2025 Hyundai Kona Price, Review, and Specs. Take a look around a little bit, and you may observe that small crossover SUVs are well-represented on united state roadways. Almost every mainstream brand has one in its schedule, and some automakers provide several. They’re appealing to customers drew in to the slightly raised driving placement, available all-wheel drive (AWD), and easy freight flexibility small and compact SUVs supply compared to entry-level cars and trucks.
The Hyundai Kona got here for the 2018 model year, bringing significant designing pizazz to that formula. Unfortunately, the first-generation Kona was smaller inside than numerous competitors, a trouble Hyundai intends to correct with the all-new second-generation 2025 Kona.
Virtually 6 inches much longer, 2.6 inches taller, and an inch wider than the initial Kona, the redesigned 2025 Hyundai Kona supplies more area for people and cargo. Additionally, the dimension rise places it smack dab in the thick of the tiny crossover SUV sector, making it a lot more competitive against opponents such as the Chevrolet Pioneer, Honda CR-V, Subaru Crosstrek, Toyota Corolla Cross, and Volkswagen Taos.
At first, the 2025 Kona will certainly can be found in SE, SEL, N Line, and Limited trim degrees. Base rates vary from the mid-$ 20,000 s to the mid-$ 30,000 s, including the destination charge to ship the SUV from the Ulsan, South Korea, manufacturing facility that develops it to your neighborhood dealer. A battery-electric variation of the Kona will follow in early 2025, with rates available closer to its on-sale date.
Gas engines power almost the upcoming Kona Electric. The Kona SE and SEL models get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 147 horsepower, and the Kona N Line and Limited make use of a 190-hp 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Front-wheel drive is typical, with all-wheel drive readily available for an extra $1,500. The 2025 Kona Electric will certainly not be readily available with AWD.
For this Kona review, I test-drove an N Line in Baltimore, Maryland, and the bordering rural areas north of the city. It featured AWD and optional grassy floor mats, bringing the maker’s suggested list price to $33,695, including the $1,335 location cost. Hyundai supplied the vehicle for this Kona review and spent for airfare, lodging, and dishes throughout the examination duration.
2025 HYUNDAI KONA: THE DRIVE
With its streamlined, EV-inspired nose and tail, bulging overfenders nestling kindly sized 19-inch wheels pushed to the corners, wing-type rear spoiler, and dual-outlet exhausts, the 2025 Hyundai Kona N Line looks fast simply standing still. However a replacement for the previous-generation Kona N it is not.
Luckily, the Kona N Line has sufficient power to keep things fascinating. It has a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 190 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, paired with a brand-new eight-speed transmission that provides smoother shifts than in 2014’s seven-speed dual-clutch automated. Front-wheel drive is conventional, with all-wheel drive optional.
The engine’s torque is readily available between 1,700 and 4,500 rpm, resulting in receptive velocity, simple and easy highway combining, and very easy overtaking of slower web traffic. Still, by my stopwatch the N Line took about 7.5 secs to reach 60 mph from remainder, keeping the Kona well out of hot-hatch area.
According to the Epa, the fuel-economy quote for the Kona N Line is 28 mpg with FWD and 26 mpg with AWD. My N Line AWD examination vehicle balanced 27 mpg over 70 miles of mixed driving. On one 30-mile stretch of Interstate, the examination vehicle accomplished a suggested 32.9 mpg.
Hyundai’s AWD system varies power circulation in between the front and rear wheels based on accelerator inputs, steering angle, and wheel-speed sensing units. On top of that, Regular, Eco, Sporting Activity, Snow, and AWD Lock driving modes regulate its operation. Though the driving course really did not include any type of off-roading chances, a sudden electrical storm made areas of the road slick. With the Kona in Regular mode during the deluge, which permits up to 35% of the power to flow to the rear wheels, the N Line’s meaty 235/45R -19 all-season tires had no worry with grip.
The Kona AWD designs additionally feature an independent multilink back suspension, changing the less complex torsion light beam back suspension bolted into the front-drive models. My examination vehicle had the extra innovative supports, and they offered a certified however regulated experience on highways and well-paved country roads while providing respectable isolation on century-old cobblestone streets in the historic section of Baltimore.
