Nope, I don't know about the Kona NA trims, but the ones here in the ME don't seem to function like this, I am not even sure if the pad is even slightly magnetized as Doug said, because I didn't feel any pull when I tried putting an iPhone (or any phone with magnetized case) against it, I remember googling around and someone on reddit (I think) said that a Hyundai dealer told him that it was purely cosmetic and serves no other purpose (which is very stupid if true, more probably it was intended to be a magnetic phone holder, but was scrapped in the final version for some reason)
Is anyone not gonna talk about how he filmed this video back in NOVEMBER!?! Doug's the kind of guy to make lots of content and stagger it out over time. Smart!
He's out of the country traveling at the moment so they are uploading the contest he has already filmed. I think he said he's usually at least 1-2 months ahead so he can always take time off and not skip a beat.
I know that these videos of more mainstream basic cars don’t do so well, but I tell you, these are really my favourite, because these belong to “my world”, my reality! Keep them coming please!🙏 thank you!!
I have a 2024 Kona with the convenience package for 26,000 and I’ve loved it so far, although I only have the 147 horsepower engine, it’s been great for the price.
Finally a car that Doug reviewed I’m familiar with! My parents bought one of these to replace their 2019 Kona which was fine but a bit bare bones. They got a ‘Comfort Smart’ (EU spec) and a couple of things that surprised me comparing it to this US spec N-Line: - the painted arch cladding is hideous, I prefer the more rugged plastic look of the regular ones - the 2.0 is an interesting engine choice, in Europe it’s either the 1.0 3 cylinder MHEV or the 1.6 N/A 4 cylinder Hybrid (the one my parents’ is) - the lightbar up front (called Seamless Horizon) actually does light up fully on theirs, but only on full beam. Mid beam the middle part is dimmed and off it’s two strips on either side as DRLs. - the ‘fridge magnet’ section i’m 99% is a loudspeaker for the infotainment (satnav and what not) only which helps to make the driver hear those notes while passengers who might be asleep don’t - the N-Line is ridiculously expensive here but it seems pretty bare bones. The area around the drive modes has a lot of blanks, where my parents’ has a control for the parking sensors (which this doesn’t seem to have!!) and steering wheel heating. The only blanks on the Comfort Smart are the cooled seats, that’s a Premium option. - no power bootlid on the N-Line? Criminal! - there’s a little tray on the passenger side above the glovebox that’s big enough for a phone. It’s also got mood lighting and there’s an infotainment setting that changes it from green to red if you switch from Eco to Sport mode. - the sport mode changes the dials in a way that it shows the apex of a race track around the dials Either it’s an EU or US spec thing but it seems ridiculous to pay the premium for the N-Line to restrict it in options compared to the Comfort imo.
"Special Edition" for new vehicles in the sub 45-50 k range is always wasted money Makes it 10-15 k more expensive, reaching levels of overall better Cars What im trying to say: price to performance takes a huge hit
I love how Hyundai and Kia are breaking the mold with their new affordable offerings, econoboxes don't have to be bland. Other manufacturers should take note. Funny how it's Toyota that's going wild of all things... hope you'll take a look at the new C-HR soon!
the C-HR has actually been discontinued in the US in favor of the Corolla Cross, so i'm not sure we'll get a '24 C-HR review unless doug really goes out of his way to find one.
I really hate how low signal lights are becoming a trend. If your in a tall suv, truck, or semi, you won’t be able to see them up close. Also, even if you can see them, a lot of people will look at the bar light assuming it is the signal lights
I despise the Chevy Bolt/Bolt EUV and the Mini Clubman for having giant fake brake lights where you expect them and putting the real lights down low behind the bumper reflectors. Signal lights should be high, big, and bright.
1 minute into the video I'm already thinking those are about the worst locations to put your headlight and rear light clusters as they are almost always banged up the most.
I remember seeing the brand new Kona in 2018. I bought a set of winter tires on craigslist for my Miata, and picking them up at the seller's house, they had a new Kona in the driveway. I really liked the looks of it and I still do. If they made the N or N-Line available in a manual I would have considered buying one.
spending 18 minutes on how great a value proposition the Kona is and then only giving it 6 points for value (which is about as low as he gives). We love Doug for his consistency! ;)
Central panel is the best of both worlds, touch screen with physical controls, A/C is separated below with buttons. I hope every automaker does that going forward.
