- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
110kW, 180Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 6.2L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (CVT)
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2017)
2021 Hyundai Kona Highlander review
The Hyundai Kona Highlander is one of the more expensive variants in the Kona range. Is it worth the money? Glenn Butler finds out.
- Well-equipped for the price, cheap to service
- Easy to drive, Continental tyres have plenty of grip
- All the safety gear you could want
- Firm ride, especially in the rear
- Unconventional design could be polarising
- No air vents in the back seat
Introduction
The old wisdom referred to small cars as stepping stones to the bigger models in a carmarker’s range. The thinking was that as the buyer’s carefree singles days gave way to family life, and their paypacket swelled, they would move up the range into bigger, more expensive cars.
These days, vehicles at the smaller end of a brand’s range are often just as well-equipped as their bigger brothers. This 2021 Hyundai Kona Highlander is one such example.
The Kona is the second of Hyundai’s five-strong SUV range. It’s bigger than the baby Venue but smaller than the Tucson, Santa Fe and Palisade.
Prices for the different Kona variants range from $26,600 right through to $42,400 plus on-road costs. There are two other Konas priced above $60,000 but they’re electric cars and not really relevant to this review, other than to know they exist. If you want to read about them, you'll find full details about the Kona Electric here.
At its core, the Kona is a five-door, five-seat high-riding wagon, with a 2.0-litre non-turbo petrol engine driving only the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission. It’s offered in base, Active, Elite and Highlander specifications.
Above those in price and performance sit two Kona N Line models, which get a more powerful turbocharged 1.6-litre engine, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive.
The Hyundai Kona Highlander we’re testing today carries a price of $38,000 plus on-road costs. If you’re looking for natural rivals, check out the Kia Seltos Sport+, Mazda CX-3 Akari, Nissan Juke Ti and Toyota C-HR Koba, all of which are priced around $38,000.
From the outside, the Kona Highlander and Elite get much of the same dress-up kit that distinguishes them from the cheaper models. The Highlander goes a little further in a couple of areas, with LED headlights and indicators, and unique 18-inch alloy wheels wearing decent Continental rubber.
The fetching Pulse Red paint colour is an option, as is the test car’s beige interior, raising the as-tested price to $38,890. On-road costs add $4244.50, taking the full outlay to $43,134.50 in Victoria.
Key details | 2021 Hyundai Kona Highlander |
Price (MSRP) | $38,000 plus on-road costs |
Colour of test car | Pulse Red |
Options | Premium paint ($595), beige interior ($295) |
Price as tested | $38,890 plus on-road costs |
Price on-road | $43,145 (Victoria) |
Rivals | Kia Stonic | Mazda CX-3 | Nissan Juke | Toyota C-HR |
Inside
The Kona’s interior has an upmarket feel to it, thanks in no small part to our test car’s optional beige interior trim. It was a hit with some testers who liked the way the lighter colours opened up the cabin, and a miss with others who saw hours of their future wasted cleaning scuff marks. The Highlander’s ambient lighting also gives the cabin a lift.
Leather trim covered the front and back seats, and the front seats are electrically adjustable, ventilated and heated. The steering wheel (also heated) adjusts for reach and tilt, which makes for a versatile driving position that should suit most humans.
The two outboard seats in the rear are also heated.
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Space in the rear is decent without being amazing, but remember the Kona is at the smaller end of the SUV range. The door opening is narrow, which means you’ll need to manoeuvre yourself in and out.
Once in, it’s a relatively comfortable space with good under-seat foot room and decent legroom. There’s one USB-A port in the back but no air vents. There is a leather armrest between the two outboard back seats with two cupholders in it to complement the 600ml bottle holders in each of the doors.
In terms of equipment, the Kona has all the basic features you’d expect at the price, including single-zone climate control air-conditioning. The extra step from Elite to Highlander brings high-beam assist, front parking sensors, electric driver’s and front passenger’s seat, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, sunroof (though this is deleted if you opt for two-tone paint) and head-up display that projects car speed onto the windscreen.
The Highlander also has two big 10.25-inch digital displays, one mounted on the centre console and a second in the instrument binnacle, but more on that in the Infotainment section below.
The Kona’s boot is 374L, which makes it smaller than the Hyundai i30 hatchback despite housing a compact space-saver spare wheel under the floor. It is bigger than the Mazda CX-3 (264L) and Toyota C-HR (318L), but smaller than the Kia Seltos (433L) and Nissan Juke (422L).
2021 Hyundai Kona Highlander | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 374L / 1156L seats folded |
Length | 4205mm |
Width | 1800mm |
Height | 1565mm |
Wheelbase | 2600mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
The Highlander’s twin 10.25-inch screens – one in-dash and one in the instrument cluster – are high quality and well utilised to give the interior a modern, techy vibe. The centrally mounted one that controls radio (including DAB+), media, satellite navigation, phone and Bluetooth will be familiar to anyone who’s driven a recent Hyundai or Kia. It’s a responsive and intuitive system that uses swiping to move between screens.
