2018 Hyundai Kona Fuel Economy Rated At Up To 30 MPG

The wildly-styled Hyundai Kona made its debut at the last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, revealing that funky is what it takes to have SUVs stick out now. While we knew pretty much everything that we needed to about the vehicle, we were anxiously waiting to hear about the Kona’s fuel-economy figures. Well, the EPA recently put out the numbers behind the SUV and they’re competitive.

The Kona will be available in two powertrains: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The 2.0-liter is the standard unit and produces 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. The engine is paired to a six-speed automatic transmission with drive going to either the front wheels or all four through an all-wheel drive system.

The turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine generates 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. The turbo gets a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, with front- or all-wheel drive.

Despite making more power, the turbocharged powertrain is the more fuel-efficient choice. With front-wheel drive, the 1.6-liter Kona returns 28 miles per gallon in the city and 32 mpg on the highway, giving the SUV a combined rating of 30 mpg. Opting for all-wheel drive brings those figures down to 26 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, for 27 mpg combined.

The 2.0-liter engine and six-speed automatic transmission combo aren’t far behind, though, with a rating of 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway (30 mpg combined) for front-wheel-drive models. Once again, going with an all-wheel-drive drivetrain decreases those figures by two mpg in the city, three mpg on the highway, and three mpg combined.

The most efficient Kona – the 1.6-liter engine with front-wheel drive – is competitive with the Honda HR-V. The HR-V, with its 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission, is rated to return 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, resulting in a combined rating of 31 mpg. That said, the Kona is much more powerful than the 141-hp Honda.

The Kona, with the turbocharged powertrain, is more efficient than the Chevrolet Trax. The Chevy has a rating of 25 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway when equipped with the 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive. Again, the 1.6-liter Kona enjoys a health power advantage over the 138-hp engine that's standard in all Trax models.

Compared to its larger stablemate, the Hyundai Tucson, which the Kona shares its powertrains with, the new subcompact SUV is the better choice for consumers looking to save money at the pumps. The Tucson with the same 1.6-liter turbocharged powertrain and front-drive is the most fuel-efficient model with a rating of 25 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, resulting a combined rating of 27 mpg. It’s not a large difference, but three mpg better in the city and an increase of two mpg on the highway sway things in the Kona’s favor.

Hyundai hasn't announced pricing for the Kona, but if the jump from the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine to the 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit isn't a big one, it's the powertrain to go with.