My lease was up on my previous car and I wasn't sure what to get next. The 2024 Kona wasn't even on my radar, but on a complete whim I decided to test drive a Kona Limited and fell in love with it. They spared no expense - lots of hard plastic in the interior, but it looks good and the interior doesn't feel cheap at all despite that, and it has basically all of the tech you would want, including the new (and very good) infotainment and gauge cluster setups, with the blind spot cameras. It's basically just missing memory seats and a HUD. The all wheel drive system is amazing. I literally can't get the wheels to spin or chirp and the car just rotates through turns. There's body roll because it's tall, but the roll is predictable and the car is a ton of fun to chuck into corners. I love this thing. My absolute favorite daily driver in years.
@@ceconk123more than enough for most Europeans. 1.0L means it's cheap to tax, cheap to insure and cheap to run and that's what sells here. 120hp is no slouch when most cars on the road are under 100hp🤷🏽♂️😂 even most new cars are around 85 - 150hp not too common to see higher
@@robadams1645 He was simply referring to your comment on the optics which is true... They are just 'bumps' in the back panel. He didn't make a comment on if those bumps are doing anything. 🙄
Not that different from what you find on any BMW M or Audi RS cars. Except for stuff from Ferrari or similair, roadcars rarely have functional aero in that respect.
Thanks for this review! I have the Canadian version n- line ultimate and it includes the extra items such as heated steering wheel/ventilated seats and the LED "seamless horizon".lights up entirely and it includes LED turn signals. However in Canada we do not get the rear climate vents or the power tailgate(US limited models get those) Its really interesting to note the differences in different markets
And it's working. Imagine if you told someone 10 years ago that Hyundai and Kia would be two of the hottest brands for transportation appliances with the occasional performance-ish car.
Even though this car doesn't have the 2 litre engine that most N models have, the same 1.6 litre engine is also used in the i20 N, which is a proper N model. They just used slightly detuned version of that engine with the Kona. But of course, since it's a crossover and has four-wheel drive, it might feel slower.
Just to note - the Kia Seltos is pretty much the same car. I have a 2024 Seltos SX and it has pretty much all the same features as this Kona. I love that the Kona gets alcantara seats and the usb switch is pretty cool, but if you like all of the functionality and want a bit more conventional styling, the Seltos is a great option. In fact, the Seltos was waayyyy better than the Kona in terms of cargo space before this new update, which is the only reason I chose the Seltos last year.
I have had my 24 Kona SE for 2 months now and love it, comes standard also with 10 year warranty on the powertrain, 5 year bumper to bumper warranty and 3 year service
Doug: LOL all that effort to look sporty with ONLY 190 Horsepower? Pathetic Also Doug: 190 Horsepower for this price is a pretty impressive value, and this is a lot of car for the money. The powertrain does feel reasonably strong. Could you pick a narrative?
Test drove a bunch of 2019/2020 Kona’s when I worked for Hyundai. Aside from the Terrible rear seat leg room. They drove quite well. And the EV variant can spin the front wheels quite easily. The iron man version was my favorite
Doug’s the kind of guy to say “You don’t have any red stitching back here” while literally showing red stitching around the headrests and on the side of the seats. 12:00
Hyundai’s exterieur design sadly is getting worse and worse. Putting the lights on the corners of the car and place them so low doesn‘t only look strange but also makes sure they get easily damaged. This car is great example of trying to make a boring crossover look „exciting“. This car will age bad and be forgotten in a few years. Which can be said about a lot of these terrible crossovers.
Headlights shouldn't be high up. The lower they are, the more powerful they can be without blinding oncoming drivers. It's always preferable from an engineering standpoint to have the headlights relatively low - it's just that customers like the look of high-sitting headlights. Some brands are starting to get clever about this, putting nice looking, but dim daytime running lights high up to make the car appealing, but hiding powerful high-beams low to the ground, where they can be the most effective. Smart move!
And for a lot of people, it's not. $32k is below the average price for a new car in the US and about what I paid for my Subaru Outback adjusted for inflation.
Say what you want about that rear spoiler on the Kona N-Line, but I think it's fun and charming. If there was one word to describe Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis and their designs, it would be fun. You won't mistaken it for anything else on the road that's for sure.
I just had one as a rental. Unless it was broken, it was unable to maintain 70mph on a flat surface. Setting the cruise at 70 usually resulted in a gradual fall to 66-67, then a 'downshift' to bring it to 70-71, then repeat. This happened every 4-5 minutes.
The car probably had a governor on it. I've been in a similar situation but with a different rental. We complained and they gave us a better car without one. Unacceptable for interstate travel.
@@SteadyTeddy It was not goverened. Just an underpowered 2.0 with a cvt and awd. Using the foot and I got it well into the 80s, just took some work to keep it there
@@Suction_ it’s unfortunate they went the way of CVT like everything else. I have a 2021 awd model and it’s a proper 6 speed auto. It’s slow of course but it has no problem being above 80 consistently
Another benefit of the infotainment system is that it collects driving sensor data for Hyundai to sell to insurance companies. So Hyundai can earn some extra revenue and insurance company can raise your premiums. A win-win!
