Hyundai has released a new teaser of its all-new compact SUV. Christened as Kona, it will be fourth addition to the brand’s SUV range in Europe and will join other SUVs of the Hyundai range – the Grand Santa Fe, Santa Fe and the Tucson. The Kona will inherit a new design language from the Korean carmaker.
In this single teaser, we could see the Hyundai’s ‘cascading’ grille, adorned by a twin headlight arrangement. The sleek upper LED strips are daytime running lamps, while the lower set will serve as headlamps. This set-up seems similar to one on the highly criticised Nissan Juke. As Hyundai asserts, “the separated lights at the front deliver a confident, progressive appearance with sleek and sharp shapes. The bold front and rear are emphasised by the car’s wide stance and its voluminous, aggressive body styling”. The bonnet and bumper creases suggest that the Kona will have a flamboyant styling.
There is no word on the powertrain as yet, but we know that the compact SUV will come with an optional four-wheel drive system. Also, Hyundai might plonk its range of petrol and diesel engines from the i30 into the Kona.
The name Kona is derived from the Kona district on the Big Island of Hawaii. The compact SUV is scheduled to make its official debut this summer and will be positioned below the Tucson and Santa Fe in Hyundai’s SUV line-up. It will take on the likes of Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke and Suzuki S-Cross in the European compact SUV segment.
According to Hyundai, the Kona is expected to play an important role in the brand’s aim to become the leading Asian car brand in Europe by 2021. In all, Hyundai is expected to launch 30 new models and derivatives in the next four years.
