New Hyundai Kona Hybrid 2023 review
The hybrid version of our Car of the Year is still a strong small SUV, but it falls slightly short of its all-electric sibling
4.0 out of 5
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Verdict
Our Car of the Year isn’t as accomplished in hybrid form as it is as a full-EV, but it’s still a very solid crossover contender. Its physical growth over its predecessor means it's now big enough to comfortably see off typical family car duties, and it does so with generous equipment levels, plenty of comfort and strong mpg figures – especially on short trips around town.
The latest Hyundai Kona has been a sure fire hit – so much so that we’ve proudly named it our New Car Awards Car of the Year for 2023. It’s a superb all-round family car, and with a fully-electric powertrain, it delivers a fantastic range, strong performance and excellent refinement at a price that has surely raised the eyebrows of a few competitors.
Like the first generation Kona, however, electric drive isn’t the only way to go with this new model. Hyundai will continue to offer fully combustion-powered versions (there’s a choice of a 1.0-litre three cylinder and a 1.6-litre four cylinder – both turbocharged) plus the middle ground we have here, a full hybrid.
For the hybrid, petrol power is supplied by a 1.6-litre Atkinson cycle four-cylinder unit and is backed up by an e-motor with 43bhp and 170Nm of torque. Modest electric running is covered by a 1.32kWh battery. Combined, the two power sources offer up 139bhp, which is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox.
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That’s a very similar setup to the existing car, but then owners had few complaints about that. In fact, owners had only one real criticism with the previous model: the cabin felt a little pokey. Hyundai listened to this feedback, and the new model has grown as a result. It’s 145mm longer than the last model, to be precise, and while that’s not a vast increase, it’s enough to make the cabin much more accommodating than before. In fact, it’s so spacious in the back now, that knee and headroom are both on a par with the larger Tucson. Its big brother is a little wider across the cabin so it’s better for three people, but not by much.
The dashboard itself takes inspiration from the Ioniq 5 EV. A 12.3-inch digital driver’s display sits beside a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which look great and are fairly responsive to use. Hyundai has kept plenty of physical buttons, both for infotainment shortcuts and for the climate control system. Elsewhere, the airy cabin has plenty of storage space, though we’d like a couple more covered cubbies to hide valuables out of sight.
Out back, the Kona is similarly impressive. A 466-litre boot is great for a car in this segment, as is the 1,300-litre capacity when the seats are folded down.
On the road, the Kona – specifically its hybrid powertrain – feels most at home around town. Here, the electric motor can cover much of the driving. When the small battery needs a top-up, the petrol motor smoothly wakes into life and hums away in the background, but go down a hill or even just coast for a little while, and the noise dies down as EV mode is restored. The paddles behind the steering wheel adjust the level of deceleration through motor regen in Eco mode, and in Sport they take control of the dual clutch automatic gearbox.
Equipment levels are excellent. All models come with LED headlights, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. N Line S and Ultimate models get heated and vented front seats, a Bose sound system, wireless smartphone charging and a blind spot detection system.
The one thorn in the Kona Hybrid’s side is the Renault Captur. Granted, the French compact crossover isn’t as spacious inside, but set that to one side and it’s just as comfortable yet sharper to drive, it’s powered by a similarly frugal hybrid system, yet it starts from £25,795. Even the top spec E-Tech engineered Bose Edition tops out at £30,595 – only £570 more than the base level Kona.
And that’s before Renault’s superb finance deals come into play. Thanks to a generous deposit contribution on the Captur, on a three year PCP term with a £5,000 deposit that range topper comes to £350 per month – £4 less than the base Kona Advance.
| Model: | Hyundai Kona Ultimate Hybrid |
| Price: | £34,225 |
| Engine: | 1.6-litre 4-cyl HEV |
| Transmission: | Six-speed auto, front-wheel drive |
| Power/torque: | 139bhp/265Nm |
| 0-62mph: | 11.2 seconds |
| Top speed: | 103mph |
| Economy: | 60.1mpg |
| CO2: | 107g/km |
| On sale: | Now |
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