Let's be real, the type of person who buys a Kona isn't ever going more than 10 over the speed limit and the only hard braking event they'll ever receive is when a truck pulls out in front of them at the Costco parking lot. Insurance on this will be cheap.
I bought a Santa Cruz last year. Been totally reliable, no squeaks/rattles, ride/handling is excellent, the warranty is so good the dealer didn’t even try to sell me an extension. There are naysayers for literally every vehicle out there. Trolls claiming to be experts spreading horror stories. Ignore them. Hyundai is like where Honda was in the 80s. Their products have steadily improved to the point the criticisms are irrelevant.
I was looking for either the Kona or Tucson. Test drove both. The Kona has more tech than the Tucson, has better looking interior and surprisingly good rear seat space. But that oddly shaped steering wheel with those bumps really turned me off. Went for the Tucson instead.
In Europe it still is lol😂it wasn't long ago that we were all driving 90hp turbodiesel minivans like the ford galaxy and vauxhall zafira here in the UK....... And people still would if the government hadn't upped the tax and created ULEZ (ultra low emissions zones). However a lot of people me included still drive small low power hatchbacks, my 2009 VW Polo has a 1.2L 3 cylinder petrol engine producing a whopping 70hp. It's actually the highest power 1.2L of the time too the base model came with 50hp😂in 2009
Hyundai's styling is horrendous now, especially that Santa Fe, and the whole "let's mount the turn signals as low as possible" trend, especially like in the QX80 make it near impossible to see someone's turn signal if they try to cut you off
Fun fact about those 4 dots on the Steering Wheel. In Morse code, the 4 dots resemble the letter H. Just like the little Easter Egg on the Key Fob. Pretty cool!
I dunno. I've seen a few in England and they aren't very big. It's a midsize in Europe. We're always one size behind America. Big here = medium there etc
So, I was looking for a Kona Electric Premium in Europe. And that one has everything: the powered lift gate, 360 camera, heated and cooled seats and a heated steering wheel where all there. It is a nice package for a good price.
the kona is one of the ugliest cars on sale today especially this new model too, and somehow the ev version looks even worse, but at least the interior is competent
Got a G30 540i M sport with almost all available options for 36k with 16k miles. Can get a LOT of used car for the price of a compact, entry-level crossover these days
@@damilolaakanniHe probably doesn't need AWD. Not sure if he lives in Florida or California, or if he watches The Straight Pipes. Gotta order them Continental tires!
i too was looking at cx-30 (but not turbo) decided to go for kona because the inside was much more roomier (especially in the back!, mazda is quite bad there), prefered the dual clutch to standard automatic and mazdas ride was too harsh for me. Mazda has much nicer interior, but kona is overall a more modern car. also, with mazda you notice how it is actually raised 3-series, -the seating position, doors, interior space. while kona is suv from start, it feels much more roomier and driving position is more upright.
I hvaae this car. The N Line Ultimate has a lot of the tings Doug points out are missing.0360 camera, and also has cameras all over the car including the front and the mirrors. If you're considering the Kona N Line I'd spend the extra ~$3000 (Canadian) for the "Ultimate" trim. You also get heated and ventilatd seats, and steering wheel. also worth noting no Kona trim comes with power tailgate.
there is multiple camera's in the car but you missed the button placement on the screen top left side where you can change into multiple camera modes, the default one is the back of the car. cheers
I'm getting rid of my old Kona and get a new Kona in my life. Nothing smells like fresh Kona, I tell you. And ofcourse, I know I'll have to pay 'cause younger Kona is always more expensive than an old Kona.
Fun fact : this car is named Hyundai Kauai here in Portugal since KONA(Cona in portuguese) is slang for the woman intimate parts 😅
Haha, I love when words mean something else in another language!
Portuguese people must get a kick out of seeing that name on a car 😂
But it is spelled cona.
lol they could have just named it kawai
@@volvo09 yes for those who know the "real name" of the car . Here they are all Kauai . You can still see some Kona on imported/ foreign cars eheheh
😂😂😂😂
Doug: "You don't have any red stitching back here"
Headrest with red stitching: "Am I a joke to you?"
Well same goes to the metallic steering.
He’s an old man chill out
The fridge magnet is probably to attach phones to rather than having to get something that goes in the climate vents
I think he was purposely avoiding that point
Yep….phone cases are magnetized
Nope, I don't know about the Kona NA trims, but the ones here in the ME don't seem to function like this, I am not even sure if the pad is even slightly magnetized as Doug said, because I didn't feel any pull when I tried putting an iPhone (or any phone with magnetized case) against it, I remember googling around and someone on reddit (I think) said that a Hyundai dealer told him that it was purely cosmetic and serves no other purpose (which is very stupid if true, more probably it was intended to be a magnetic phone holder, but was scrapped in the final version for some reason)
Does the magnet space do wireless charging too? That would be cool.
