Hyundai Kona review - MPG, CO2 and Running Costs
Petrol models are a little thirsty, but the efficient hybrid model is among the cheapest cars in its class to fuel and tax
Hyundai believes that it can attract downsizers and hip, trendy young families into the Kona. And it's being pretty bold with the pricing as a result.
The figures are pitched against other small SUVs instead of Hyundai's other small cars, like the i20 or even the i30, so they start at a similar level to the SEAT Arona (from around £17,000). That means they're higher than, say, the C3 Aircross's entry point - but that most basic Citroen is so basic that it's almost an irrelevance. Let's just say that the Kona is in the ballpark as far as its mainstream variants go.
There are a few anomalies in the Hyundai's fuel efficiency that you need to watch out for, and WLTP testing has made things even more complicated. The 1.0 version's official economy and CO2 figures start at 45.6mpg and 121g/km – but these only apply to the most basic S trim, which gets a (much lighter) can of tyre sealant instead of a spare wheel, and runs on 16-inch tyres.
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In-depth reviews
Long-term tests
Road tests
The SE and Premium 1.0 models – complete with a space-saver spare and either 17 or 18-inch wheels – manage official figures of 44.1mpg and 125g/km. These are some way adrift of the likes of the C3 Aircross and Arona, which feature a range of powerplants below 120g/km. The Citroen offers a diesel option, too, that gets to 70mpg and 104g/km.
The higher-powered Kona is worse again, because while it's an efficient enough engine, it's paired up with a dual-clutch auto gearbox and four-wheel drive. It only returns official figures of 34.0mpg and 158g/km - some way adrift of the admittedly less powerful auto C3 Aircross (126g/km) and DSG auto Arona (113g/km).
The firm’s saving grace is the hybrid model, which on paper is cheaper to run than any of its rivals. At 90-99g/km of CO2 emissions, the Kona Hybrid falls into the 22-23 percent Benefit in Kind tax brackets for 2019/20. The most efficient petrol SEAT Aronas sit at least three bands higher. WLTP fuel economy figures range between 52.3 and 56.5mpg.
The EV's day-to-day running costs are very low, while Hyundai also offers you the option of buying and installing a 7kW charger for around £300.
Insurance groups
If you're looking to buy a petrol or diesel Kona, you're looking at Insurance groups ranging from 9-18, with the 1.0 petrol engine at the lower end of the spectrum and the 1.6 petrol at the top. On top of this, the Kona Electric has higher insurance ratings from groups 22-27. That's likely down to the perception that a complex electrical system will be costlier to repair than a combustion engined layout.
Depreciation
The Kona has residual values that range from around 37-43 per cent, which is at the lower end of the small crossover range, and surprisingly around 10 per cent behind the Kia Stonic, which is a similar model.
One thing worth noting is that the Kona Electric has residuals that are in line with the combustion engined cars - that's not something you can say about some electric variants of other mainstream models.
