2026 Hyundai Kona

The 2026 volume trims (SE, SEL Sport) carry the 2.0L MPI Atkinson four at 147 hp; the 1.6L turbo's 190 hp is reserved for SEL Premium and Limited after the N Line trims were dropped for 2026.

The volume 2.0L makes 132 lb-ft at a high 4,500 rpm — at the very bottom of the SUV range. The optional 1.6T's 195 lb-ft arrives far lower in the rev range.

Consumer Reports instrumented the second-generation Kona's base 2.0L at 9.8 seconds to 60 — slower than the SUV band floor. The turbo trims cut two full seconds off that.

The 2.0L pulls away cleanly with no off-the-line hesitation and is adequate around town, but it gets loud and strained when asked for more; reviewers explicitly steer buyers to the turbo for a satisfying engine.

Hyundai's IVT is one of the better CVTs — programmed step-shifts disguise it well in normal driving — but revs still flare and drone under load. The 8-speed torque-converter automatic on the turbo trims is conventional and well-behaved.

Hyundai publishes no US tow rating for the Kona and the owner's manual states towing is not recommended, so the vehicle scores zero on capability rather than being omitted. Overseas Konas carry braked ratings that do not apply to the US-market car.

HTRAC all-wheel drive is optional on every 2026 gas trim, which is broad availability, but it is a basic on-demand front-biased system with no low range, locking differential or meaningful torque vectoring.

Pavement-oriented subcompact crossover: roughly 6.7–8.3 inches of clearance depending on drivetrain and wheel size, no skid plates, no locker or crawl control, and no off-road trim — the 2026 lineup is SE, SEL Sport, SEL Premium and Limited only.

Three distinct US powertrains — 2.0L NA, 1.6L turbo, and a battery-electric Kona — is good breadth for a subcompact, but 2026 narrows it: the Electric is cut to a single 133-hp, 200-mile Standard Range SE, the Long Range battery is gone, and there is still no US hybrid.

Both 2.0L FWD variants that cover the volume SE and SEL Sport trims are EPA-rated 31 MPG combined for 2026. That is mid-pack for a gas subcompact SUV: level with the Venue, ahead of the Trax.

City economy is the Kona's weaker EPA number — the naturally aspirated 2.0L runs a CVT with no hybrid assist, so stop-and-go returns trail hybridized rivals.

Highway is where the Kona's small displacement pays off — 35 MPG is strong for the class. Adding AWD costs about 6 MPG on the highway cycle, so the FWD car is meaningfully the efficient choice.

EPA lists 384 miles for the 12.4-gallon 2.0L FWD configuration that the SE and SEL Sport carry; a 13.2-gallon FWD variant reaches 409 miles. Which EPA entry maps to SEL Sport is not explicit, so the conservative figure is used and confidence held at MEDIUM.

Now taken directly from EPA's published annual fuel cost ($2,050) rather than computed by hand (~$2,000), which lowers the score slightly.

Every gas Kona — 2.0L and 1.6T alike — is certified on regular gasoline with no premium recommendation, so there is no costly fuel requirement on any trim.

NHTSA rates the 2026 Kona 4 stars overall — 4 stars frontal crash, 5 stars side crash, 4 stars rollover. A full star behind the 5-star subcompact leaders (Crosstrek, Taos), and the single biggest drag on this category.

The 2026 Kona is an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ — Good in small overlap front, the updated moderate overlap front, and the updated side test, plus Good vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention. Held just short of the 90s only by Acceptable (not Good) headlights.

For 2026 Hyundai cut the lineup to four trims (SE, SEL Sport, SEL Premium, Limited) and made the full SmartSense core standard on all of them: Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian/cyclist and intersection-turn detection, Lane Keeping/Lane Following Assist, Blind-Spot Collision Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist and — newly standard this year — Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go. Only the convenience layer (HDA, Blind-Spot View Monitor, 360 camera) is trim-gated.

Re-score: the IIHS ratings page confirms a Good/Good sweep — Good in the tougher vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 front crash prevention test and Good in pedestrian (day and night) with the standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist. The previous score assumed V2V 2.0 was only Acceptable-or-better; it is the top grade, putting the Kona among the best AEB performers in the subcompact class.

