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The Hyundai Kona has always been a favorite of the motor press, and when it entered its second generation for the 2024 model year, we found even more to like. This compact, five-passenger crossover is nimble, fun to drive, has a great personality, and is still reasonably priced, even in its most expensive configuration, which is how we tested it. I say “We” because I’m going to pull in some testing notes from my colleagues at the New England Motor Press Association to help reinforce that this is a vehicle widely loved by testers.
Hyundai Kona Limited - Tired of the “One Huge Screen For Everything” Trend?- Buy a Kona
The very first thing we liked about the Kona was its interior design. Sure, Hyundai does a wrap-around infotainment screen in the Kona, just like it does in its much pricier models such as the Ioniq 5, but the Kona also retains a LOT of individual buttons and knobs for things you will want to do with a single tap or twist, rather than enduring an endless search through frustrating screen menus. Take the heated steering wheel. Want it on? One tap. Want it to be at 50% power? Two taps. All set with that? Tap it again. The heated seats work the same way. Who wants to hunt and peck through a screen menu tree to do that? Nobody, that’s who. The Kona competes with the Subaru Crosstrek, and we feel Kona has the edge on infotainment.
Hyundai Kona Limited - The Drive
Tired of rubber bandy, disconnected feeling CVTs? Then don't buy one! Get the Kona Limited with a geared transmission. Tired of weak, normally aspirated (non-turbo engines)? Get a turbocharged Kona Limited. Once underway, the Kona is fantastic. Its gear shifts are snickety snick slick. Want more performance? Grab a paddle and downshift to an actual lower gear rather than a pretend one like the CVT crowd endures.
NEMPA’s Jr. Damato says, “The Kona is powered by a 1.6 turbo 4 cylinder making 190 HP via an 8-speed automatic. I did get to try the AWD in the snow, and the Kona did a great job going through it.” I also drove the Kona in the snow, and its Kumho tires surprised us with great grip. In cold rain, they never hydroplaned. There is an AWD lock button on the center console, too. I love buttons, and will not lie.
The Kona is also quite frisky in Sport mode. Remember, we mentioned knobs? There is a knob for Sport mode, and if you simply twist it once, you get Sport. Twist it again and get Snow. Or back the other way for Normal. PERFECT. No delay. You don't need to look for it. Just reach down a give it a twist. Sport mode is also very livable. It’s not a hassle if you leave it on for long periods. Jr. Damato said, “On the road, the Kona is quiet. Power is ample, not over the top.”
We do think that Hyundai could make the Kona a smidge snappier from a dead stop. Either a tall first gear, a touch of turbo lag, DCT oddness, or all three make it have a very brief hesitation that took us a few days to become accustomed to.
Kona - Cargo Space and A Pleasant Surprise
When a test vehicle comes to my driveway, I pop the hatch and put my little tool bag in the back. It helps with scale to show the roominess of a cargo area. The Kona is surprisingly roomy in the back. Under the cargo floor, we found a compact spare tire and tool kit. Bonus. On Paul Zangari’s social media feed, he posted an image of the spare. My kind of guy.
Zane Merva Reminds Us About Hyundai’s Superpower
One NEMPA member who has not yet tested the Kona is Zane Merva. He and I serve as directors in the group, and Zane has long been the mover behind the scenes on our website and events. When I asked Zane if he had driven the Kona and could offer some opinions, he said, “I have not yet tested that model, but when I think of Hyundai’s vehicles, I always think of America’s Best Warranty." Zane is right. No vehicle model from any other brand can beat Kona’s ten-year powertrain warranty and five-year bumper-to-bumper warranty for new vehicle owners
Final Thoughts On Hyundai Kona Limited
The 2026 Kona has a price that is very appealing, a fun-to-drive personality, ideal infotainment (with gobs of buttons and knobs), and a lot of practicality. When I asked NEMPA member Paul Zangari if he could summarize the Kona for us, he replied, “Kona is a good-driving, good-looking, practical car with more room and comfort than its small size might suggest.” I asked Jr. Damato if I had forgotten anything about Kona, and he replied, “Remember, there is a full electric as well.” Yes! We also love the battery-electric Kona. Choose the Kona with the powertrain that best suits your lifestyle. Our thanks to Hyundai for giving our membership many months to try out the Kona and form some very positive opinions on this class-leading crossover.
Price as Tested (2026 MY Limited): $34,750, including a $1,600 Freight charge. Note: impressions for this story include those from a 2025 model year vehicle. There are no changes for 2026.
John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools.
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