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2020 Hyundai Kona

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Make
Hyundai
Model
Kona
Year
2020
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OEM Interior Primary
OEM Exterior Standard
OEM Exterior Standard
OEM Interior
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Expert Rating
3.2 (Good)

Our expert ratings are based on seven comprehensive criteria: quality, safety, comfort, performance, fuel economy, reliability history and value.

You can interpret our ratings in the following way:

: Outstanding vehicle. Only the most exceptional vehicles achieve this rating.

: Very Good vehicle. Very good and close to being the best vehicle in its class.

: Good vehicle. Decent, but not quite the best. Often affordable, but lacking key features found in vehicles of the same class.

: Below average vehicle. Not recommended, and lacking attributes a car buyer would come to expect for the price.

: Poor vehicle. Simply does not deserve to be on the road.

Select a Trim
Select a Trim
2020 SE 4dr Front-Wheel Drive
most popular
Price:   -  From $20,300
2020 SE 4dr All-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $21,700
2020 SEL 4dr Front-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $22,100
2020 SEL 4dr All-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $23,500
2020 SEL Plus 4dr Front-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $23,950
2020 SEL Plus 4dr All-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $25,350
2020 Limited 4dr Front-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $26,100
2020 Limited 4dr All-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $27,500
2020 Ultimate 4dr Front-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $27,950
2020 Ultimate 4dr All-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $29,350
2020 Kona Electric SEL 4dr Front-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $37,190
2020 Kona Electric Limited 4dr Front-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $41,800
2020 Kona Electric Ultimate 4dr Front-Wheel Drive Price:   -  From $45,400

Overview

What's New

The 2020 Hyundai Kona carries over with few changes. The biggest is the addition of adaptive cruise control, now available on the top Ultimate trim. A new trim joins the fray, but it will look familiar to fans of the model. The SEL Plus is essentially last year’s SEL plus the Tech Package.

Choosing Your Hyundai Kona

The Kona lineup includes five trims: SE, SEL, SEL Plus, Limited, and Ultimate. Prices start at $21,195 including destination for the SE and run up to $28,845 for the Ultimate. There’s also an all-electric version of the Kona, but we cover it separately.

Engine Choices

The Hyundai Kona is available with two engines. The first three trims get the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder, while the Limited and Ultimate house a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder.

Engine TypeHorsepowerTorqueFuel Economy (Combined)
2.0L 4-Cylinder147 hp132 lb-ft30 mpg
1.6L Turbo 4-Cylinder175 hp195 lb-ft30 mpg

The base engine uses a six-speed automatic transmission, but the turbo motor comes with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is available for a relatively affordable $1,400.

Passenger and Cargo Capacity

The Kona seats five, and while it’s technically a compact crossover, it has the interior space of a hatchback. Behind the rear seats is 19.2 cubic feet of cargo capacity, or 45.8 cubes with the seats down. That’s a little down on rivals like the Kia Niro and Kia Soul.

Hyundai Kona

Safety Features

The Hyundai Kona is strong in the safety department, with a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA to show. Standard active safety features include automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist.

The SEL and higher also get blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane change assist, while the range-topping Ultimate includes adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, high beam assist, and a head-up display.

Connectivity

Base Kona models start with a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, but an 8-inch LCD is standard on the Ultimate. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility come standard, along with multiple USB ports.

Hyundai Kona

SE - From $21,195

The Hyundai Kona SE keeps things basic and affordable. The seats are cloth, the wheels are 16-inch alloys, and the driver’s seat is manually adjustable. But it gets the basics, including Bluetooth and keyless entry along with the standard infotainment and safety features.

SEL - From $22,995

For a relatively modest price increase, the Kona SEL adds 17-inch wheels, push-button start, satellite radio, and blind-spot monitoring. The steering wheel is wrapped in leather, the front row is heated, and the rear gets privacy glass.

SEL Plus - From $24,845

The SEL Plus is mostly about technology. Over the SEL, it adds an eight-speaker Infinity audio system, Hyundai telematics, and wireless charging. There are a couple quality-of-life upgrades as well – the driver’s seat is now eight-way power adjustable, and a power sunroof is included.

Limited - From $26,995

The Kona Limited does a luxury-car impression with chrome accents, leather upholstery, LED lights, and automatic temperature control. This is the first trim to get the 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with the dual-clutch transmission, and it gets 18-inch wheels as a bonus.

Ultimate - From $28,845

Hyundai’s nicest Kona gets its best safety features, including adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, and automatic high beams. The Ultimate trim also gets the nicer 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, Homelink, and a compass in the rearview mirror.

Compare Kona Trims Side-By-Side

CarsDirect Tip

The 2020 Hyundai Kona SEL is an excellent value in our eyes. It adds enough to turn the vehicle into a comfortable city runabout while remaining affordable.

author image
Automotive Editor
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Expert Review

Pros
  • Stylish cabin
  • Intuitive infotainment system
  • Standard active safety features
Cons
  • Busy design
  • Pricey top trims
  • Awkward dual-clutch transmission
Expert Rating
3.2 (Good)

Our expert ratings are based on seven comprehensive criteria: quality, safety, comfort, performance, fuel economy, reliability history and value.

