2018 Hyundai Kona Ultimate: Driven

So... it's an SUV? I'm not sure. Hyundai's marketing gurus call it "Adventure Ready," and all manner of other "activity-related" lingo which accompany the brochure, but I'll be honest: I'd find it hard to fit anything "adventure-esque" into the trunk. It is, however, absolutely loaded with tech features:

Wireless charging
Apple Car Play
Bluelink (Hyundai's smartphone app)
Heads up display
Blind spot and lane keep assist technology,

among many other features, it certainly helps to justify the price. But at $30,000 it's not so much a competitor for the Mazda CX3, or the Honda HR-V, but rather: the Hyundai Tucson. For only a grand or so more, you can have a bigger car with the exact same drivetrain but more space. And it's not like the Tucson is spartan for features either.

Trying to fill a gap in the market this small, is a bit like trying to get the gang back together for one last score. Inevitably, it won't go according to plan. This shows in the fit and finish of the Kona as well: even at the range-topping Ultimate trim level, it's awfully plasticky. You get the feeling that Hyundai is only making this car because they think that they should, not because they want to. A critical difference that makes a "good" car vs. a "bad" car.

The squinty-eyed and scattered front end isn't helped by the rather confused layout of the rear end. It brings to mind a squashed Jeep Cherokee, which I personally don't think looks very good, I thought the old Cherokee looked a lot better. They definitely had the interns design this one. Appearances aside, the only thing really going for this car is its technology. It certainly isn't the performance darling of the Hyundai line, nor will it be the most economical, practical, comfortable, or best-handling vehicle either. Which begs the question: why buy it? If you want to sit up a little higher than a standard sedan, the Tucson is the logical choice in the Hyundai product line. Built on the Elantra platform, sales were good since the redesign in 2016, and it's a strong competitor to the CR-V, RAV4, Rogue, etc. In my view, it's the best looking crossover SUV on sale today.

The price point is what worries me. If we're supposed to pay $20,000 for a base-model Kona, when the Tucson is $21,000; I'm not seeing the value. Why pay (what's basically the same) for something smaller?

It comes down to this: would you rather own a tool, or own a car? Car ownership, and what a car is, have changed drastically over the past 5 years. Manufacturers have gotten caught up in this game of "throw a ton of tech into it and hope for the best" fad, and haven't been concerned about handling, performance, comfort, etc.

Thankfully, the Kona (like all Hyundais, pretty much) have a double-clutch automatic, not a CVT-style transmission, which does help it claw back some points. But even without the CVT, the Kona is quite a bit louder inside when you drive along than you'd think. You can definitely hear the tires and the wind a lot more than what you'd hope after spending $30,000. This drivetrain is nothing new for the Kona either, you can find the same engine and transmission setup in the: Veloster Turbo, Sonata Eco, Tucson, Elantra Sport, and Elantra GT Sport. All of this is means that they're not really investing that much money into the design and engineering of the Kona; so why is it so expensive? If Hyundai is going to just throw a drivetrain that they already have, what makes the $30,000 price tag a value? I'm starting to have more questions than answers at this point, which is not what you'd want to see towards the end of a review.

Critics and manufacturers are heralding the mini-ute or mini-suv as the new fad, but I really don't think that will be the case. If you're smart with your money, you could never come to the conclusion that this, or any other competitor, deserve the Benjamins from your wallet. The market is awash with crossovers that are bigger, more powerful, more comfortable, quieter, better off-road, and just as reliable. My thinking is that this will be Hyundai's Juke: sales will be good for the first year, and then they'll plummet once everyone realizes how overpriced it is. If the car were $16k, or even $18k to start, maybe it would make sense. But not at the prices on the window sticker. (I mean, really. A mouse would be cramped back here)