In addition, the Kona’s quick-ratio electrical steering proved responsive in the turns while supplying a stable and relaxed disposition on highways. Another enjoyable shock was the Kona’s firm brake-pedal feeling and quickly regulated four-wheel-disc brakes. Integrated with the turbocharged engine and brand-new eight-speed automatic transmission, these variables make this tidy-sized crossover enjoyable to drive.
2025 HYUNDAI KONA: THE DESIGN
When penciling the 2025 Kona, Hyundai developers developed the electric variation initially and after that crafted the look of the gas-powered versions. Consequently, all Konas have trademark wrap-around horizon-line LED bars that elegance the nose and tail of the tiny SUV. The designers also made the first-generation Kona’s prominent wheel arches also larger and bolder, including the headlamps and taillamps.
The wheel-arch cladding cradling the pushed-to-the-corners 17-, 18-, or 19-inch alloy wheels is black on SE, SEL, and Restricted trims. The N Line uses body-color overfenders, which gives that version a sleeker and much sportier look. The N Line also includes an extra aggressive-looking front lower fascia, a roof-mounted back spoiler, and dual exhaust suggestions. Place all of it together, and although the Kona N Line doesn’t consist of any kind of special go-fast hardware, it has even more of a hot-hatch look.
Open a front door and the N Line’s technology array goes over. Twin 12.3-inch landscape-format color screens, one for the digital instrumentation and one for the infotainment system, live under a single panel that discreetly arcs towards the driver.
There are a great deal of difficult buttons on the control panel, however, for me, that means much less time invested with my eyes off the road diving through display food selections. The switchgear is rationally prepared and has an outstanding responsive reaction to inputs. The N Line and Limited utilize a steering-column-mounted electronic joystick transmission shifter that frees up storage room in the center console.
Offering all-day driving comfort, the N Line’s heated pole positions feature eight-way power modification for the driver and a hand-operated height insurer for the front passenger. The N Line shares its stylish character with natural leather and grippy Alcantara artificial suede upholstery. It’s the only Kona design available with authentic leather.
Other cabin accents exclusive to the N Line consist of red striping on the dashboard, red accent sewing on the seats, metal-finished foot pedals, a black headliner, and a leather-wrapped sporting activity guiding wheel with thumb grasps and paddle shifters.
Mentioning comfort, the N Line has a set-and-forget dual-zone automated climate-control system that maintained the cabin cool in suppressing 98-degree heat and epic Chesapeake Bay moisture. For 2025, Hyundai added home heating and cooling down vents to the rear of the Kona’s front console to provide rear-seat travelers some relief as well.
When Hyundai stretched the Kona by virtually 6 inches for 2025, it designated the additional room uniformly between the passenger cabin and freight location. The 2025 Kona has 3 more inches of rear legroom than the previous variation, enabling me to glide my 6-foot, 2-inch frame right into the rear without relocating the front seat up a couple of notches.
Although lower trims such as the SE and SEL still make use of a cable-operated transmission shifter on the center console, the N Line upgrades to a steering-column-mounted shift-by-wire system that liberates lots of console space for storage. The N Line’s console integrates a huge open tray, retractable half-ring cupholders, and a cordless smart device battery charger. There’s also a stand to put a smart device in a vertical placement.
The 2025 Kona has even more cargo room, too. Compared to the first-generation version, the location behind the rear seat rises by 6.3 cubic-feet to 25.5 cu-ft. With the 60/40 split-folding back seat folded up flat, freight quantity leaps by 17.9 cu-ft to 63.7 cu-ft.
Hyundai also enhances accessibility to the cargo location thanks to a wider liftgate opening. Under the flexible freight floor, there’s some covert storage area beside the spare tire well, which is fantastic for hiding a bag, cam bag, tablet computer, or other valuables. You can separate the freight location protection cover and store it up and down in a port behind the back seat to carry bulkier cargo.
2025 HYUNDAI KONA: THE TECHNOLOGY
For 2025, Hyundai upgrades the Kona to a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. In 2015, the biggest offered system had a 10.25-inch display screen.
Apple CarPlay and Android Automobile connectivity is conventional, however you need to use a wire to run them. Hyundai claims a future over-the-air upgrade will certainly add wireless smart device connectivity. Additionally, the infotainment system includes a three-month trial membership to SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluelink linked solutions, accessibility to a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a voice-recognition system. With N Line trim, a navigation system and a brand-new, rich-sounding Bose eight-speaker premium stereo are also basic.
