The Proton X50 isn’t the only B-segment SUV that’s just around the corner – there’s the Hyundai Kona as well. Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) opened order books for the Euro-flavoured crossover last month, and is now giving the Kona a public preview at Sunway Pyramid. The Kona and Hyundai’s roadshow will be at the mall till Sunday.
We headed over to Sunway for a closer look at the Kona and here are the pics. Apparently, this is the same unit as the one that was displayed at KLIMS 2018, but with a funky wrap. This preview unit’s original colour is the Kona’s signature lime green, and you can see matching green trim and seatbelts inside.
Three variants with two engines will be available – 2.0 Standard, 2.0 Mid and the top 1.6 T-GDI High. The 2.0L models come with a naturally-aspirated Nu MPI engine with 149 PS/179 Nm, mated to a six-speed conventional automatic transmission.
The 1.6L T-GDI is a direct-injection turbo-four with 177 PS and 265 Nm of torque, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. With a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 7.7 seconds and top speed of 210 km/h, the top Kona should outpace the rest of the B-segment class, including the also-coming-soon Proton X50 1.5 TGDi Flagship. All local Konas will be front-wheel-drive, as is the norm.
The 2.0 Standard comes with 17-inch wheels, halogen lights, manual air con and six airbags. The 2.0 Mid adds on 18-inch rims, projector LED headlamps with static cornering lamps, LED tail lamps, eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar, and single-zone climate control. There’s also a head-up display.
The range-topping 1.6 T-GDI High gets the Hyundai SmartSense active safety suite, which includes AEB, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist and high beam assist. All Konas will get a seven-inch touchscreen head unit with six speakers and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility.
Pricing will start from RM115,000 for the CBU South Korea imported model, and the booking fee is RM288. The Kona is a welcome addition to the foreign brand B-SUV scene, which has the locally-assembled Honda HR-V, CBU Mazda CX-3 and CBU Toyota C-HR, among others. Against those crossovers, the Hyundai’s standout points are turbo power and unique styling.
GALLERY: Hyundai Kona Malaysian preview
GALLERY: Hyundai Kona at KLIMS 2018
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(Like) Kona and X50
(Dislike) HRV
RM115,000 for these Japan CBU dem cheap…
Hahaha … Hyundai Kona and Japan … mabuk?
Awesome
Better than HRV but pricing likely way too expensive compared to Proton X50. That car is the better deal imho.
HR-V is a big joke for now. Even the X50 standard variant is much more value for money. The interior in this Kona is full of “blobs” and quite muted. The exterior though, not as striking but quite refreshing with stacked head and tail lights. Something I like personally.
dead on arrival..
B segment suv let x50 tabao already la. Throw in all the quality uncertainties, spare part and maintenance cost still a no brainer to pick the x50 over this one. Buyers who are not cost conscious would look at this car any way. So, no need launch la…
Impressive
B-segment need more exciting engines as this Kona and X50. HR-V and Seltos is a big joke.
Yes, adaptive cruise control and turbo.
But x50 also offer almost the same spec.
Now it depends on consumer preferences and price point.
Nice car but wrong timing.
Too pricey Hyundai! , Go CKD and price it below 90k , otherwise no chance to compete with X50 or even HRV. No one want Hyundai that cost more than Honda. Learn from your Ioniq lesson..
No one want a Honda more expensive than Hyundai
Honda Odyssey cannot sell
Surprisingly, Hyundai cars have high market value despite selling in a much lower volume. Just like Mazda. You don’t see them a lot on the road but damn high price even for used ones.
Beauty looking design. Well done Hyundai Malaysia for everything
well good thing kona got priced first…now proton need to price smartly…
outdated and irrelevant
Good car but the timing is completely wrong!
Outdated interior Design and ugly exterior Design, Who will buy?
where did they salvage the dashboard from?
Exterior looks nice, interior looks 2015
omg the interior is soooo 90’s. so dull, plain and boring. don’t you ever say it’s evergreen. no! IT’S TOTALLY NOT
Understand is CBU but RM115k starting price will be a bit high, expecting mid spec to be RM120k, then the highest spec will be around RM130k. No doubt with nice design and powerful engine but the high price will limit the sales.