You can interpret our ratings in the following way:

: Outstanding vehicle. Only the most exceptional vehicles achieve this rating.

: Very Good vehicle. Very good and close to being the best vehicle in its class.

: Good vehicle. Decent, but not quite the best. Often affordable, but lacking key features found in vehicles of the same class.

: Below average vehicle. Not recommended, and lacking attributes a car buyer would come to expect for the price.

: Poor vehicle. Simply does not deserve to be on the road.

author image
Contributing Writer

Trim-dependent value. Available in five trim levels, the 2020 Hyundai Kona comes well equipped from the jump. The base SE model gets 16-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, solar glass all around and keyless entry.

Inside, occupants are treated to a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with audio, Bluetooth, and cruise controls, a 7-inch touchscreen, a cargo area cover, a 12-volt power outlet, dual USB ports, and an auxiliary input jack up front.

Our choice would be either the SEL or the SEL Plus. Both add larger 17-inch alloy wheels, turn signals in the outside mirrors, rear privacy glass, push-button start, heated front seats, satellite and HD radio, and a leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel.

The SEL Plus adds fog lights, a sunroof, an eight-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar, a 315-watt Infinity audio system, a 4.2 color display in the instrument cluster, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Topping things off on all models is a five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty that extends out to 10 years/100,000 miles for powertrain components.

At the same time, a sunroof isn’t offered on the $27,000 Limited model, while, despite a list of features that includes navigation, smartphone charging, a head-up display, and larger 8-inch touchscreen, larger crossovers represent a much better deal than the $29,000 Ultimate trim.

Advanced safety. Kudos to Hyundai for including standard advanced safety features on the SE that include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, and driver attention warning.

In addition, SEL and above trims receive blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and rear cross-traffic alert, while the Ultimate adds adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, and automatic high beams.

As a result, Hyundai’s subcompact crossover achieves a five-star overall safety rating with the NHTSA, and a Top Safety Pick Plus award with the IIHS.

On the flip side, unlike Toyota, which offers the same advanced safety items on all C-HR models, the affordable SE is only offered with select safety features, while buyers have to choose the Ultimate trim to receive the full list.

In addition, only the Kona Limited and Ultimate models with their LED headlights qualify for the IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus rating, while SE, SEL, and SEL Plus trims were given a Top Safety Pick rating due to a "Poor" score for their halogen projector low- and high-beam units.

Not to mention, all Konas received a "Marginal" score for child seat anchors due to the difficulty maneuvering around lower anchors that are set too deeply in the seats.


Hyundai Kona

Decent power and fuel economy. The Kona is offered with a pair of gas engines. SE, SEL, and SEL Plus models are fitted with a 147-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder matched with a conventional six-speed automatic transmission. The Limited and Ultimate trims receive a 175-hp, 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

When equipped with the 2.0-liter engine, the Kona scores an EPA-estimated 30 miles per gallon combined, which drops to 28 mpg combined with all-wheel drive. The 1.6-liter manages to achieve 30 mpg combined with FWD and 27 mpg with AWD.

In a mix of aggressive city and highway driving, we managed a vehicle-measured 25.2 mpg in an AWD model equipped with the 1.6-liter turbo.

On the road, however, the base 2.0-liter engine feels somewhat sluggish, and while the turbo is exuberant off the line, and exhilarating to drive on the highway, the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic sometimes get confused and feels hesitant at city speeds.

City-slick interior. The city-sized Kona’s mismatched, busy exterior is wrapped around an interior that offers plenty of front seat room and a high enough ride height to make ingress and egress easy, even for less mobile occupants.

The cloth upholstery looks and feels like it will wear well, precluding the need for pricey leather. Meanwhile, the infotainment system features multiple USB ports, intuitive, user-friendly software, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. Hard plastics abound, but they’re nicely textured with an impeccable fit and finish.

The rear seats flip and fold, creating 45.8 cubic feet of cargo space with a flat load floor. When up and in use, 19.2 cubic feet remain behind them.

On the other hand, the Kona falls well short of the class-leading Honda HR-V's 24.3 cubic feet of cargo room. While head room is better than average, rear seat space is otherwise limited and more suited for short trips.

In addition, models finished in either lime green or orange receive corresponding interior trim highlights, while all gray or black interiors look and feel a bit drab.

Final thoughts. Despite a clumsy design, imperfect dual-clutch transmission, and pricey top trims, the 2020 Hyundai Kona is a solid choice in the small crossover class. Its stylish cabin, trove of active safety features, and user-friendly infotainment system offer most everything crossover buyers are looking for in a city-friendly package.