The Kona N Line’s 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is among the largest in the small SUV segment and features understandable kind and easy-to-see icons. The system maintains quantity and tuning knobs and shortcut switches below the screen for Home, Map, Browse, Media, Favorites, and Setup.
Pairing my Samsung phone to the Kona’s Bluetooth was quick and seamless. As soon as I spied the appropriate USB cable television from the glovebox, launching Android Automobile and streaming songs from my Pandora account confirmed simple.
Discovering unidentified side street for photo areas took me away the prescribed program. As an electrical storm blew in with unexpected rate, I tapped the vibrant voice-recognition button on the guiding wheel to request real-time climate and web traffic updates for the return journey to the resort. I also needed directions but didn’t understand the hotel’s address. Nevertheless, requesting the most effective route back to the resort obtained me there rapidly, securely, and mainly dry.
Hyundai has offered its Bluelink connected solutions at on the house for the initial 3 years of ownership. When numerous other cars and truck companies bill additional regular monthly or yearly charges for these services, Hyundai is broadening its Bluelink plans and making them free to original owners throughout they own their lorries.
Read: What You Need to Know Before Purchasing a Used Convertible
Currently called Bluelink+, Hyundai’s linked solutions can be found in Standard and Advanced plans. The Bluelink+ Standard plan includes upkeep reminders, remote medical diagnoses, and automatic collision notifications and is free for all initial and subsequent proprietors throughout of the vehicle’s life.
The Bluelink+ Advanced plan covers everything else, consisting of remote vehicle gain access to, parental controls for teen chauffeurs, and over-the-air map updates. Bluelink+ Advanced is additionally free to all very first owners of a vehicle for the duration of their ownership period. People getting a made use of Hyundai get three months to a year of free of charge Bluelink+ Advanced, after which the membership sustains a regular monthly cost.
The 2025 Kona features an excellent listing of conventional Hyundai SmartSense advanced driver-assistance systems. Along with the features you currently expect to discover in a modern vehicle, my N Line test vehicle had an intersection-assist system that can discover oncoming traffic and effort to avoid an unsafe turn.
Additionally, the N Line has Highway Driving Assist, a semi-autonomous driving-assistance system integrating flexible cruise ship control with lane-centering aid. It is hands-on technology, implying you have to hold the steering wheel for it to function. It also makes use of navigating and freeway data to slow the Kona for curves and can adjust vehicle rate according to roadside signs.
The Kona’s safety features worked virtually as marketed. The new haptic steering-wheel vibration associated with the lane-departure caution system offered my hands a good massage on the winding rural country roads north of Baltimore since it was difficult to avoid crossing over the curbside white lane markings on tight turns. Additionally, the driver-attention warning maintained beeping and blinking messages to pay attention as my eyes wandered a little bit, trying to find intriguing photo places along the road.
One function available in the range-topping Kona Limited however missing in the N Line is a surround-view camera that offers an overhanging view of the SUV and its environments. With the Kona’s jutting rear-seat headrests, sloping roofline, and considerably tilted rear roofing columns and liftgate window, seeing what’s behind the SUV can be tough.
Since magazine, neither the National Freeway Traffic Safety Management (NHTSA) neither the Insurance Coverage Institute for Freeway Safety (IIHS) has actually uploaded crash-test ratings for the 2025 Hyundai Kona. Examine the NHTSA and IIHS sites for updated information.
IS THE 2025 HYUNDAI KONA A GOOD SUV?
The brand new 2025 Hyundai Kona is a good option for people purchasing a little crossover SUV. The snappy design has lots of visual charm and its brand-new, roomier cabin and larger freight hold deal daily effectiveness.
Hyundai has actually also resolved the problem about prevalent burglary of specific Hyundais and Kias, implemented since the lorries were missing out on an engine immobilizer. The new Kona comes standard with one.
The 2025 Kona also includes a remarkable number of common comfort and benefit features for the price. Its infotainment, connectivity, safety, and advanced driving-assistance technologies are amongst the most effective in the segment. And in N Line and Limited trim, the turbocharged powertrain makes driving the Kona satisfying.
When you include lifetime accessibility to Bluelink+ services and the Kona’s charitable warranty plan, Hyundai cooks much more value right into its revamped little SUV.
