BEHIND THE WHEEL: 2021 Hyundai Kona warrants a happy smile
Small SUV looking for driver who is not as caught up in price tag as in good gas mileage, trendy exterior, a little slow on the uptake, but a brave design, which overrides the push on the accelerator.
Do I have your attention?
Certainly, when looking at the price tag on the 2021 Hyundai Kona you will not lose a heartbeat either.
Moving into its junior year, the Kona is good under pressure when necessary and it is fun to drive.
Fits four adults with ease and while backseat space might be a bit nervy if you want a tall person to sit back there, this is still a small SUV that is worth a look.
The competition for the 2021 Hyundai Kona includes the Kia Soul, Mazda CX-30, Subaru Crosstrek, Kia Seltos and Hyundai’s own Venue. The Kona is not the lowest priced in the bunch and they have done away with the funky colors Sunset Orange or the Lime Twist, but sigh… how about the new model trim. It is called “Night” with a turbocharged engine to rev it up, LED exterior lighting and black upholstery. We can get into those dark features as well as the aluminum gas and brake pedal affair at your feet.
TRIM LEVEL OPTIONS
There are six trims and 12 configurations beginning with the SE and moving into the Ultimate trim at the high-end mark. Bang for the buck – go with the Limited. It is just a notch below the Ultimate and both have seven exterior options and a choice of All Wheel Drive or Front Wheel Drive.
The Limited is loaded with sunroof, fog lamps, leather upholstery, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat. And another win is the turbocharged four-cylinder engine that comes with the Limited package too, the goodies begin to add up.
UNDER THE HOOD
On the 2021 Hyundai Kona the SE and SEL trims are four-cylinder with six-speed automatic transmission and 147 horsepower. On the upper level packages Limited and Ultimate the 175 horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder engine is much louder and to the point with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic to take you around the curves.
SAFETY FIRST
The safety features on the 2021 Hyundai Kona include everything from automated emergency braking to lane-keeping assist/standard lane-keeping warning and automatic high-beam headlamps. Of course you can also expect all the additional safety options car owners have come to expect these days.
INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR HIGHLIGHT
Inside this machine it is simple in design with analog gauges. The steering wheel shouts look at me wrapped in leather. There is also cruise control. The SE, SEL, and Limited trims offer a seven-inch standard touchscreen. If you must have a larger one the Ultimate trim comes with an eight-inch screen that will also give you navigation. Techies will want to play with the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard features to see how well that has been integrated.
ALONG FOR THE RIDE
The warranty on Hyundai is all good with a 10-year powertrain warranty and as everyone knows it does not get much better than what Hyundai offers in this category. There is also the complimentary scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles and a limited warranty for five years or 60,000 miles.
Basically, when driving the 2021 Hyundai Kona you will know you are in good hands. From the plush ride to the safety features to the peaceful mindset of knowing if it breaks down someone will take care of the it for you over at Hyundai and that is a lot these days.
SHOULD YOU NEED TO KNOW
The 2021 Kona Hyundai starts at $21,500, low and solid for this vehicle.
MILES
The 2021 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD I drove came in with 26 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon on the highway.
COST
The cost of the 2021 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD $28,995.