Powertrain Options

There are two gas powertrain options available for the 2021 Kona. As standard, there's a 2.0L four-cylinder model making 147 horsepower and 132lb-ft of torque, pushed through a six-speed automatic transmission to either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. This powertrain provides plenty of pep around town while enjoying a fuel economy of 7.1L / 100km on the highway.   Moving up a level, a 1.6L turbo option makes 175 hp and 195lb-ft, again with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive, but this time with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Surprisingly given the extra grunt, the fuel economy is only marginally lower with a healthy highway rating of 7.3L / 100km.   Lastly, there's also an all-electric powertrain available that generates a powerful 201 hp with a generous range of around 400km.

Technology and Safety

The Kona earns top marks across the board in crash ratings by both the NHTSA and the IIHS. But to prevent physical safety from being put to the test, the Kona is also equipped with a generous suite of active safety and driver-assist technologies. Standard and available highlights include:

 

• Automatic forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Automatic rear braking
• Lane-keeping assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts.
• Driver attention monitoring and warnings.

 

Even at the base level the Kona is well equipped with infotainment technology, with a 7" touchscreen giving access to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and other essential features. Higher trims boost the size to 8" while also adding navigation and real-time traffic information. And lastly, at the high end, the Ultimate trim adds the option of a head-up display, which projects direction instructions and traffic updates onto the windshield along with driving information taken from the main dash display.