Blind-Spot Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (with braking intervention, not alert-only) are standard on every 2026 trim. The camera-based Blind-Spot View Monitor that projects a live side feed into the cluster, plus Surround View Monitor, remain Limited-only.

Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist and camera-based Lane Following Assist centering are standard fleet-wide, and the system tracks well on clearly marked highways. Typical of Hyundai's tuning, it leans on the wheel more abruptly than the smoothest rivals and degrades where markings fade or in construction zones.

Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go — full speed range, brings the car to a halt and resumes — is standard on all four 2026 trims, a genuine advantage over subcompact rivals that still gate ACC behind mid trims. The integrated Highway Driving Assist that fuses ACC with lane centering is reserved for the Limited, so the volume SE/SEL Sport buyer gets the cruise half without the polished highway-assist half.

No hands-free highway system is offered on the Kona at any trim or price. Hyundai's US lineup has no BlueCruise/Super Cruise equivalent here — HDA is a hands-on lane-centering assist that requires steering-wheel torque.

IIHS rates the 2026 Kona's headlights Acceptable — the second-highest grade, and the one weak link in an otherwise Good-across-the-board IIHS card. It is at least consistent: TSP+ requires Acceptable-or-better lights on every trim, so there is no bad-headlight base version. High Beam Assist is standard.

Upright seating and a fairly tall glasshouse give a good forward and quarter view for the class, but the second-generation Kona's rising beltline, chunky rear pillars and shallow rear window pinch over-the-shoulder and reverse sightlines. Camera compensation is trim-dependent: the Surround View Monitor and Blind-Spot View Monitor that would offset it are Limited-only.

Two outboard positions have complete LATCH hardware and three top tethers are clearly marked and easy to reach, but the lower anchors sit down in the seat bight and take real effort to clip. Subcompact packaging is the bigger limit: rear-facing seats are a tight fit against the front seats and three across is not happening.

The 2026 Kona is a two-row, five-passenger subcompact SUV across every trim (SE, SEL Sport, SEL Premium, Limited) and in both gas and Electric form; there is no six- or seven-seat configuration.

Second-generation (SX2) Kona front headroom is 39.9 in without the sunroof, a genuinely tall-feeling front cabin for the subcompact class; the Limited's power tilt-and-slide sunroof costs roughly two inches.

41.7 in of front legroom is mid-pack for an SUV overall and adequate for the subcompact segment, though it trails larger compact crossovers that push past 43 in.

38.3 in of second-row headroom is strong for a subcompact SUV, although the theater-style raised rear cushion means taller passengers sit closer to the headliner than the number suggests.

Rear legroom is the Kona's standout packaging figure — 38.2 in is close to compact-SUV territory and well ahead of subcompact rivals like the Kicks and Venue, a direct benefit of the second generation's 2.3-in wheelbase stretch.

The Kona is a strictly two-row, five-seat subcompact SUV — no third row is offered on any trim or powertrain, so this item scores in the bottom band by definition.

25.5 cu ft behind the rear seats is competitive within the subcompact SUV class and up sharply from the first-generation Kona, but it sits at the very bottom of the SUV-wide normalization band that runs to 80 cu ft.

Folding the reclining 60/40 split rear bench opens 63.7 cu ft — useful for a vehicle this small, but modest measured against mid- and full-size SUVs at the top of the band.

Moving the shifter to a column stalk on upper trims frees a genuinely large open console tray with a pass-through beneath it, and the rear bench both reclines and drops a center armrest with cupholders; reviewers knock the unlined plastic bins that let contents slide noisily, and there is no underfloor cargo trickery on gas models.

Front seats are well-padded, broadly adjustable and comfortable over long stints, and the rear bench's stadium-style cushion with recline is better than most subcompacts; the deductions are shallow side bolstering up front and modest thigh support in back.

The second-generation chassis rides noticeably better than the old Kona — firm but rarely harsh over broken pavement — while still going busy and slightly bouncy over larger swells, which is par rather than class-leading for a short-wheelbase subcompact.

