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Hyundai is not letting up and will not let the competition rest. The all-new Hyundai Kona got revealed, and we have all the details on it. A new N Line model will be available, and the vehicle will have an aggressive look. I’m happy to hear that Hyundai designed the new Kona with a “positive spirit” in mind, giving the car its positive vibes.
2022 Hyundai Kona Side
2022 Hyundai Kona Exterior
Since the N Line is all-new, let’s talk about it first. Of course, a body kit will be a main highlight for the Kona N Line. The main highlight for me is the color-matched wheel arches, thank you Hyundai. You also get a skid plate, larger air intakes up front, aerodynamic front lip, 18” wheels, rear diffuser, and other fins and styling cues.
2022 Huundai Kona Rear
The refreshed Kona looks good and gets a new face, but that’s about it from the exterior. The rear of the Hyundai Kona seems unchanged, and the vehicle retains a similar side profile. New headlights and taillights do add a fresh look to the Kona. The Kona can come with three sizes for wheels from 16”-18” wheels. The vehicle overall is 40mm longer than the previous Kona, and expect to see five new colors.
2022 Hyundai Kona Interior
Hyundai is going for an upscale look for all its cars’ interior, and the new Kona is no exception. New seat designs and materials with different color options will be available. Aluminum finishes will get applied to the speaker grills and air vents. As mentioned previously, the Kona got extended by 40mm, which went to the rear cargo and rear-seat legroom. The previous Kona had an intimate cabin space and little rear legroom; hopefully, this has fixed it.
2022 Hyundai Kona Interior Side
Other interior aspects, the physical parking brake is now a digital one. And speaking of digital, the gauge cluster will be a 10.25” screen, and the infotainment screen can come in an optional 10.25” screen. And yes, for those of you that want the car to do the driving for you, the Kona comes with just about every safety feature you can imagine plus some since the world forgot how to drive.
Hyundai SmartSense Active Safety Features
• Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA) [NEW]
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist [NEW]
• Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with stop and go [NEW]
• Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA) [NEW]
• Lane Following Assist (LFA) [NEW]
• Intelligent Speed Limit Warning (ISLW) [NEW]
• Safe Exit Warning (SEW) [NEW]
• Rear Seat Alert (RSA) [NEW]
• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) (now with [NEW] optional cyclist detection)
Source: Hyundai
2022 Hyundai Kona Interior
A few convenience features join the party, optional heated rear seats are a great touch with USB connectivity in the rear. More base Hyundai Kona models with manual seats have gotten improvements, and front-seat passengers get adjustable height seats.
2022 Hyundai Kona Powertrain
Now, let’s talk about the guts of the new Hyundai Kona. The new Kona comes with new powertrain options, but the same 1.6l turbo four-cylinder engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission comes in the top trim. This powertrain is available in either FWD or AWD.
The more interesting engine option includes the 1.6l diesel engine, which comes equipped with a 48-volt mild-hybrid battery system like Mercedes does with its AMG 53 lineup. This 1.6l diesel powertrain with the mild-hybrid system produces about 134 HP and can get mated to either a seven-speed DCT or six-speed IMT (Hyundai’s clutchless manual transmission) and optional AWD. And yes, this will all be coming to the States.
Now, these pathetic little engines are for the “eco-conscious” consumer, which is sufficient for them since they will be doing ten under the speed limit wherever they go. But the little engine option list continues. A 1.0l turbo petrol engine pushing out a mighty 118 HP can also get fitted with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with the six-speed IMT transmission. If you choose not to get the mild-hybrid system with the 1.0l turbo petrol engine, you can have either a seven-speed DCT or a traditional six-speed manual with optional AWD.
2022 Hyundai Kona blue
We talked a lot about mild hybrid systems, but a traditional hybrid is also available, and this was initially added to the 2019 Kona. The new hybrid uses a 1.6l four-cylinder with an electric motor creating about 140 HP combined. The 32kW electric motor gets its energy from a 1.56 kWh lithium-polymer battery, and this hybrid will use a six-speed DCT similar to the 2020 Sonata hybrid. The new hybrid Kona will be FWD only.
2022 Hyundai Kona Handling & Ride Improvements
When the Kona got introduced back in 2018, Hyundai focused on driving dynamics with the Kona. Well, the new Kona also gets handling enhancements and ride quality enhancements. New modified stabilizer bars were tweaked to give a better ride quality and make the vehicle feel isolated. New rear bump stops also improve the ride and lateral body control. Yes, handling is vital with the Kona, but the ride should be uncompromised for a daily driver, and Hyundai understands this all too well.
New OEM tires will be available with the 18” wheels, gone are the Conti Sport Contact 5 for the Conti Premium Contact 6 to improve the ride. Multiple Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) upgrades give the new Kona a supreme quality in the interior; the current Kona already hits above its weight class, it’s great to see Hyundai continuing to improve the Kona further.
2022 Hyundai Kona Conclusion
I love the current Hyundai Kona. I find it superior to its counterpart, the Kia Seltos, primarily in the handling department. I’m excited to try this all-new Kona with all it’s little engine options and give the DCT a second chance as I did not enjoy it in other Hyundai-Kia products. The current Kona rides beautifully and is far more refined than most Toyota products. These new enhancements may even push the Kona into near luxury-car levels of smoothness, but I’m sure the N-Line will still bring some glitz to the new Kona. But let me know your thoughts on the Kona below.
Read more Hyundai stories here.
Kevin Meyn is an automotive journalist for Torque News concentrating on Hyundai content. Kevin is the founder of Exhaust Sports Auto Youtube channel, where he does professional car reviews on new and used vehicles. Through the use of various resources and extended Automotive expertise, Kevin documents the latest in automotive news revolving around Hyundai. Kevin graduated from NC State University studying Supply Chain Management but has had a passion for cars since he was a child. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Instagram @exhaustsports.
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