@@bflaminio
I thought the same way. Hyundai would be the first to make a wireless charging
' magnet ' platform on any phones...
Is anyone not gonna talk about how he filmed this video back in NOVEMBER!?!
Doug's the kind of guy to make lots of content and stagger it out over time. Smart!
Well he did filmed it back in October 28th 2023.
He's out of the country traveling at the moment so they are uploading the contest he has already filmed. I think he said he's usually at least 1-2 months ahead so he can always take time off and not skip a beat.
I know that these videos of more mainstream basic cars don’t do so well, but I tell you, these are really my favourite, because these belong to “my world”, my reality! Keep them coming please!🙏 thank you!!
I like them as well. I'm also into electric but not really interested in ultra high performance sporty vehicles.
@@vinstinctwell these sporty cars just keeps on getting rarer by a minute.
The dots on the steering wheel are morse code for "H".
@@Link_1129 your thinking of brail .. Morse was an old communication before phones.
@@BollocksToThat Look up what 'H' is in Braille and Morse Code and then come back and delete your comment.
@@BollocksToThat - no - "H" in braille looks like an L shape. 4 dots across is more akin to the H in morse.
Wow, that’s actually a really nice touch. Kinda reminds me of the ‘H’ headlights on the Santa Fe.
The Ioniq 5,6 also have the Morse 4 dot H on the steering wheel
FINALLY ! A test of a real people's car, not some ridiculous "Halo" model most people would never own. More like this please...
He's been doing this, he just reviewed the new envista not too long ago
Meh.
@@samuelsabo9493Which most people don’t want
Doug has always had a mix of reviews
@@erikthefurious5656why most people dont want to buy the Buick Envista or the Kona?
Hyundai: *adds magnet to mount phones*
Doug: "FRIDGE MAGNETS!"
Stop...just stop
I just wish Doug would have mentioned how much horsepower this car has.
I hope your being sarcastic, 😂 was mentioned probably 10 times
He is being sarcastic...
The big question though is whether or not this is the N-Line trim.
That information is impossible to know.
@@Dwhizzleimo, the 2024 Hyundai Kona has about 235bhp.
I have a 2024 Kona with the convenience package for 26,000 and I’ve loved it so far, although I only have the 147 horsepower engine, it’s been great for the price.
Finally a car that Doug reviewed I’m familiar with! My parents bought one of these to replace their 2019 Kona which was fine but a bit bare bones. They got a ‘Comfort Smart’ (EU spec) and a couple of things that surprised me comparing it to this US spec N-Line:
- the painted arch cladding is hideous, I prefer the more rugged plastic look of the regular ones
- the 2.0 is an interesting engine choice, in Europe it’s either the 1.0 3 cylinder MHEV or the 1.6 N/A 4 cylinder Hybrid (the one my parents’ is)
- the lightbar up front (called Seamless Horizon) actually does light up fully on theirs, but only on full beam. Mid beam the middle part is dimmed and off it’s two strips on either side as DRLs.
- the ‘fridge magnet’ section i’m 99% is a loudspeaker for the infotainment (satnav and what not) only which helps to make the driver hear those notes while passengers who might be asleep don’t
- the N-Line is ridiculously expensive here but it seems pretty bare bones. The area around the drive modes has a lot of blanks, where my parents’ has a control for the parking sensors (which this doesn’t seem to have!!) and steering wheel heating. The only blanks on the Comfort Smart are the cooled seats, that’s a Premium option.
- no power bootlid on the N-Line? Criminal!
- there’s a little tray on the passenger side above the glovebox that’s big enough for a phone. It’s also got mood lighting and there’s an infotainment setting that changes it from green to red if you switch from Eco to Sport mode.
- the sport mode changes the dials in a way that it shows the apex of a race track around the dials
Either it’s an EU or US spec thing but it seems ridiculous to pay the premium for the N-Line to restrict it in options compared to the Comfort imo.
"Special Edition" for new vehicles in the sub 45-50 k range is always wasted money
Makes it 10-15 k more expensive, reaching levels of overall better Cars
What im trying to say: price to performance takes a huge hit
I miss the days when new "affordable" cars were $15,000
I remember being a kid and myom bought a new Altima, it was like 14k or something and I thought that was crazy expensive.
Bring back the 2008 Toyota matrix for 12 grand
In 2011 the outgoing Hyundai Accent model was being sold at 9,995$ new in Canada.. which is wild to think about
That was back when the median yearly income was $17k…
I bought a fully loaded Ford F150 for $20k in 1999.
