2020 Hyundai Kona Review & Buying Guide

Posted on Jan 29 2020 - 5:37am by Daniel Fisher

The 2020 Hyundai Kona won’t be for everyone. It’s pretty small, it’s a bit weird and if you’re looking for that tall, commanding view of the road, you’d better look somewhere else.

2020 Hyundai Kona

Yet, in the rapidly expanding realm of subcompact crossovers, the Kona shines like few others by doing the basics well and augmenting them with driving fun and character.

For the basics, it has simple controls, lots of features at a reasonable price and the option of all-wheel drive, which isn’t a given in this class. It’s also quite efficient for a crossover, but that’s the case for most in the segment. What isn’t is the Kona’s available turbo engine that provides swift acceleration while its competitors range somewhere from slow to glacial.

There’s also the well-executed Kona Electric that doubles down on both the efficiency and performance fronts. Regardless of engine, though, every Kona’s genuinely agile handling will help keep you energized during your daily drive. The fun styling inside and out should help on that front, too. So, even if a 2020 Kona isn’t the best for everyone, they should at least give it a shot.

What’s new for 2020?

The former SEL with Tech Package trim gets a snazzier name for 2020: SEL Plus. To inaugurate it, Hyundai bequeathed it the color instrument display and wireless charging capability previously only available on the range-topping Ultimate.

That trim gains adaptive cruise control for 2020, while both the Ultimate and Limited trims can be festooned with Sunset Orange interior trim (though only with a Sunset Orange exterior). Sadly, Tony Stark aficionados will lament the discontinuation of the Iron Man Edition.