While the auto industry as a whole, including brands like Hyundai, is looking towards the future, what we drive today matters, especially if you’re a Dad or Mom driver. Functionality is king; getting the family from point A to point B is priority, but getting excited about what you drive is also key. Look no further than the 2024 Kona to see how this marriage of functionality and fun translates into an enjoyable driving experience. The Kona is newly redesigned for 2024, inside and out, and thus sports some really cool design elements. This compact SUV will definitely help parents out in their child’s pick-up lane at school, but does this magic translate to on-road performance for day-to-day excursions? How does it fare on road trips? How much can you pack in such a compact size? I had a week to find all of this out, and I had one of Kona’s most adventurous trim levels to do it in: the Kona Limited AWD.
What This Dad Digs about the 2024 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD
Futuristic Stylings—From any perspective, the 2024 Kona is a treat to gawk at. It looks futuristic without being over the top, and there are tons of nifty design elements that surprise. For instance, the way that the rear passenger windows come to a point and then expand back outwards to create the rear window is simply a thing of beauty. These small details may be easy to overlook, but it’s this level of design choice that impresses the most within this new Kona.
Both the interior and the exterior were redesigned for 2024, and while some of the body features might be too angular for some, I appreciated the sharp aesthetics and modern twists. The linear daylight running lights wrapping around the nose of the Kona are a great example; they are beautifully mirrored by the line of taillights at the rear. The sharp lines throughout the sides and the Limited’s triangle-filled rims give the Kona an edge that befits its hipster name.
Inside the Kona’s cabin, the design is minimalistic and functional, delivering the same futuristic punch as the interior. The dual infotainment/gauge cluster digital screen comes in one sweeping frame that has become a staple of Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The digital gauge cluster has a clear, large read-out that’s easy to customize, and the 12.3 infotainment portion of the frame is within a comfortable distance for the driver to reach. The gear shifter is placed behind the steering wheel, leaving room in the center console for drinks and storage. While the dash itself is linear in design, the sharp angles from the exterior aesthetics follow through on the interior door design.
Space for Everyone Inside – The Kona’s redesign resulted in a longer vehicle and, thus, more room inside for passengers and cargo. The vehicle is 5.7 inches longer than the 2023 model and now offers more rear legroom and front headroom thanks to a thinner front seat design. There was plenty of room for child seats in the back and enough hip room up front to make for comfortable rides.
In the cargo area, this new Kona offers 25.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 63.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. This is a substantial improvement over the previous model and provides plenty of room to carry enough gear for a weekend trip to the lake. Admittedly, I had to get creative with packing my family’s luggage, but I even managed to fit my fishing pole in the back!
Proper Handling – Thanks to the All-Wheel drive of the Limited version of the Kona we reviewed, this puppy handles as sporty as it looks. Handling was confident and peppy, even if the acceleration left something to be desired. The long body made for a grounded stance, and rounding corners was a tight maneuver. There, Kona’s body is just hefty enough to give the vehicle the proper feel on most roads. I did some fairly minor off-road driving during our trip to the lake, and the Kona never once felt like it couldn’t handle what I threw at it. Thankfully, the All-Wheel drive version of the Konas gives the driver a slightly higher vantage point, which is helpful on non-flat roads.
Excellent Safety Features for the Value – Hyundai has gone HAM on the Kona’s safety features for 2024, adding even new features to its already impressive suite of safety tech! New ultrasonic parking sensors and in-cabin driver awareness cameras are just a few of the standard features now included. More familiar safety tech like Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Keeping Assist, and Rear Traffic Collision Warning are still accounted for here, but thanks to improved cameras and sensors, they work even better than ever. The kicker is that several of these safety features come standard across all the trim levels, including the standard SE trim level. At just $24,250 for the SE trim level of the Kona, that’s quite a bargain, considering the safety tech that comes with it.
What gets this Dad’s Downvote
Underwhelming Acceleration – The Kona looks futuristic, and the turbocharged engine that comes with the Limited AWD sounds like it should be capable enough to handle some responsibly aggressive driving. However, if you’re a keen driver, you will notice some limitations. The drive is comfy and easygoing, but once you put the pedal to the metal, you will notice a lag where the Turbo engine kicks in and takes over. The 1.6L Turbocharged 4-cylinder produces 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, which, again, is more than adequate for leisure driving. But I constantly felt like I wanted just a bit more power when accelerating in the Kona.
The base and mid-level trims, come with a 2.0L 4-Cylinder engine that produces 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. Paired with a Continuously Variable Transmission, this should be enough for most drivers. But the Kona looks too cool not to drive like a total badass.
The Bottom Line
The 2024 Kona certainly makes a statement, and for a compact SUV, that statement can be made at a very reasonable price. The base SE Kona starts at $24,250 and comes with most of the features that make this year’s redesign a success. The Limited trim Kona that I tested starts at $31,650. With the All Wheel Drive and additional features like the brilliant Atlas White paint job, this specific vehicle came to a grand total of $35,145. At that price, I can live with the underwhelming acceleration because the Kona has much to offer. Especially considering that it gets a combined 29 miles to the gallon on the highway and 24 in city driving.
Still, $35K is getting awfully close to Hyundai’s price for some of it’s large vehicles like the Tucson and the base level of the Palisade, a three row SUV. While the Kona offers plenty of seating and cargo space for a family of more than 3, these necessities might require an upgrade to a larger vehicle, particularly at this price point. But the Kona could be the perfect fit if your family travels light and enjoys traveling in style.
Phillip is a filmmaker, an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and craft beer aficionado. He writes about cars, car tech, and various other cool Dad things. He lives, works and plays in Dallas, Texas.