I've concluded that the Pontiac Aztec was 20 years "ahead" in design.
I love how Hyundai and Kia are breaking the mold with their new affordable offerings, econoboxes don't have to be bland. Other manufacturers should take note. Funny how it's Toyota that's going wild of all things... hope you'll take a look at the new C-HR soon!
the C-HR has actually been discontinued in the US in favor of the Corolla Cross, so i'm not sure we'll get a '24 C-HR review unless doug really goes out of his way to find one.
Yeah, Toyota’s recent offerings actually look desirable.
Let's hope he does. He's shown us some European offerings before. @@thingonfire2946
I like the envision more but the kona is nice
The “affordable” options are pushing 30k Jesus H
Doug doing an actual USEFUL review to his subscriber base of a car that people can actually buy??? Never thought I would see the day
Doug, please review a shopping cart
I really hate how low signal lights are becoming a trend. If your in a tall suv, truck, or semi, you won’t be able to see them up close. Also, even if you can see them, a lot of people will look at the bar light assuming it is the signal lights
I despise the Chevy Bolt/Bolt EUV and the Mini Clubman for having giant fake brake lights where you expect them and putting the real lights down low behind the bumper reflectors. Signal lights should be high, big, and bright.
Youre driving/stopping way too close if your vehicle height makes it so you cant see their indicators.
@@Screamn. i am mainly talking about Semi-truck, bus, and any other heavy vehicles that usually pose the most danger on the road
For real seeing this things brake lights while cruising one day really threw me off.
Doug: "I actually like the N-Line trim level a lot."
Also Doug: "I think the N-Line stuff is kinda stupid"
Not a bad looking vehicle. Take a shot every time Doug says N- Line 😂
I died from alcohol poisoning.
I got drunk
The Hyundai Kona 2024 is a 7.7/10 car tho.
What’s funny about it 😂
@@purwantiallan5089 4.4/10
ugly af
even the name is ugly lol
This thing looks like a chubby storm trooper
Yes it's not a bad look but it's so on the nose
Aren't you a little fat to be a Stormtrooper?
Also, 'small'.
This comment single handed me sold me to this car
Not so much Storm Trooper but more like Robocop!
I would assume the “magnatized pad” is for you phone there Doug😂
exactly 😭 not sure if it works with magsafe
What is a small car for americans is a big car for europeans
Nah it's a monster truck for Europeans AND pedestrians
Haha so true, Americans need room for fast food / guns / ammo / 2 liter drinks
The Kona is absolutely not a big car in europe either. Its a tiny crossover
@@SanderCokart Monster truck.. ahaha you cant be serious. Nobody here in europe thinks this is a big car.
@@1st-1ast and yet a station wagon has more storage space
1 minute into the video I'm already thinking those are about the worst locations to put your headlight and rear light clusters as they are almost always banged up the most.
I actually work for Hyundai and pick up these keys everyday and never even looked at the key long enough to realize it’s the Hyundai logo 😂
Same here 😅
Chino or HATCI? Or a dealer? I noticed the logo but never cared for the lightness/plastic.
The key fob looks very 2004.
I remember seeing the brand new Kona in 2018. I bought a set of winter tires on craigslist for my Miata, and picking them up at the seller's house, they had a new Kona in the driveway. I really liked the looks of it and I still do. If they made the N or N-Line available in a manual I would have considered buying one.
The 4 dots are Morse code for the letter H
The Veloster and Elantra GT did not deserve to die for this.
americans ruined the car market with their "need" for crossovers
I'm an american and have no need for these blob cars 😢
Physical buttons for HVAC and no piano-black plastic. Woohoo! 😎
spending 18 minutes on how great a value proposition the Kona is and then only giving it 6 points for value (which is about as low as he gives). We love Doug for his consistency! ;)
I hope you didn't delete that voice recording, the future owner would love that.
Central panel is the best of both worlds, touch screen with physical controls, A/C is separated below with buttons. I hope every automaker does that going forward.
Got mine 3 months ago! Enjoying the car!
I LOVE how much you made fun of the N-LINE stuff 😂
Same
My lease was up on my previous car and I wasn't sure what to get next. The 2024 Kona wasn't even on my radar, but on a complete whim I decided to test drive a Kona Limited and fell in love with it. They spared no expense - lots of hard plastic in the interior, but it looks good and the interior doesn't feel cheap at all despite that, and it has basically all of the tech you would want, including the new (and very good) infotainment and gauge cluster setups, with the blind spot cameras. It's basically just missing memory seats and a HUD.