Highway refinement is the weakest part of the Kona's comfort case: road noise is intrusive at cruising speed and the 2.0L four gets buzzy under load, leaving the cabin only average for the class and below the broader SUV field. (The Electric is markedly quieter, but the gas volume trim sets this score.)

Heated front seats arrive on SEL Sport and up, with ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, leatherette seating, power sunroof and hands-free smart liftgate reserved for the Limited; the base SE goes without heated seats entirely and there is no rear climate zone or rear vents worth the name in a vehicle this size.

The 2026 Kona SE now lists at $25,500 before destination, a $50 rise in the current price list. With destination it comes to about $26,900, still close to the bottom of the subcompact-SUV band.

The SEL Sport is the volume trim at $26,825 before destination. Once AWD or the SEL Premium upgrade that buyers commonly add is factored in, it lands near $29,000.

Kona service costs are among the lowest in the segment. 2026 buyers now pay for the oil changes and tire rotations that Hyundai's discontinued complimentary-maintenance program used to cover, so the realistic figure sits slightly above CarEdge's projection.

The gas Kona holds its value about in line with the subcompact-SUV class average, keeping roughly 60% of MSRP after five years. The redesign reported for 2027 could soften residuals on outgoing-generation cars.

Hyundai's 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage carries over unchanged for 2026. It is the longest basic warranty in the mainstream market, matched only by Kia and Genesis.

The 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty tops the normalization band. It covers the original owner only; a second owner inherits 5 years/60,000 miles from the original in-service date.

Hyundai ended its 3-year/36,000-mile complimentary maintenance program for MY2026 vehicles. The Kona now comes with roadside assistance and connected services only: generous in length (5 years, unlimited miles) but no free oil changes, so it scores at the bottom of the 'basic roadside only' band.

$29,000 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (60% retained, or about $17,400) leaves about $11,600 in depreciation. Add the projected $2,950 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $14,550 in total.

The sources genuinely disagree: J.D. Power rates the 2026 Kona 84/100 for quality & reliability ("Great"), but Consumer Reports now predicts the 2026 Kona will be less reliable than the average new car, based on 2024–2025 owner data for this second generation, with trouble spots flagged across powertrain, suspension/steering, body hardware and in-car electronics. Lowered from 76 because the CR verdict is a below-average call on this exact generation, not the 'about average' the previous score leaned on.

Hyundai is a solid mid-to-upper-pack dependability brand: 8th in Consumer Reports' 2026 brand rankings and 11th in J.D. Power's 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study at 198 PP100, slightly better than the 204 industry average and a 24-point improvement on 2025. Good, but clearly outside the top-5 tier; trimmed slightly now that the VDS rank is confirmed as 11th rather than merely 'above average'.

Three NHTSA recalls already cover the 2026 Kona, two of them safety-critical: front steering knuckles that can crack and cause loss of steering control, and a rear center seat belt buckle that may not restrain an occupant — the latter spanning 2024–2026 production, with owners told not to use that seat until repaired. The second generation also drew four recalls in its 2024 launch year (EGR short, 12V cable chafe fire risk, rear seat belt retractors), so the pattern is repeated rather than a one-off.

The volume SE/SEL Kona runs the 147-hp 2.0L Smartstream MPI four with the IVT — a port-injected, low-stress pairing — and the 1.6T upper trims now use a conventional 8-speed automatic rather than the gen-1 dry dual-clutch. No systemic failure pattern, but Consumer Reports' 2024–2025 data flags engine, transmission and cooling as trouble areas, and the 2.0 Nu MPI family's 2019–2021 piston-ring recall is recent history, so it stays mid-band.

Cabin design and the twin-panoramic-display layout read upscale, but reviewers consistently flag hard, scratchy plastics across the dashboard and door interiors on the volume trims, with soft-touch surfaces and leatherette reserved for Limited. Competitive for a mainstream subcompact SUV rather than class-leading.

Initial quality is a genuine strength: the 2026 Kona finished second among small SUVs in J.D. Power's 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study. Trimmed slightly because Consumer Reports' owner data for the generation flags body hardware, paint/trim and noises/leaks as trouble areas, so longer-term build consistency is less clean than the 90-day picture.

