2025 Hyundai Kona

As a stylish and affordable small-SUV-around-town, the Kona excels. Actually, that’s selling it too short. The Kona is a great subcompact SUV, end of sentence. We made it a Kelley Best Buy Award winner for its class, because it’s competent and attractive in equally high measure. Hyundai launched this second generation of Kona last year, yet it looks as if it just arrived from five years in the future — a future where tech is plentiful and a lot of it is standard. Any buyers in the market for a subcompact SUV should give the Kona serious thought.

We review the 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric separately.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of subcompact SUVs, including the Hyundai Kona.

Last year’s optional Convenience package for the SEL trim becomes the SEL Convenience model this year. There’s also a new N Line S version, while 64-color ambient cabin lighting makes its way into the top three trims. Ultimate Red Metallic joins the list of exterior paint choices.

We recommend the SEL with all-wheel drive, the most popular variant.

Other top-selling subcompact SUVs include the Kia Seltos, Honda HR-V, Subaru Crosstrek, and Mazda CX-30. They’re all priced within $1,000 or so of the Kona.

Before buying a new Kona SUV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Resale values are above the class average. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The Kona’s base engine makes 147 horsepower, which is about average for this class. Getting from a standstill to 60 mph takes a relaxed 9.2 seconds. This isn’t the slowest contender, though. For example, the Honda HR-V requires more than 9.5 seconds. Hyundai further limits the thrills by pairing this engine with an automatic transmission engineered for optimum fuel economy rather than performance.

For more spirit, the N Line and Limited trims use a turbocharged 195-horsepower engine, hitting 60 mph about two seconds sooner than its less muscular sibling. Hyundai links this with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Generally, we find the Kona to be pleasant and efficient, and relatively roomy for a small SUV. The seats are supportive enough to keep the fatigue factor low, even on trips of eight hours or more. The steering is responsive, while the brakes provide a decent amount of feel. We have discovered that the regular cruise control struggles to maintain its set speed when negotiating steep inclines with the base engine — often dropping by about 6 mph. This isn’t a major concern in Florida or Nebraska, but can be a hassle in hillier regions.

Fuel Economy

The Kona’s fuel efficiency is in line with the competition. The popular base engine/all-wheel drive combination results in 28 mpg during combined city/highway driving. A comparable Honda HR-V returns 27 mpg combined, while the Subaru Crosstrek manages 29 mpg combined.

With front-wheel drive, the Kona achieves 31 mpg combined. And the more powerful engine runs to 28 mpg combined (front-wheel drive) or 26 mpg combined (all-wheel drive).

“Less is more” comes to mind when we survey the Kona’s cabin. Hyundai keeps it simple but effective. The 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard in every new Kona, while upper trims gain a matching 12.3-inch digital driver information display. The two screens sit side by side, spreading across half of the dashboard. Covered by one long glass panel, they appear as one continuous display.

The Kona is a 5-seater. Well, a comfortable 4-seater with a small middle rear spot. Rear legroom of 38.2 inches puts the Kona up there with the more spacious members of this class. Cargo capacity is also better than average. There’s 25.5 cubic feet behind the second row, opening out to a maximum of 63.7 cubic feet when they’re folded down. That’s more than the Honda HR-V.

The Kona’s radical and futuristic looks may have something to do with this generation’s initial design sparked (pardon the pun) by the EV version and this combustion model adapted from it. Which is the other way around to how several gasoline models and their EV variants have come into existence. That said, Hyundai has still managed (in our opinion) to retain pleasing and sensible proportions. The Kona’s tidy size is a joy when parking. It’s ideal in crowded conditions like city parking garages.

12.3-inch display
All 2025 Hyundai Kona models boast a big a crisp 12.3-inch touchscreen, an impressive size for this class. Starting with the SEL Convenience trim, there is a secondary 12.3-inch digital display for the instrument cluster.

All-wheel drive
This is optional in all Kona variants (except the EV), providing optimum grip and traction in the wet and dry. It also means that Hyundai fits a multi-link rear suspension, improving ride quality into the bargain, which is a win-win in our book.

Hyundai Bluelink
These remote services include automatic collision notification, roadside assistance, remote start/climate settings, stolen vehicle location/slowdown, and panic notification.

Over-the-air updates
The Kona can improve even after it’s been purchased, thanks to over-the-air updates (OTA) providing software enhancements.

Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Cable-free phone integration is standard across the 2025 Kona lineup, which we’re pleased to see. An over-the-air update enabled this during the 2024 model year.

Dual-zone automatic climate control
Beginning with the SEL trim, dual-zone automatic climate control is standard. A set-it-and-forget-it system, it separates the cooling and heating function into right and left zones. Once the temperature for each zone is set, the system maintains that temperature automatically.

The most popular engine choice with the 2025 Kona is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder unit making 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. Not a massive amount of muscle, but no worse than most of this subcompact SUV class. The automatic transmission here is of the continuously variable variety.

The N Line and Limited models have a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine generating a much sportier 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. This connects to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Front-wheel drive is the default setup, with all-wheel drive available as an option with either engine.

5-Year/60,000-Mile Warranty

The Kona SUV enjoys class-leading warranties. Hyundai’s excellent coverage includes a 5-year/60,000-mile (whichever happens first) basic warranty, a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and a 3-year/36,000-mile complimentary maintenance plan.

Safety Ratings

The Kona has been named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the institute’s highest accolade. It earned an overall score of four stars out of a possible five from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Standard safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian/cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keeping assistance.