The all wheel drive system is amazing. I literally can't get the wheels to spin or chirp and the car just rotates through turns. There's body roll because it's tall, but the roll is predictable and the car is a ton of fun to chuck into corners.
I love this thing. My absolute favorite daily driver in years.
They are great daily drivers. Comfortable, convenient and affordable but still kinda fun.
In Europe they come with 1.0 120hp engines as standard
🤮
We don't even get the option of the 2 litre in the UK. Biggest petrol is a 1.6 with a hybrid and that still only has 139bhp
@@ceconk123more than enough for most Europeans. 1.0L means it's cheap to tax, cheap to insure and cheap to run and that's what sells here. 120hp is no slouch when most cars on the road are under 100hp🤷🏽♂️😂 even most new cars are around 85 - 150hp not too common to see higher
Also, in Europe, this is a big car. (And Europe is correct.)
@@norris_knows4460Same in the Netherlands.
I love the "diffuser" which is just bumps on a plastic panel 😂
literally what diffusers are
@@BSFJeebus OK, if you believe that "diffuser" has any function other than appearance, I guess you're the target market for this car.
@@robadams1645 He was simply referring to your comment on the optics which is true... They are just 'bumps' in the back panel. He didn't make a comment on if those bumps are doing anything. 🙄
@@kingsharkoon Fair enough, but an actual diffuser is more than just bumps on plastic.
Not that different from what you find on any BMW M or Audi RS cars. Except for stuff from Ferrari or similair, roadcars rarely have functional aero in that respect.
Thanks for this review! I have the Canadian version n- line ultimate and it includes the extra items such as heated steering wheel/ventilated seats and the LED "seamless horizon".lights up entirely and it includes LED turn signals. However in Canada we do not get the rear climate vents or the power tailgate(US limited models get those) Its really interesting to note the differences in different markets
Ultimate trim in Canada includes the 360° camera
I wonder how Doug missed the red stitching in the backseats, it wasn't all over the seat like in the front, but it was still noticeable!
Doug didn't even bother to comb his hair for this review.
When you use the back up camera you can press the icon in the upper left side of the screen and it will encompass the full 12.3” for ease of viewing.
Vehicles like this (especially the electric version) make the Pontiac Aztek look mildly attractive. Impressive work Hyundai lol
I've been looking forward to Doug's review of the new Sante Fe for several months, hope to see it soon!
Hyundai went from under designing their cars to over designing them in less than a decade
Idk I kinda dig it
And it's working. Imagine if you told someone 10 years ago that Hyundai and Kia would be two of the hottest brands for transportation appliances with the occasional performance-ish car.
Even though this car doesn't have the 2 litre engine that most N models have, the same 1.6 litre engine is also used in the i20 N, which is a proper N model. They just used slightly detuned version of that engine with the Kona. But of course, since it's a crossover and has four-wheel drive, it might feel slower.
PHYSICAL CLIMATE CONTROLS! already a 10/10 compared to many of its competitors.
because all the makers are being forced to return to buttons, notice a bunch of car platforms being updated year, thank the EU for that.
all of its competitors have them
Just to note - the Kia Seltos is pretty much the same car. I have a 2024 Seltos SX and it has pretty much all the same features as this Kona. I love that the Kona gets alcantara seats and the usb switch is pretty cool, but if you like all of the functionality and want a bit more conventional styling, the Seltos is a great option. In fact, the Seltos was waayyyy better than the Kona in terms of cargo space before this new update, which is the only reason I chose the Seltos last year.
I have had my 24 Kona SE for 2 months now and love it, comes standard also with 10 year warranty on the powertrain, 5 year bumper to bumper warranty and 3 year service
Love the sleek and sporty vibe.
Doug: LOL all that effort to look sporty with ONLY 190 Horsepower? Pathetic
Also Doug: 190 Horsepower for this price is a pretty impressive value, and this is a lot of car for the money. The powertrain does feel reasonably strong.
Could you pick a narrative?
The stalk shifter is fantastic..more space in the center console.. almost a column shifter
do they HAVE to have the seperate lights? I really like the light bars and wish thats all it was
In some markets, it's on higher trim
The front light bar does go all the way across, I’ve seen them driving I think it only is full when the headlights are off
I wonder if the dots on the steering wheel are brail, put there for blind drivers? ☺
Interesting car 2x👍
Haha 😂
Goof
It’s Morse code for H
Test drove a bunch of 2019/2020 Kona’s when I worked for Hyundai. Aside from the Terrible rear seat leg room. They drove quite well. And the EV variant can spin the front wheels quite easily. The iron man version was my favorite
The dots on the steering wheel are Morse code for H, other car reviewers seem to know that so you’d think one of the biggest would.