Hyundai runs a dense nationwide franchised dealer network — coverage is a non-issue anywhere in the US — but service satisfaction is ordinary rather than standout, with the brand absent from the top of J.D. Power's 2026 Customer Service Index mass-market table led by MINI, Subaru and Buick.

Running costs are a clear strength: RepairPal puts the Kona's average annual repair bill well below the all-vehicle average with a low severe-repair probability, and Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty plus 3-year/36,000-mile complimentary maintenance absorb much of the early-ownership expense. High US sales volume keeps parts common and cheap.

The second-generation (SX2) Kona carries a 12.3-inch center touchscreen as standard equipment on all four 2026 US trims, including the base SE — one of the largest standard screens in the subcompact SUV class, where rivals still ship 8-inch base units.

Hyundai's current-generation software is quick and logically laid out, and the Kona keeps physical volume and tuning knobs plus a separate climate control panel rather than burying those functions in the screen — the combination is consistently called out as one of the better mainstream interfaces.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto are standard on all four trims including the base SE, and unlike Hyundai's older head units the large 12.3-inch screen does not force a downgrade to wired projection.

Built-in connected navigation is reserved for the upper trims, so the volume SEL Sport relies on phone projection for maps; the Bluelink voice assistant handles climate, audio and basic commands competently but is not the natural-language equal of the Google built-in systems in the Equinox or Kicks-class rivals.

A six-speaker system is standard and merely adequate, and the Bose eight-speaker premium upgrade is locked to the range-topping Limited rather than being available mid-range — a narrower path to good audio than the Tucson offers a class above.

The volume SE and SEL Sport trims pair analog gauges with only a 4.2-inch driver information display; the 12.3-inch full-digital cluster that completes the panoramic dual-screen look starts at SEL Premium, so most Konas sold do not get it.

The Kona receives over-the-air updates for infotainment software and maps, and Hyundai has extended OTA to some vehicle controllers on this software generation, but these are maintenance and map refreshes rather than the regular feature-adding whole-vehicle updates EV-native rivals ship.

Bluelink+ is included at no extra subscription cost and covers remote lock/unlock, remote start with climate, vehicle finder, stolen-vehicle location and collision notification — a strong, genuinely free package; phone-as-key (Digital Key 2 Touch) is limited to the Limited trim, and the Wi-Fi hotspot rides with the Limited's advanced package.

Four USB-C ports — two front, two rear — are standard from the base SE, which is generous for a subcompact, and wireless charging arrives at SEL Sport rather than being a top-trim item; there is no household AC outlet.

Proximity key with push-button start is standard all the way down to the SE, and remote start comes with SEL Sport; the hands-free smart liftgate and phone-as-key are held back for the Limited, which is the main gap against the class leaders.

A rear camera is standard, but front/rear parking distance warning, the Surround View Monitor, the Blind-Spot View Monitor and Remote Smart Parking Assist are all bundled exclusively into the Limited — so the volume trim gets a rear camera and little else.

No head-up display is offered on any 2026 US Kona trim. The SX2 Kona has the hardware in some export markets on the Ultimate grade, but the US range tops out at Limited, which does not list a HUD.

The SX2-generation Kona's back seat is one of the roomiest in the subcompact class (38.2 in rear legroom, more than the Mazda CX-30, Corolla Cross and Bronco Sport), and the squared-off 25.5 cu ft cargo bay swallows a stroller without the sloping-roofline penalty rivals carry. LATCH provision is only average, though: two complete lower-anchor positions plus a tether-only center, with anchors buried in the seat bight, and the cabin is too narrow for three-across seats.

Hyundai puts the whole SmartSense suite on the $26,845 SE — the trim families actually buy — and for 2026 added Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go and FCA with junction turning to that standard list, alongside Rear Occupant Alert and Safe Exit Warning. IIHS names the 2026 Kona a TOP SAFETY PICK+; the ceiling here is NHTSA's 4-star overall (4 frontal, 4 rollover) and merely Acceptable-rated headlights.

