The Hyundai Kona is being redesigned for the 2024 model year. The Kona has a larger body, a new exterior design, and a hybrid powertrain option. Will the Hyundai Kona hybrid subcompact SUV be a more exciting Kia Niro?
The 2024 Hyundai Kona will have a hybrid powertrain option
The Hyundai Kona is currently one of the best subcompact SUVs on the market. Fight with models like Kia Soul and Mazda CX-30 for the first place.
The Kona became popular for its extravagant design, affordable price, and engaging driving dynamics. Hyundai even created a Kona EV. The South Korean automaker has revealed glimpses of the Kona’s 2024 model year, along with some exciting news. According to Autoweekthe Kona will be offered as a hybrid for the first time.
This is exciting for consumers who value fuel efficiency because the small subcompact SUV is already quite efficient. A hybrid powertrain would give the Kona incredible fuel economy. The industry has a pretty good idea of what a hybrid Kona would look like, thanks to its Kia counterpart, the Kia Niro.
Hyundai Motor Company is the parent company of Kia. As a result, many Kia models are closely related to Hyundai vehicles. Since the Kia Niro is a standard hybrid, we have a benchmark for how the Hyundai Kona Hybrid might perform.
The 2023 Kia Niro is a relative of the 2024 Hyundai Kona
The 2023 Kia Niro is a standard hybrid SUV that shares some features with the Kona model. The subcompact hybrid SUV gets 53 mpg in the city and 54 mpg on the highway. It has an 11.2 gallon gas tank. The Niro should be able to travel 599 miles on a full tank.
The Kia Niro uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor to generate 139 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. The gas-powered 2023 Hyundai Kona uses a base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, so the hybrid version is likely to be a 1.6-liter four-cylinder paired with an electric motor.
The 2024 Hyundai Kona could get similar mileage to the 2023 Niro. The 2023 Kona gets 32 mpg combined, so a hybrid Kona should easily be able to achieve north of 40 mpg combined. The Hyundai Kona has a larger gas tank than the Kia Niro. Ideally, the 2024 Hyundai Kona Hybrid will also get closer to 600 miles of range.
What to expect from a 2024 Hyundai Kona Hybrid
Unlike the Hyundai Kona Electric, the exterior of the Kona Hybrid shouldn’t deviate much from the design of the internal combustion engine Kona, especially since the nameplate has already received an exterior redesign for the 2024 model year. Expect the 2024 Hyundai Kona Hybrid start between $26,000 and $28,000. The Niro comes in five different trim levels, so Hyundai should also offer more than two trim levels for the Kona Hybrid.
Hyundai’s subcompact SUV is a hit with consumers, and the automaker intends to offer as many configurations as possible for as long as the nameplate is popular. Expect the 2023 Hyundai Kona Hybrid to be reasonably priced, fun to drive, and incredibly fuel-efficient.