2023 Hyundai Kona

Straddling the line between tall hatchback and tiny SUV, the 2023 Hyundai Kona may be small but it punches above its weight on charm, style and value. At 166 inches long, it was Hyundai’s smallest and most affordable crossover when it debuted in 2018, only to be joined by the even-smaller, cheaper Venue in 2020. That crossover may cost even less, but the Kona offers more room and power in a cooler-looking package for not much more cash. The Kona also comes as a fully electric model and the high-performance Kona N, both of which we review separately. 

With more than a dozen other pint-sized crossovers competing for buyers’ attention, Hyundai gave the Kona a big refresh last year, adding lots of equipment and the N-Line trim, which gets the hot Kona N’s visuals but not its engine. An all-new Kona will arrive for 2024, but in the meantime, there are more standard safety features this year: blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts and safe exit warnings. The N-Line loses some equipment and prices have gone up a little, but the Kona is still a good value and doesn’t feel past its prime.

The Kona competes with a wide array of tiny utes like the Jeep Renegade, Kia Soul and Buick Encore GX, but its toughest competitors are a little larger: the Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos, Toyota Corolla Cross and Volkswagen Taos. The Kona’s plethora of standard features, low starting price and pleasing driving dynamics give it an edge over some of the other small-fries, but its small footprint does mean compromises on backseat and cargo room. The Seltos and Taos are only a few inches longer on the outside, but that translates to appreciably more space within.

At just $23,435 (including a $1,295 destination fee) for the front-drive SE model, the Kona is cheap. The base engine is underwhelming, but the N-Line ($29,145) and Limited ($30,245) offer a far more satisfying 195-horsepower turbocharged engine. While they cost more upfront, they don’t use any more fuel and they come with even more features. While not a sporty machine, the light, lithe Kona is a good handler. All-wheel drive (AWD) is a $1,500 option on all trims but doesn’t change the vehicle’s personality or add any off-road ability.

The top Kona trims also cost more than some of their larger rivals but apart from the Seltos, getting equivalent equipment on those larger models costs more. The CX-30 and Taos stretch beyond $35,000 at their top levels. The Kona’s backseat and cargo hold are smaller than those of the Seltos, Soul or Taos, but this is such a crowded segment that there are also bigger vehicles without as much room. The CX-30 is about the same, while the larger Corolla Cross and Nissan Kicks actually have smaller back seats. Despite its size, a family of four will still find the Kona a practical and frugal machine.

Konas also come well equipped. Hyundai offers lots of standard safety gear, including this year’s newly standard items, and plenty of in-car tech on the higher-spec models. Only adaptive cruise control is held back for the top trim Limited. The Kona also comes with Hyundai’s lengthy warranty coverage, which adds peace of mind to the value proposition. 2023 is this generation of Kona’s swansong, but it’s a user-friendly, characterful vehicle with many virtues.

Performance: 11/15

Kona SE and SEL trims use a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The 2.0-liter engine earns the best MPG in the lineup by a hair, but it doesn’t have much power. If you’re just an in-town driver or really don’t want to spend on anything but the base model, it’s okay, but it’ll struggle on big hills and acceleration is leisurely. That said, it’s still a better performer than the Kicks or the (non-hybrid) Corolla Cross.

N-Line and Limited models get a much punchier 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 195 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). That makes for much faster progress and an altogether more enjoyable driving experience. Zero-to-60 takes about 7 seconds, which isn’t “fast” but doesn’t feel terribly slow either. There’s much more passing power than with the base engine, and the DCT is far more responsive than the CVT.

In both cases the Kona handles well. The steering could have more feedback, but this isn’t a sports sedan and for buyers who want that experience, the Kona N beckons. The regular Konas are light on their feet around town or on twisty roads, maneuverable and controllable. 

Front wheel-drive is standard and AWD optional, but doesn’t change the driving experience and certainly won’t make it off-roadable like the Subaru Crosstrek. With only 6.7 inches of ground clearance and a fairly firm suspension, the AWD Kona is really only necessary for folks who live with icy, snowy pavement every winter.

Fuel Economy: 14/15

Both Kona engines, in front-wheel drive models, return an EPA-estimate 32 mpg combined and 35 mpg highway, but the 1.6-liter turbo does slightly worse around town, 29 mpg city to the 2.0’s 30. In our real-world testing of the 2.0 we came closer to 30 mpg and in the 1.6 liter turbo, about 27 mpg. Both versions take regular gas, and while these numbers aren’t the best in class as returned by the Kicks and Corolla Cross, the Kona is just nicer to drive than those two vehicles, even with the base engine.

AWD Konas drop to 30 mpg combined with the 2.0 (28 city, 33 highway) and 29 mpg combined with the turbo (27 city, 32 highway). The Soul, Seltos and Taos return fuel economy that’s only 1 or 2 mpg shy of the Kona, as does the non-turbo CX-30. The Renegade and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport fall 3 to 5 mpg further back.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 13/15

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2023 Hyundai Kona a five-star overall rating. The model also earns a slate of “Good” ratings in all crash testing categories from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but doesn’t get a Top Safety Pick rating. 

