2023 Hyundai Kona rendered! Hybrid likely for Corolla Cross, Seltos, CX-30 rival

The 2023 Hyundai Kona has been spied testing ahead of its expected launch next year – and to help visualise the final product, we commissioned renderings from digital artist Theottle.

Based on spy shots taken, the Kona takes cues from Hyundai’s current design language including the concave crease linking from the cladded wheel arch to door handle, which is a nod to the Tucson medium SUV and i30 Sedan.

The lighting features also tip their hats to the current Kona, with full-beams located in bezels where you’d typically see fog lights, and a liquorice strip of LED daytime running lights at the front and back.

Proportionally the new Kona is expected to be a little larger, jumping onto the same underpinnings as the new i30 Sedan and Kia Niro, rather than the current car’s older i30 hatch platform.

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Next Kona likely to offer hybrid in Oz

The Kona is already available with a broad spread of powertrains, from an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-litre to Otto 1.6-turbo petrol four-cylinder, as well as full electric power – but what about a petrol-electric hybrid?

“We've got a couple of surprises that are coming our way. But, having said that, the real transition for the rest of our product lineup is: Tucson; Santa Fe; Palisade… what we’ve done with Santa Fe [hybrid] will probably replicate itself over time”, Hyundai Australia COO, John Kett, told Wheels.

What that means is, for each of those SUV’s next product updates, we can expect a hybrid powertrain. This isn’t confirmed, but if supply is there and a solution feasible, these vehicles will probably offer some form of hybrid in the near future.

“By 2024 we're going to have a large SUV that's electric [Ioniq 7] there, so 5 and 7 will have those segments covered. Your new Kona next year will have EV covered.”

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And while Kona hybrid wasn’t discussed specifically, Kett added: “There's constant other programmes in the background that we can’t share, and I'm sure there's many others that haven't been shared with us.”

In the UK, the Kona has been available with a 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid developing 104kW of power since 2019. It’s the same powertrain found in the current Kia Niro with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission sending grunt to the front wheels.

The popularity of Toyota’s Corolla Cross and C-HR hybrid in the small SUV space suggest it would be prudent for Hyundai to sell a partially electrified option in the segment, and would give Kona a leg up over the Kia Seltos in efficiency terms.

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New Hyundai Kona details

Underneath the new ‘SX2’ Kona’s sheet metal, the SUV is slated to share underpinnings with the i30 Sedan. It’s an evolution of the hatch platform currently under Kona, but a significant one.

Spy pictures suggest the interior will split the difference between futuristic Ioniq products, and art deco-inspired i30 Sedan. Like the new Tucson, expect the Kona to grow in length, width and height for greater occupant comfort.

It’s expected the Kona electric will continue to be the price-leader EV for Hyundai with its 39.2kWh and 64kWh battery packs for up to 484 kilometres of driving range (WLTP) with smaller Ioniq models not expected to launch until after the Ioniq 6 next year, and Ioniq 7 in 2024.

The Hyundai Kona performs strongly in the small SUV category, racking up 11,082 sales this year for a 9.9 per cent segment share, behind the MG ZS, Mitsubishi ASX and Mazda CX-30.