The Hyundai Kona subcompact SUV is a mini lineup all its own, with gas-powered and electric versions, plus a high-performance N model, all sold under one name with one body style.
For the 2024 model year, Hyundai won’t change the name and won’t shrink the lineup. Instead, it will introduce new styling with a unique look for each of the powertrains and add a third option — a fuel-sipping hybrid.
The company this week released photos and design sketches of the 2024 Kona lineup. Mechanical details remain under wraps for now.
We should note that Hyundai uses the moniker N for its most high-performance models and N Line for slightly tamer and less expensive versions. For 2023, there’s a Kona N high-performance model and a tamer N Line model. For the upcoming 2024 lineup, the N Line edition returns, but not the N.
We’ve asked Hyundai if an N is in the plans. We’ll update this story when they respond.
Electric Designed First, Hyundai Says
Hyundai says its designers “started with the EV variant to bring technology-led design thinking to the entire Kona range.” It shows. The Kona uses lighting as design cues, with a thin LED bar stretched across the nose — a design element common to pricey EVs like the Lucid Air.
A sharp-pointed nose sits over a small, low-set grille on gas- and hybrid-powered models or a matrix of pixel lights on the EV. That gives EV models continuity with Hyundai’s other electric cars, the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6.
It also borrows a diagonal cut line through the doors from the Ioniq 5. So much continuity with Hyundai’s electric lineup makes the gas-powered models stand out. However, it suits Hyundai’s plans — the company hasn’t announced a date when it will stop building gas-powered cars altogether, but its emphasis on an electric future is evident.
Inside, the 2024 Kona keeps its central touchscreen and driver’s instrument screen in a single housing, so they look like one wide screen. LED lighting built into the dash adds a pop of color.
As for more details, stay tuned.