Edmunds calls the seats comfortable in both rows and 25.5 cu ft is enough luggage room for four with the seats up, but rear amenities are thin and partly trim-gated: second-row air vents arrive only at SEL Sport, so a base SE sends rear passengers on a long trip without them, though rear USB-C charging is standard on every trim. Road noise is the recurring complaint on multi-hour highway stints. (Re-score: corrected the earlier claim that rear USB-C ports were SEL Sport-only, +1.)

Commuting is where the Kona is strongest: the 2.0L/IVT pair pulls away cleanly with no off-the-line hesitation, the column shifter and retained physical volume and climate controls keep daily interactions simple, and stop-and-go adaptive cruise is now standard on every trim rather than a Limited perk. The 9.8-second 0–60 means merging and passing take planning.

31 MPG combined on regular 87-octane and unusually cheap consumables (RepairPal puts annual repair at $449 against a $652 all-vehicle average) make for low per-mile cost, and a Kona Electric SE exists at 116 MPGe for those who can charge. It falls short of the top of the class because there is no hybrid Kona at all — rivals like the Niro and Crosstrek Hybrid undercut it on fuel — and AWD or the 1.6T drops the figure to 26–28 MPG.

At 171.3 in long on a 104.7 in wheelbase the Kona is easy to slot into city spaces, and the upright glasshouse gives decent sightlines. Two things keep it out of the top band: a 34.8 ft turning circle that is merely average for a subcompact, and camera help that stops at a plain rearview unit until the Limited adds Surround View and parking sensors.

The Kona has no US tow rating whatsoever — Hyundai's owner documentation states it is not recommended for towing — so trailering a small utility trailer is off the table entirely. What work utility exists is limited to hauling: 25.5 cu ft behind the rear seats, 63.7 cu ft folded, moved by 147 hp through a CVT.

The naturally aspirated 2.0L Smartstream MPI and IVT are a simple, low-stress combination backed by a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and cloth seats on the volume trims tolerate abuse. But this is a car-based unibody crossover with no fleet or trade following, and 2026 build quality took a hit from a front steering-knuckle recall.

Work provisions are close to nonexistent on the gas Kona: no bed, no hitch option, no 110V outlet, roof rails only from SEL Sport up, and nothing more than basic tie-downs plus an underfloor tray in the cargo bay. The one genuine work feature belongs to the Kona Electric, whose standard V2L can run tools off the charge port — but that needs a separate adapter and the EV is down to a single SE trim for 2026.

Roughly 384–409 miles between fill-ups and seats Edmunds rates comfortable in both rows make the Kona a competent tourer, and standard stop-and-go cruise with lane following takes the edge off interstate hours. It stops short of a good mile-eater on noise — CR measures it louder than most vehicles — on a chassis that gets floaty over undulating pavement, and on 147 hp that makes uphill passing a project. The EV alternative is worse here at 200 miles.

HTRAC all-wheel drive is available on every gas trim and lifts ground clearance to 8.1–8.3 in, which is genuinely enough for forest-road and ski-trip duty. Beyond that the Kona is unequipped for adventure: no off-road variant or terrain modes worth the name, no tow rating at all for a small trailer or toy hauler, roof rails absent from the base trim, and no cabin power outlet on the gas cars — well behind a Crosstrek or Bronco Sport.

Cargo is a real strength for the class — 25.5 cu ft behind the rear seats expanding to 63.7 cu ft, in a squared-off bay rather than the tapered hold most subcompact rivals offer — with a 60/40 split reclining second row that lets long items ride alongside a passenger, plus an underfloor tray. The ceiling is the missing hitch option, which rules out a cargo carrier or bike rack, and roof rails that skip the base SE.

The second-generation Kona is deliberately tuned for comfort over sharpness, and reviewers of the 2026 car call out soft, springy damping and pronounced body roll; it is secure and did well in emergency-handling testing, but there is no agility payoff. Scored below segment sharpshooters like the Taos and CX-30 and roughly level with the HR-V.

Accurate and light enough to make the Kona easy in town, but isolated — Consumer Reports describes a rubbery on-center feel that dulls the connection to the road. Precise enough, numb: mid-band.

