2024 Hyundai Kona Hybrid: A More Exciting Kia Niro?
The Hyundai Kona is being redesigned for the 2024 model year. The Kona has a larger body, a new exterior design, and a hybrid powertrain option. Will the Hyundai Kona Hybrid subcompact SUV just be a more exciting Kia Niro?
The 2024 Hyundai Kona will have a hybrid powertrain option
The Hyundai Kona is currently one of the best subcompact SUVs on the market. It battles with models like the Kia Soul and Mazda CX-30 for the top spot.
The Kona became popular because of its quirky design, affordable price, and engaging driving dynamics. Hyundai even created a Kona EV. The South Korean automaker has revealed glimpses of the 2024 Kona model year, along with some exciting news. According to Autoweek, the Kona will be offered as a hybrid for the first time ever.
This is exciting for consumers who value fuel efficiency because the small subcompact SUV is already pretty efficient. A hybrid powertrain would give the Kona incredible gas mileage. The industry has a pretty good idea of what a hybrid Kona would look like, thanks to its Kia counterpart, the Kia Niro.
Hyundai Motor Company is Kia’s parent company. Many Kia models are closely related to Hyundai vehicles as a result. Since the Kia Niro is a standard hybrid, we have a benchmark for how the Hyundai Kona Hybrid could perform.
The 2023 Kia Niro is a 2024 Hyundai Kona relative
The 2023 Kia Niro is a standard hybrid SUV that shares some characteristics with the Kona nameplate. The subcompact hybrid SUV achieves 53 miles per gallon in the city and 54 miles per gallon on the highway. It has an 11.2-gallon gas tank. The Niro should be able to travel for 599 miles on a full tank.
The Kia Niro uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor to make 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. The gas-powered 2023 Hyundai Kona uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder base engine, so a 1.6-liter four-cylinder paired with an electric motor is likely for the hybrid version.
The 2024 Hyundai Kona could get similar mileage to the 2023 Niro. The 2023 Kona gets 32 miles per gallon combined, so a hybrid Kona should easily be able to achieve north of 40 miles per gallon combined. The Hyundai Kona has a larger gas tank than the Kia Niro. Ideally, the 2024 Hyundai Kona Hybrid will get close to 600 miles of driving range as well.
What to expect from a 2024 Hyundai Kona Hybrid
Unlike the Hyundai Kona Electric, the Kona Hybrid’s exterior shouldn’t deviate much from the internal combustion engine Kona’s design, especially since the nameplate already got an exterior redesign for the 2024 model year. Expect the 2024 Hyundai Kona Hybrid to start between $26,000-$28,000. The Niro comes in five different trim levels, so Hyundai should offer more than two trim levels for the Kona Hybrid as well.
Hyundai’s subcompact SUV is a hit among consumers, and the automaker intends to offer as many configurations as possible while the nameplate is popular. Expect the 2023 Hyundai Kona Hybrid to be reasonably priced, fun to drive, and incredibly fuel efficient.
