The RoadRunner

What’s new?

The 2027 Kona is here and……. Nothing is new. Well, that’s not entirely true. The luxury trim makes a return which we have been lucky enough to get our hands on. This trim comes in to replace the base N-line model and sports more equipment than the outgoing model but less power, only sporting the 2 liter engine mated to a CVT transmission making it a much smoother but also much more sluggish ride. Apart from that the model is mostly unchanged for the 2027 model year. Still available are the essential and preferred trim. (available in Front wheel Drive and All-wheel Drive). The Trend trim, and the N-line ultimate, with the Luxury slotting in just before the latter.

How Do I pick the right one?

Put simply, the best value pick is probably the base model. The Kona Essential comes standard with Blind spot monitoring, Remote start, Bluelink connected services, heated seats and more! The next step up (the preferred) adds minor features such as a heated steering wheel and nicer alloy wheels. But quite frankly for the same money you can upgrade the Kona Essential to All-wheel drive and get a more capable vehicle.

If you like bells and whistles the new luxury trim is for you. All-wheel drive is standard in this trim and so is leather seats that are heated and cooled, a power sunroof, and a power driver’s seat (this feature was previously exclusive to the N-Line Ultimate.) Of course this brings us to the sport trim, the N-Line. It features a 1.6L Direct Injected turbo four cylinder paired to a dual clutch transmission giving the Kona some much needed pep and a more engaging driving experience. It also features an exclusive front and rear design and a surround view camera. Of course this trim also comes packed with all the luxurious tech of the luxury, now with performance inspired suede seats instead of leather.

Our thoughts

From spending time with each trim of the Kona our favorites are definitely the Sporty N-Line and surprisingly enough. The preferred. The N-Line is just muscular enough to make it fun and has just enough of the performance DNA that its much more powerful N performance brethren do. To top that off the sport seats are shockingly comfortable making long drives a breeze, despite its sporting intentions this car is a really nice place to be. The preferred on the other hand is much more down to earth and has just enough tech to be an enjoyable place to be. While the sound system leaves a little to be desired, especially compared to its more highly equipped counterparts. It’s still a solid choice for anyone looking for an SUV under 35K. We found that the heated steering wheel on this trim is a great touch for the Canadian winters too.

Buy now or wait?

While there are many rumors of the next generation Kona, we don’t expect to see it soon as Hyundai seems to have several new product releases planned in the next 12 months. If you’re thinking about getting your hands on one. Get out there and get it for a spin. If it’s for you we recommend getting your hands on it now as holding out for the next generation may be a longer wait than expected.