will bank on its competitive pricing to lure customers from its main rival – the Ssangyong Tivoli – in its home market. It is estimated to start from 20 million won (USD 17,809). In markets like Europe, the Kona will rival the Toyota C-HR, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3 and Nissan Juke.