The Highlander (and Elite) gets a Harman Kardon premium sound system with eight speakers. I thought the sound quality was very good, although co-tester Emma felt it didn’t do justice to her doof doof music, particularly at high volume.
In a somewhat strange move, less expensive Kona models have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, whereas the Highlander makes do with wired CP and AA only. Perhaps that’s by design because we’ve reported issues with the wireless versions dropping connection repeatedly on test, so even though plugging in a wire can be an inconvenience, it’s a more reliable solution.
Safety and Technology
The Hyundai Kona was crash-tested by ANCAP in 2017, and scored 35.07 out of a possible 37 points and was therefore rated five stars. It scored 14.07 out of 16 in the frontal offset test, a perfect 16 in the side-impact test, and two out of two in the pole test. Whiplash protection was rated as ‘good’ and pedestrian protection ‘acceptable’.
The Kona’s active safety suite is comprehensive, especially for a car priced under $40,000. It has all the basics (ABS, ESC, brake assist, etc), and builds on that with the Hyundai SmartSense pack that includes lane-keeping and lane-following assist, forward collision avoidance that can sense cars, pedestrians and cyclists, smart cruise control with stop and go, and driver attention warning.
The Highlander gets a number of safety features that are withheld from cheaper Kona models, including blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance and safe exit warning. It also gets high-beam assist. That’s great if you’re buying a Highlander, but not if you’re buying any of the other models.
In other safety and technology features, the Highlander gets rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera and tyre pressure monitoring system.
The Highlander has 'smart key' remote central locking and push-button start, although it does not have engine stop-start.
All Kona variants have two ISOFIX mounts, one in each of the second-row outboard seats, and three top-tether anchors across the back seat.
2021 Hyundai Kona Highlander | |
ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2017) |
Safety report | Link |
Value for Money
At the $38,000 pricepoint, the Kona Highlander lines up with the Mazda CX-3 Akari, Toyota C-HR Koba and Kia Seltos Sport+, all of which have all-wheel drive compared to the Kona’s front-drive.
The Kona’s equipment and safety lists are a match for its rivals, and its five-year warranty matches all but the Kia, which offers seven years but is more expensive to service.
With all Hyundai models, the first service at 1500km is free. After that, you can take advantage of servicing plans that cap the cost at $957 for three years and $1595 for five years if you pay upfront.
The Hyundai Kona’s fuel economy on test was 7.4L/100km, which was a bit shy of Hyundai’s 6.2L/100km claim but nothing horrendous. This figure does put it behind the Nissan Juke for efficiency, but ahead of rivals like the popular Mazda CX-3, Toyota C-HR and Kia Seltos.
At a glance | 2021 Hyundai Kona Highlander |
Warranty | Five years / unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months / 15,000km |
Servicing costs | $957 3yrs | $1595 5yrs, prepaid |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 6.2L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 7.4L/100km |
Fuel type | 91-octane regular unleaded petrol |
Fuel tank size | 50L |
Driving
The Kona’s 2.0-litre petrol engine and continuously variable transmission make a decent team that provides adequate acceleration for the 1353kg wagon. Its outputs of 110kW and 180Nm put it mid-pack compared to its rivals, but lagging the Mazda CX-3 and Kia Seltos for real-world drivability.
The engine doesn’t have the deep reserves of a turbocharged engine at low revs, but the CVT helps disguise this by picking a shortish ratio to deliver decent acceleration.
CVT transmissions are nobody’s idea of fun, but they do make the most of middling engine outputs and help minimise fuel use. There is a ‘Sport’ mode that changes the dials to red and encourages the CVT to choose sportier ratios for more spirited driving.
In terms of manoeuvrability, the Kona’s 10.6m turning circle makes it one of the nimblest in its competitive set.
The Kona’s ride is relatively compliant over most surfaces, although it does feel at times like the suspension is focused more on controlling the SUV’s body instead of cosseting passengers. Sharper bumps and ruts can punch through the otherwise decent ride, particularly for rear seat passengers, and undulations will have you and your passengers’ heads bobbling in time to the road’s lumps and bumps.
Key details | 2021 Hyundai Kona Highlander |
Engine | 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol |
Power | 110kW @ 6200rpm |
Torque | 180Nm @ 4500rpm |
Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
Transmission | Continuously variable transmission |
Power to weight ratio | 81.3kW/t |
Weight | 1353kg |
Tow rating | 1300kg braked, 600kg unbraked |
Turning circle | 10.6m |
Conclusion
The Hyundai Kona Highlander is one of the better small SUVs for the price, and while it’s not the best, it is far from the worst. It is a very well-equipped small SUV that will meet the needs of those who like a lot of features and aren’t too worried about space in the rear or the boot. It is relatively cheap to run, and a five-year warranty brings peace of mind.