Check prices for the 2020 Hyundai Kona »

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Specs & Features

Highlights
Overall Crash Safety Rating
Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque
2.0L I-4 / 147 HP / 132 ft.lbs.
Transmission
6-spd SHIFTRONIC w/OD
Drive Type
Front-wheel
Fuel Economy - City/Highway/Combined
27 / 33 / 30 Mpg
Passenger Capacity
5
Bumper to Bumper Warranty
60 Months / 60,000 Miles
Mechanical Specs
Engine - Cylinders/Horsepower/Torque
2.0L I-4 / 147 HP / 132 ft.lbs.
Drive Type
Front-wheel
Fuel Economy - City/Hwy/Combined
27 / 33 / 30 Mpg
Brakes
4-wheel Disc
Front Suspension
Strut
Rear Suspension
Semi-independent Torsion Beam Beam
Spare Tire And Wheel
Compact Steel
Fuel Tank
13.2 Gal.
Recommended Fuel Type
Regular Unleaded
Average Cost To Fill Tank
$50
Dimensions & Capabilities
Maximum Cargo Volume
45.8 Cu.ft.
Passenger Volume
94 Cu.ft.
Exterior Length
164.0 "
Exterior Width
70.9 "
Exterior Height
61.0 "
Front Headroom
39.6 "
Rear Headroom
37.8 "
Front Legroom
41.5 "
Rear Legroom
34.6 "
Front Shoulder Room
55.5 "
Rear Shoulder Room
54.5 "
Front Hip Room
Rear Hip Room
Curb Weight
2,890 Lbs.
Wheel Base
102 "
Turning Radius
17.4 '
Exterior Features
Door Count
4 Doors
Wheels
16.0 " Silver Aluminum
Paint
Clearcoat Monotone / Metallic Monotone
Exterior Mirrors
Dual Power Remote, Convex Spotter Driver
Bumpers
Front Body-colored
Grille Moldings
Black
Rear Spoiler
Lip
Exhaust
Stainless Steel
Interior Features
Seating
Passenger Capacity
5
Seat Trim
Cloth
Front Seat Type
Bucket
Heated Front Seats
Front Driver Seat Direction Controls
6-way
Front Passenger Seat Direction Controls
4-way
Front Armrests
6-way
Rear Armrests
Center
Rear Seats
60-40 Bench
Radio & Infotainment
Radio
Am/fm, Clock, Seek-scan / Clock
Speakers
6
Radio Steering Wheel Controls
Apple Car Play
Android Auto
Bluetooth w/ Hands-Free Connectivity
Convenience Features
Steering Wheel Type
Telescopic Tilt
Climate Control
Cruise Control
With Steering Wheel Controls
Sun Roof
Rearview Mirror
Day-night / Auto-dimming Day-night
One Touch Open Window
Driver
Tinted Windows
Light
Vanity Mirrors
Remote Keyless Entry
Keyfob (all Doors)
Power Outlets
1
Safety Features
Overall Crash Safety Rating
Overall Front Crash Safety Rating
Overall Side Crash Safety Rating
Rollover Crash Safety Rating
Front Impact Airbags
Driver And Passenger
Driver Side Impact Airbags
Seat Mounted
Knee Airbag
Passenger Side Impact Airbag
Seat Mounted
Rear Side Airbag
Seatbelt Pretensioners
Front
Anti-Lock Brakes
4-wheel Anti-lock Brakes (abs)
Forward Collision Warning
Forward Collision-avoidance Assist (fca) Forward Collision Mitigation
Blind Spot Sensor
Lane Departure Warning
Lane Keep Assist (lka) Lane Departure
Autonomous Cruise Control
Pedestrian Detection
Driver Attention Alert
Driver Attention Warning (daw) Driver Attention
Daytime Running Lights
Auto High Beams
Adaptive Headlights
Parking Sensors
Security Systems
Security System
Panic Alarm
Ignition Disable
Warranty
Bumper To Bumper Months Miles
60 Months / 60,000 Miles
Major Components Months
120 Months / 100,000 Miles
Included Maintenance Months
36 Months / 36,000 Miles
Roadside Assistance Months
60 Months / Unlimited Miles
Corrosion Perforation
84 Months / Unlimited Miles
Accessories Months
12 Months / Unlimited Miles

Used 2020 Hyundai Kona for Sale

6 vehicles found within 50 miles of your area
Hyundai
SE
Color: White
Price

$13,999

Mileage

0 mi

Map location icon

Garden Grove Kia (30 mi)

Phone: (888) 992-1786
Hyundai
SEL
Color: Black
Price

$15,800

Mileage

27,944 mi

Map location icon

Topline Automotive Inc. (19 mi)

Phone: (626) 572-8888
Hyundai
SEL
Color: Ultra Black Pearl
Price

$17,000

Mileage

71,578 mi

Map location icon

Anaheim Hyundai (31 mi)

Phone: (833) 214-6621
Hyundai
Ultimate 4dr Front-Wheel Drive
Color: Sonic Silver W/Dark Gray Roof
Price

$21,498

Mileage

24,606 mi

Map location icon

Harbor Hyundai (14 mi)

Phone: (562) 304-2220
See All Used Car Listings

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