Doug’s the kind of guy to say “You don’t have any red stitching back here” while literally showing red stitching around the headrests and on the side of the seats. 12:00
Hyundai’s exterieur design sadly is getting worse and worse. Putting the lights on the corners of the car and place them so low doesn‘t only look strange but also makes sure they get easily damaged. This car is great example of trying to make a boring crossover look „exciting“. This car will age bad and be forgotten in a few years. Which can be said about a lot of these terrible crossovers.
Headlights shouldn't be high up. The lower they are, the more powerful they can be without blinding oncoming drivers. It's always preferable from an engineering standpoint to have the headlights relatively low - it's just that customers like the look of high-sitting headlights. Some brands are starting to get clever about this, putting nice looking, but dim daytime running lights high up to make the car appealing, but hiding powerful high-beams low to the ground, where they can be the most effective. Smart move!
@@wojciechmuras553 Agreed! But placing the lights exactly at the corners of the car makes them very vulnerable.
3:04 HE STILL HAS IT
How disconnected are some people from reality, 32k for a lot of people is a big commitment.
And for a lot of people, it's not. $32k is below the average price for a new car in the US and about what I paid for my Subaru Outback adjusted for inflation.
Say what you want about that rear spoiler on the Kona N-Line, but I think it's fun and charming. If there was one word to describe Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis and their designs, it would be fun. You won't mistaken it for anything else on the road that's for sure.
Manufacturers need to stop with the brake lights on the bottom bumper
I bought this car in December hoping Doug would eventually do a review and my dreams have finally come true!
The front light bar lights up in europe
Only in the top specs
@@oliverstemp9132not really. My parents have a Comfort Smart and it has it. Though it only lights up full on the full beam headlights.
I'm fairly certain I've seen US Konas with the front bar fully lit up.
Heavily considering this car because theyre currently offering like 3,000 dollars in cash incentives for sitting on the lot for so long
I just had one as a rental. Unless it was broken, it was unable to maintain 70mph on a flat surface. Setting the cruise at 70 usually resulted in a gradual fall to 66-67, then a 'downshift' to bring it to 70-71, then repeat. This happened every 4-5 minutes.
Probably broken or speed limited in someway by the rental company, I've driven one, and easily exceeded 70mph
The car probably had a governor on it. I've been in a similar situation but with a different rental. We complained and they gave us a better car without one. Unacceptable for interstate travel.
@@ahmad_alhallak I can assure you it is not limited, just underpowered.
@@SteadyTeddy It was not goverened. Just an underpowered 2.0 with a cvt and awd. Using the foot and I got it well into the 80s, just took some work to keep it there
@@Suction_ it’s unfortunate they went the way of CVT like everything else. I have a 2021 awd model and it’s a proper 6 speed auto. It’s slow of course but it has no problem being above 80 consistently
A friend of mine just bought one for her first car, it’s a great car from what I’ve heard. To me, it’s a Hyundai Veloster but more practical.
Doug is the type of guy to tell the quirks and features of his camera dude
I wish the front light bar went all the way across. The limited trim has it going all the way.
Another benefit of the infotainment system is that it collects driving sensor data for Hyundai to sell to insurance companies. So Hyundai can earn some extra revenue and insurance company can raise your premiums. A win-win!
Let's be real, the type of person who buys a Kona isn't ever going more than 10 over the speed limit and the only hard braking event they'll ever receive is when a truck pulls out in front of them at the Costco parking lot. Insurance on this will be cheap.
i mean have you seen the hyundai thefts@@Ahwleung.
I am pretty sure all new cars sold in the US do that.
@@LAndrewsChannel According to NYT, Hyundai/KIA, Mitsubishi, Honda, Subaru, GM, and Ford
@@Ahwleung. Not sure. When a small SUV is going 30mph+ over the limit on a highway in the Northeast it’s usually a Nissan Rogue.
10:22 that’s morse code.. 4 dots is symbol for letter H.. ❤
Kia and Hyundai make such good looking vehicles. Too bad their reliability is so questionable
I mean they do have some of the best warranties out there...
I bought a Santa Cruz last year. Been totally reliable, no squeaks/rattles, ride/handling is excellent, the warranty is so good the dealer didn’t even try to sell me an extension. There are naysayers for literally every vehicle out there. Trolls claiming to be experts spreading horror stories. Ignore them. Hyundai is like where Honda was in the 80s. Their products have steadily improved to the point the criticisms are irrelevant.
I was looking for either the Kona or Tucson. Test drove both. The Kona has more tech than the Tucson, has better looking interior and surprisingly good rear seat space. But that oddly shaped steering wheel with those bumps really turned me off. Went for the Tucson instead.
Hyundai loves their "N word"
7:11 the way he pauses before saying "quirks and features" makes it sound like a euphemism
Can you please make the review of the Honda civic del sol next time
Let him use yours.
