July 9, 2019

Hyundai Adds Hybrid Powertrain to Kona Crossover


For a while, Hyundai only offered two kinds of Kona SUVs in the market: one propelled by a typical internal combustion engine, and one that swaps that for a battery electric motor. Now though, the Korean automaker has added a third option and one that bridges the gap between the two: meet the Kona Hybrid.

The introduction of the Kona Hybrid is, for Hyundai, a natural extension given it already has the tech in the Ioniq Hybrid. With that, the Kona Hybrid gets the same direct-injected 1.6-liter Kappa engine mated to a permanent magnet electric motor. It even has the same-sized battery: a 1.56 kWh lithium-ion polymer. Together, it makes 141 horsepower and 265 Nm of torque—numbers which are fairly close to the conventional 2.0-liter Kona. And like the Ioniq Hybrid, the Kona Hybrid also uses a 6-speed dual clutch automatic.



Along with the Hybrid drivetrain, Hyundai has thrown in some unique visual cues to differentiate the Kona Hybrid such as the white accents around the air vent surrounds and gear shift bezel, and the Gloss Black accents on the door handles, steering wheel, and air vent bezel. It also gets a gray headliner.

In Europe, where the Kona Hybrid will be sold first, it comes with Hyundai SmartSense, a safety suite which includes Front Collision Warning and Avoidance Assist, Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Lane Following Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, and Blindspot Collision Warning.

The all-new Kona Hybrid will be sold starting August 2019.

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