Tested: 2024 Hyundai Kona Evolves While Retaining Its Character

The Hyundai Kona has undergone a substantial transformation for 2024, growing in size and price, but not at the expense of its core principles. This commuter car has adhered to a straightforward formula—blend efficiency, practicality, affordability, and a touch of style. From its inception, the Hyundai Kona has embraced these principles, including injecting a dose of driving excitement with the performance-oriented N variant.

In the 2024 redesign, Hyundai expanded the petite runabout, adding around six inches to its body and nearly $2000 to its starting price. Despite this evolution, with a price tag of $25,435, the Kona remains one of the most accessible cars in the market. Importantly, it retains the essence that made it exceptional from the start, even though the changes in dimensions have impacted its performance and fuel efficiency.

A Modernized Appearance

At the front, the 2024 Kona retains its familiar shape but adopts a simplified and contemporary appearance. A slender running light now spans the car's width, replacing the old grille with active shutters for improved airflow. The changes at the rear mirror those at the front, with a sleek red running light extending from corner to corner. For enthusiasts seeking more, the N Line model enhances the aesthetics with body-colored cladding, a striking rear spoiler, and N Line–specific bumpers and wheels.

Highlights:

Sharper style
A more functional cabin
Vastly improved rear-seat space
Hyundai has gone the extra mile to enhance the cabin's appeal for daily commutes. Features such as optional heated and ventilated seats, along with an available heated steering wheel, cater to customers facing diverse weather conditions. The traditional gauge-cluster and infotainment screens in the previous model have been replaced with Hyundai's modern dual 12.3-inch displays set within a single-piece bezel. Convenient USB-C connections for both front and rear passengers facilitate easy charging.

The shifter's relocation from the center console to the column has opened up storage space between the front seats, resulting in an unconventional yet practical center console—ideal for accommodating handbags or larger items. Although the new storage area doesn't close, a minor inconvenience, the physical climate controls have successfully navigated through the redesign.

Cabin noise has notably improved in this latest generation. Sound-level tests on the 2024 Kona N Line revealed a 33-decibel noise level at idle, 3 decibels quieter than its predecessor. Even under wide-open throttle conditions, the 2024 Kona achieved 73 decibels compared to the previous model's 74. At 70 mph, the new Kona is also 1 decibel quieter—a subtle but appreciated change.

In most trims, the Kona has grown by 5.7 inches from nose to tail, resulting in improved rear legroom and an additional six cubic feet of cargo capacity. Hyundai's strategic reduction of the front seats' thickness by 30 percent has further enhanced rear legroom. While the back seat may feel somewhat reclined for most adults, especially over short commutes, it represents a significant improvement over the previous model. Unsurprisingly, the increased dimensions come with a weight penalty; the 2024 Kona N Line, weighing 3450 pounds, is 163 pounds heavier than its 2021 counterpart.

Maintaining Agility

The new Kona reintroduces both engines from the previous generation. The SE and SEL trims feature a somewhat modest 147-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission. Stepping up to the N Line and Limited trims introduces the livelier 190-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder. Thankfully, the turbo four ditches the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission of the previous generation in favor of a much smoother eight-speed torque-converter automatic.
Lowlights:
Slower acceleration than before
Lower fuel efficiency
Higher price tag
While the last turbocharged Kona tested accelerated to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, the 2024 N Line, considering its generational weight gain, now takes 7.5 seconds for the same task. Interestingly, the new Kona outperformed its predecessor in the 50 to 70 mph acceleration test, achieving 4.9 seconds compared to the outgoing model's 5.1 seconds. Braking performance, however, exhibited improvement; the 2024 N Line required 172 feet to stop from 70 mph, a couple of feet shorter than its predecessor.......