When someone sells one on cars&bids
One day hopefully 🙏
😂Hey Doug, you have to remember that 190 HP was a lot of power.... In 1985/1990!
In Europe it still is lol😂it wasn't long ago that we were all driving 90hp turbodiesel minivans like the ford galaxy and vauxhall zafira here in the UK....... And people still would if the government hadn't upped the tax and created ULEZ (ultra low emissions zones). However a lot of people me included still drive small low power hatchbacks, my 2009 VW Polo has a 1.2L 3 cylinder petrol engine producing a whopping 70hp. It's actually the highest power 1.2L of the time too the base model came with 50hp😂in 2009
Just started seeing them here. Amazing looking
Hyundai's styling is horrendous now, especially that Santa Fe, and the whole "let's mount the turn signals as low as possible" trend, especially like in the QX80 make it near impossible to see someone's turn signal if they try to cut you off
L take
Fun fact about those 4 dots on the Steering Wheel. In Morse code, the 4 dots resemble the letter H. Just like the little Easter Egg on the Key Fob. Pretty cool!
you know it's america when this is "small"
I dunno. I've seen a few in England and they aren't very big. It's a midsize in Europe. We're always one size behind America. Big here = medium there etc
Is this a bot posting this on every video?
@@deatruiy I'm very much a real person, just pointing out the obvious
11:10 have you tried an iPhone MagSafe if it actually sticks there? I’m curious!🧐
and incredibly ugly design
So, I was looking for a Kona Electric Premium in Europe. And that one has everything: the powered lift gate, 360 camera, heated and cooled seats and a heated steering wheel where all there. It is a nice package for a good price.
Kona EV is goated
the kona is one of the ugliest cars on sale today especially this new model too, and somehow the ev version looks even worse, but at least the interior is competent
The cup holders are cooler than the key fob, Doug.
"all for 190hp" 🤣
Love it, my first new car buy.
where is the crosstrek wilderness review!?!?!
Got a G30 540i M sport with almost all available options for 36k with 16k miles. Can get a LOT of used car for the price of a compact, entry-level crossover these days
Would rather drive a large car than a small crossover
Sorta agree but also want AWD
nobody asked you
The Buick Envista you could get around 6 grand cheaper fully loaded with a heated steering wheel. I bought one and recommend
You can't get that with AWD though...
Good luck with that little 3 cylinder buddy.
@@damilolaakanniHe probably doesn't need AWD. Not sure if he lives in Florida or California, or if he watches The Straight Pipes. Gotta order them Continental tires!
@@jonlosito2004 3 cylinders are very common now, and the turbo makes it actually fun to drive. It also does 0-50 in 6 seconds which is reasonable
@@jonlosito2004 I also have a V6 I run around in still which I drive when I wanna go fast
Urus from temu
TH-cam wants to translate this to “Manage from appointment”
Doug the type of guy to review a compact crossover in an office chair from the comfort of his own personal Batcave
19 secs no views fell off
Oh my god am i so sick of these comments. You aren't even remotely funny
Tired of these Copy and paste comments 😒
Unironically yea
@@thecoolrich tired of corny people with bot followers
@@z6u5 😂😂😂get some money and a life, ain’t none botted over here
I haven’t seen Doug that is having fun and not just doing a video just to do it on a new car in a bit
Interesting car but affirms my decision on the cx-30 turbo instead.
i too was looking at cx-30 (but not turbo) decided to go for kona because the inside was much more roomier (especially in the back!, mazda is quite bad there), prefered the dual clutch to standard automatic and mazdas ride was too harsh for me. Mazda has much nicer interior, but kona is overall a more modern car. also, with mazda you notice how it is actually raised 3-series, -the seating position, doors, interior space. while kona is suv from start, it feels much more roomier and driving position is more upright.
Cute lil’ SUV; I may consider getting one.
I hvaae this car. The N Line Ultimate has a lot of the tings Doug points out are missing.0360 camera, and also has cameras all over the car including the front and the mirrors. If you're considering the Kona N Line I'd spend the extra ~$3000 (Canadian) for the "Ultimate" trim. You also get heated and ventilatd seats, and steering wheel.
also worth noting no Kona trim comes with power tailgate.
Good on Hyundai for getting rid of the grey cladding 👏👏 idk if what's there is plastic or not but at least it's body color
there is multiple camera's in the car but you missed the button placement on the screen top left side where you can change into multiple camera modes, the default one is the back of the car. cheers
I'm getting rid of my old Kona and get a new Kona in my life. Nothing smells like fresh Kona, I tell you. And ofcourse, I know I'll have to pay 'cause younger Kona is always more expensive than an old Kona.