Stops are dependable — the Kona performed well in Edmunds' instrumented emergency-braking testing — but no source singles out pedal feel as a strength, and there is no published 60-0 figure to corroborate a higher score. Adequate stopping power with unremarkable feel.

The volume SE/SEL Sport configuration is the 147-hp 2.0-liter with a CVT: adequate around town and paired to a well-calibrated transmission that fakes upshifts, but sluggish under hard acceleration. The optional 190-hp 1.6T (SEL Premium/Limited, 8-speed automatic) is quicker but suffers low-speed drivability hiccups, so neither powertrain earns an upper-band score.

The base 2.0-liter is the weak point: it turns loud and buzzy under load, and Consumer Reports flags engine noise as one of the reasons the cabin is loud overall. Coarse and intrusive enough at throttle to land in the bottom band for the volume powertrain.

Hyundai publishes a 34.8-ft curb-to-curb turning diameter for the 2026 Kona — near the tight end of the SUV normalization band and a genuine strength for a car aimed at urban duty. Prior placeholder value of 38.9 ft was wrong.

A clear strength: an unusually high, commanding seating position for a subcompact, clean sightlines with no awkward blind spots, generous seat travel, and physical climate buttons rather than haptic panels. Held out of the top band by a short seat cushion for taller drivers and a wheel rim that can clip the gauge cluster.

With the N Line trims dropped for 2026, nothing in the US lineup is aimed at an enthusiast, and reviewers are direct that the soft chassis and buzzy base engine sap any enjoyment. Competent commuter appliance rather than a car anyone takes the long way home in.

Every 2026 Kona, including the $25,500 SE, comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. For 2026, Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with junction turning are standard across the range. Most rivals at this price charge extra for adaptive cruise or fit an 8-inch screen, though the Kona's 12.3-inch digital cluster only starts at SEL Premium.

The Kona costs more than a Trax or Venue but offers more content, a bigger cabin, an optional 190-hp 1.6T and the segment's best warranty. Kelley Blue Book has named it Best Subcompact SUV in its Best Buy awards three years running. It loses points because a loaded Limited AWD costs about $35,500 plus destination, the price of a well-equipped compact SUV.

The gas lineup has four trims (SE, SEL Sport, SEL Premium, Limited) and two engines (147-hp 2.0L with a CVT, 190-hp 1.6T with an 8-speed), and AWD is a $1,500 option on every trim. The earlier score counted an N Line trim, but N Line is not in the 2026 lineup, so the choice is narrower and the score drops 4 points. The Kona Electric is reduced to a single SE trim for 2026.

Volume is still healthy, but the trend is down. US sales were 64,666 in 2025 (down 21% from 2024), and 52,948 through September 2026 (down 8% year over year), even though September itself rose 12%. That makes the Kona a steady mid-pack seller during a record year for Hyundai as a brand.

Hyundai's image keeps improving: record Q3 2026 sales, and the Kona ranked highest in its segment in J.D. Power's 2026 Initial Quality Study. Its resale still trails Toyota, Honda and Subaru, and the brand has no premium halo to lift residuals.

Incentives have grown since August: October 2026 brings $1,750 customer cash, up to $3,250 lease cash, and financing from 3.49% APR with a bonus of up to $750. Combined with a $219/month SE lease, that is real buyer support without fire-sale pricing, worth 5 points more than the earlier score.

The second-generation Kona launched for 2024, and the 2026 gas model carries over apart from a trim reshuffle and newly standard driver aids. Hyundai is reported to be skipping the usual mid-cycle facelift for a full third-generation redesign, already spotted testing, with new styling, Pleos infotainment and a likely hybrid. A 2026 buyer is therefore close to the end of this generation, so the score drops 10 points; the US timing is not yet confirmed.

Very few mainstream subcompact SUVs have more awards: a third straight KBB Best Buy for Best Subcompact SUV, a 9.0/10 and #3 subcompact-SUV ranking at U.S. News, an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, and highest-in-segment initial quality in J.D. Power's 2026 IQS. It misses the top band because it rarely wins head-to-head comparison tests against the Crosstrek and Seltos.