Hyundai’s large suite of standard active safety features grows even longer this year as blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts and safe exit warnings become standard on all trims. They join forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane following assist with lane keep assist and a driver attention monitor. The automaker uses its own labels for many of these systems, but the array is comprehensive, and some of these items cost extra or aren’t available at all on certain competing vehicles.

Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go was optional on the N-Line last year but is now reserved for the  Limited and standard on that trim. Kona Limiteds also get Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist system, a Level 2 semi-autonomous system that uses GPS data to inform the vehicle on limited-access highways.

Comfort & Room: 11/15

When the Kona was being designed there were fewer very bite-sized crossovers on the market, and Hyundai aimed for a very small footprint overall. That inherently means some compromises on interior space, and in the years since most newer designs have skewed larger and heavier. (Indeed, the new 2024 Kona will be larger overall and have a longer wheelbase). Front passengers will find plenty of room and seats that are comfy and supportive, and two people won’t mind long road trips in the current Kona. It’s the back seat that’s more complicated.

Technically, this is a five-seater, but three of those five would have to be little tikes. For anybody over six feet tall, the back seat will feel cramped. Headroom is decent fore and aft, but the Kona’s 35.2 inches of rear legroom comes up short against the Taos, Encore GX, Soul and Seltos. Mysteriously, however, it’s actually quite a bit more space than the Kicks (33.5) or the bafflingly small back seat of the Corolla Cross (just 32 inches of rear legroom). At the very least, the Kona’s back seat is as well-padded and nicely trimmed as the front seats.

Infotainment: 13/15

SE and SEL models use an 8.0-inch touchscreen while N-Line and Limited models get A 10.3-inch unit. Unlike some other Hyundai models that use this bigger screen, the Kona thoughtfully retains many hard controls, including volume and tuning knobs. If you want Navigation, you’ll have to buy a model with this larger screen, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard and can fill in that function on the smaller screen. Curiously, both are wireless on the 8.0-inch unit but wired only on the 10.3.

Both screens run software that’s easy to learn and use. Inputs can be a bit laggy, but everything works well and the graphics are as good as any competitor’s and quite a bit nicer than those at Nissan or Toyota. Wireless charging isn’t available on the SE but is optional on the SEL and standard on the higher trims.

Cargo Space & Storage: 10/15

Considering its size, the Kona doesn’t fare too badly on cargo space. There are 19.2 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 45.8 with them folded. It isn’t as space-efficient as the upright Kia Soul, which packs stats of 24.2 and 62.1 cubic-feet despite being 1 inch shorter overall, but it’s not terrible for its size and notably more than Nissan’s Kicks (32.3 cubic feet with the seats folded down), which is a bigger vehicle.

The Jeep Renegade offers 18.5 and 50.8 cubic-feet while the Mini Countryman offers 17.6 and 47.6.  Mazda’s CX-30 and the Toyota Corolla Cross offer 20.2 and 25.2 cubic-feet behind the rear seats, respectively, but neither automaker quote a volume with them folded down, and both are about equal overall to the smaller Kona. 

The problem is, larger compact crossovers like the Kia Seltos (26.6 cubic-feet behind the rear seats and 62.8 overall) and Volkswagen Taos (up to 27.9 and 65.9 cubic-feet) offer much more space than these small fries for only a little more money.

Style & Design: 8/10

Characterful and distinctive, the Kona’s original 2018 to 2021 design was already very appealing and 2022’s leaner and meaner front end (and the optional N-Line visuals) gave it some fresh excitement. The monochrome colors of the N-Line and N models offer a different look from the bright-colors-over-black cladding of the regular Konas, but both look good. While the original styling from 2018 vaguely echoed some European products from Citroën, the restyle has some Lamborghini Urus-like aggression.

Last year’s updates also improved the Kona’s cabin, but it’s pretty dark in most trims with only a black interior with lots of black plastic. A lighter gray interior color combo is optional on the Limited, which is how we’d choose it. The active-safety gear seems like money better spent than colorful seats, but it wouldn’t hurt to brighten things up.

Is the 2023 Hyundai Kona Worth it? Which Kona is the Best Value?

Easy to live with, attractive to look at and packed with features (particularly active-safety gear) even the base Kona is a decent value proposition. The sluggish base engine detracts from the overall package on the lower trims, but they are very attractively priced. The Kona SEL adds a few features including power front seats and 17-inch alloy wheels but is priced about even with the base-model Taos. You can also get the larger infotainment screen and sunroof on that model by opting for the $2,400 convenience package.

If we were footing the bill, our choice would be the top-spec $30,245 Limited. It’s $1,100 more than the N-Line but comes with every feature offered on the Kona, the gray interior and Highway Driving Assist, all of which is definitely worth it. Hyundai’s long warranty doesn’t hurt the value proposition, either.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Hyundai Kona?

The Kona isn’t an expensive car to insure. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $1,852 for a Kona Limited, the most expensive version to insure, though this averages all 50 states. That compares to $1,873 for the Buick Encore GX Preferred, $1,936 for the Kia Soul EX, $1,920 for the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk and $2,011 for the Nissan Kicks SR. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.